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The Latin reading blog: How poor abbot John learnt a lesson...
The Carmina Cantabrigiensia (Cambridge Songs) is a collection of 76 songs written down about 1066.
Poem 42 is based on a story from the desert fathers. The desert fathers were monks who in the third century withdrew to the Egyptian desert. St.Antony the Great is the most well-known of these. The Apophthegmata Patrum contained sayings and miracles of these monks. Originally it was in Coptic, but soon translated into Greek and then from Greek into Latin. These texts served as spiritual examples for monks.
An unknown poet has with sense of humour made the following story into a poem:
xxvii. They used to tell of the abbot John of short stature that he once said to his elder brother, "I would fain be secure 'as the angels are secure, toiling not, but serving God without stay," and stripping himself of his garments, he went into the desert. And when a week had been spent there, he returned to his brother: and while he was knocking at the door, his brother answered before he would open, saying, "Who art thou?" And he said, "I am John." And his brother answered and said to him, "John is become an angel and is no longer among men." However, he went on knocking, saying, "I am he." And he would not open to him, but sent him away in distress. Then, afterwards opening the door, he said to him, "If thou art a man, thou must need work again, so as to live: if however thou art an angel, why dost thou ask to come into the cell?" And he did penance, saying, "Forgive me, brother, for I have sinned."
Clearly a warning not te be too zealous in  religious matters, I hope that fanatics of whatever  religion will read this post!
In gestis patrum veterum      quoddam legi ridiculum,
exemplo tamen habile,      quod vobis dico rithmice.
gestum: work, deed.  `in (a book about) the deeds’
exemplo: predicative dative `usefull (habile) as example’
Iohannes abba parvulus      statura, non virtutibus,
ita maiori socio,      quicum erat in heremo,
statura, virtutibus: ablative of quality
ita with dicebat in the next stanza
fruor fructus sum (+abl,): to use (from the same root *frug as German `brauchen’.)
laboro: here `to make, produce’
Respondit maior: «Moneo,      ne sis incepti properus,
frater, quod tibi postmodum      sit non cepisse satius.»
postmodum: a little later
capio cepi captus: to hold on (cepisse = capere)
At minor: «Qui non dimicat,      non cadit neque superat!»
ait et nudus heremum      interiorem penetrat.
cado cecidi casum: to fall down
Septem dies gramineo      vix ibi durat pabulo;
octava fames imperat,      ut ad sodalem redeat.
gramineo pabulo: on a diet of grasses
sodalis –is (m and f): companion
Qui sero clausa ianua      tutus sedet in cellula,
cum minor voce debili      «Frater» appellat «aperi!
clausa ianua: abl. abs. (ianua: door)
Iohannes opis indigus      notis assistit foribus;
ne spernat tua pietas,      quem redigit necessitas.»
ops opis (f): help
indigus + gen.: in need of
notis foribus: at the well-known door
sperno sprevi spretum: to despise
pietas: in case the older frater was reading the Bible or praying sermons
redigo redegi redactum: to force back
Respondit ille deintus:      «Iohannes factus angelus
miratur celi cardines,      ultra non curat homines.»
cordo cardinis (m): pivot and socket, hence `door’
cura: to care for
Iohannes foris excubat      malamque noctem tolerat
et preter voluntariam      hanc agit penitentiam.
excubo excubui excubitum: to lie outside
Facto mane recipitur      satisque verbis uritur,
sed intentus ad crustula      fert patienter omnia.
facto mane: when morning had come
uro ussi ustum: to burn, scorn
Refocillatus Domino      grates agit ac socio,
dehinc rastellum brachiis      temptat movere languidis.
refoculo: to refresh, revive (medieval Latin)
grates ago: to thank
Castigatus angustia      de levitate nimia,
cum angelus non potuit,      vir bonus esse didicit.
castigo: to chastise, correct
levitas –atis (m): light-mindedness
disco didici: to learn
This is a copy of a pdf file containing a copy of the poem. It starts with the capital I ad mid right. For some reason this copy much darker than the original.
Posted by Leo Tepper at 12:29
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