tecti: tectum,roof, home; here, the home of all mankind, i.e., the world.
75. ad verbum: to a word, literally.
76. detrimento: detrimentum, loss (of), injury (to).
77. cuncta: = omnia.
79. carminis: with plura…verba.
80. mane: adv., in the morning.
vilicum: vilicus,steward, reeve.
83. universorum: of all together.
Caedmon is inspired by a vision in a dream to compose holy verse and to sing.
Quod dum tempore quodam faceret, et relicta domu convivii egressus esset ad stabula iumentorum, quorum ei custodia nocte illa erat delegata, ibique hora competenti membra dedisset 60 sopori, adstitit ei quidam per somnium, eumque salutans ac suo appellans nomine, “Caedmon,” inquit, “canta mihi aliquid.” At ille respondens, “Nescio,” inquit, “cantare; nam et ideo de convivio egressus huc secessi, quia cantare non poteram.” Rursum ille qui cum eo loquebatur, “Attamen,” ait, “mihi cantare 65 habes.” “Quid,” inquit, “debeo cantare?” Et ille, “Canta,” inquit, “principium creaturarum.” Quo accepto responso, statim ipse coepit cantare in laudem Dei conditoris versus quos numquam audierat, quorum iste est sensus: “Nunc laudare debemus auctorem regni caelestis, potentiam creatoris et consilium illius, 70 facta Patris gloriae. Quomodo ille, cum sit aeternus Deus, omnium miraculorum auctor exstitit, qui primo filiis hominum caelum pro culmine tecti, dehinc terram custos humani generis omnipotens creavit!” (Hic est sensus, non autem ordo ipse verborum, quae dormiens ille canebat; neque enim possunt carmina, 75 quamvis optime composita, ex alia in aliam linguam ad verbum sine detrimento sui decoris ac dignitatis transferri.) Exsurgens autem a somno, cuncta quae dormiens cantaverat memoriter retinuit, et eis mox plura in eundem modum verba Deo digni carminis adiunxit.
Caedmon’s verses are judged to be the product of divine inspiration.
80 Veniensque mane ad vilicum qui sibi praeerat, quid doni percepisset indicavit atque, ad abbatissam perductus, iussus est, multis doctioribus viris praesentibus, indicare somnium et dicere carmen ut universorum iudicio quid vel unde esset quod referebat probaretur. Visumque est omnibus caelestem ei a Domino 85 con cessam esse gratiam.
84. probaretur: the subj. is quid (esset) vel unde esset (id) quod referebat.
86. Honorius: Roman emperor of the West, A.D. 395–423; but the numerous stories of Rome’s emperors in the Gesta Romanorum are largely or entirely fabricated.
valde: adv., very, very much.
unicum:an only.
88. unum: = quendam, or simply the indef. article a, as often in med. Lat.
89. guerram: guerra, med. = bellum.
cum…sustinebat (90): in med. Lat. cum circumstantial and causal may be used with the indic. rather than the subjunct.
90. damna: damnum, damage, injury, loss.
92. si…possem…obtinerem (93): in med. Lat. the impf. subjunct. can be used, as here, in a fut. less vivid condition and, as in class. Lat., in a pres. contrary to fact.
per aliquam viam: = aliquo modo; this is an example of the common use in med. Lat. of prep. phrases to replace cases without a prep. in class. Lat.
93. copulare: to join, unite.
94. ut…concederet (95): actually a JUSSIVE NOUN CL. depending on the idea of asking implicit in misit nuntios.
saltem: adv., at least.
trewgam: trewga,truce (a Germanic word, as the w shows).
95. quod: can in med. Lat. introduce a PURPOSE CL., as here.
97. filiam eius filio suo: the normal possessives are reversed here (eius for suam, and suo for eius), a common irregularity in med. Lat.
98. habeam: for habebo.
99. decessum: decessus, departure, death.
100. destinetur: destinare, here, to bequeath.
conventione: conventio,agreement, compact.
101. charta: paper, document.
sigillata est: sigillare,to seal, mark with a seal.
vale…fecit: med. Lat. for vale dixit.
102. parari fecit: for class. fecit ut pararetur.
103. quia: usually + indic. in class. Lat.
The Venerable Bede
