Would anyone feel up to checking over my translation of chapter II.2 of the Vita Sanctae Radegundis Reginae? I'm a Classicist most at home in the high imperial period, so both the lives of saints and post-Classical Latin generally are a bit foreign to me, and I don't seem to be able to track down a translation of this part of the Life (though part I is here).
What's important to me about this text is the account of a Christian queen burning a pagan temple (fanum), so a perfect literary translation is not necessary, and nor is the bracketed section important - I just need to be sure I've got the right end of the stick about what happened to the fanum.
Latin text
Dum esset cum rege adhuc in mundiali habitu, mens intenta ad Christum (teste Domino loquor, cui ore tacente pectora confitentur: cui et si lingua taceat, conscientia nihil occultat, quia quod audivimus dicimus, et quod vidimus testamur), invitata ad prandium a Sifride matrona, dum iter ageret saeculari pompa se comitante, interjecta longinquitate terrae ac spatio, fanum quod a Francis colebatur, in itinere beatae reginae, quantum miliario uno proximum erat. Hoc illa audiens, jussit famulis fanum igni comburi, iniquum judicans Deum coeli contemni et diabolica machinamenta venerari. Hoc audientes Franci universaque multitudo cum gladiis et fustibus vel omni fremitu diabolico conabantur defendere, sancta vero regina immobilis perseverans, et Christum in pectore gestans, equum quem sedebat inantea non movit, antequam et fanum perureretur, et ipsa orante inter se populi pacem firmarent. Quo peracto virtutem et constantiam beatae reginae omnes admirantes Dominum benedixerunt.
My translation
While she was with the king still in worldly habit, her mind intent on Christ (with the Lord my witness I speak, to whom souls confess with silent mouth: to whom also if the tongue be silent, the conscience hides nothing, because what we heard we said, and what we saw we bore witness to), she was invited to dinner by the matron Sifride, until the journey drove her with a solemn procession accompanying, cast among the length and distance of the earth, to a shrine cultivated by the Franks, which was as near as a milestone to the journey of the blessed queen. Hearing this, she ordered her attendants to consume the shrine with fire, judging the God of heaven ill-matched to be condemned and to be worshipped by a diabolical instrument. Hearing this the Franks and the entire multitude with swords and cudgels or with all diabolical roaring tried to defend [it], the saintly queen truly persevering, immovable, and bearing Christ in her breast, she did not move her horse which was fixed in front [of the shrine] before the shrine was also burned up, and by herself praying among them, the people encouraged to peace. With this done all praised the virtue and constancy of the blessed queen, wondering at the Lord.
Thanks if you can help!
August 17 2007, 11:32:08 UTC 4 years ago
Thoughts
Health warning - I'm not a Latin scholar, my subject matter expertise and formal training is in philosophy, but I read an awful lot of medieval Latin because of this.Anyway, some thoughts:
dum iter ageret – I think the subject is the queen, not the journey (which is therefore neuter accusative). It's a common phrase – in 'cum adhuc dominus iter ageret in Ierusalem' the subject would have to be dominus. Thus 'she made the journey' or something like that. This would make more sense of the 'se' that follows.
'quantum miliario uno proximum erat' – I think 'by one mile' would be more accurate.
sancta vero regina – 'vero' usually means 'but'. Thus 'but the saintly queen ... did not move her horse' – thus no need for 'she'.
inter se populi pacem firmarent – literally the people strengthened peace among themselves. I haven't a dictionary available here – where did you get 'encourage'?
August 17 2007, 11:51:05 UTC 4 years ago
Re: Thoughts
Ah, thanks for all of this, and especially the 'iter', the 'vero' and the 'inter se populi'. I had completely forgotten that 'iter' was neuter, and was thus expecting something like 'iterem' for the accusative.Looking at it again this morning, my translation is pretty rough and ready! But that's all I need really.
August 17 2007, 11:55:58 UTC 4 years ago
Re: Thoughts
All is well, then. Pax et bonum.August 17 2007, 11:59:24 UTC 4 years ago
Gah!
/itinerem, I meant!August 17 2007, 11:41:50 UTC 4 years ago
ipsa orante inter se
I suppose it could be 'with her praying among them'. But then how to explain 'se'. Best to see what the others think.August 17 2007, 11:49:14 UTC 4 years ago
iter
But I'm pretty sure of 'iter'. All the plural examples below suggest that it cannot be the subject.Dum iter agunt, utuntur brevioribus vestibus cum manicis sub genu per palmum
de iis qui ex officio iter agunt
Cum iter agunt, comportant secum aut humero, aut gremlo
Vacui amant incedere, qui arduum iter agunt
August 17 2007, 11:53:39 UTC 4 years ago
firmarent
I found an online dictionary. Would 'established' be best? The people establised peace (possibly among themselves, possibly with the queen praying among them).August 17 2007, 11:58:28 UTC 4 years ago
Re: firmarent
I think 'established' is probably the best choice, although 'strengthened' is fine, too. The crucial bit was applying the 'inter se' to their action, which makes a lot more sense!August 18 2007, 20:56:44 UTC 4 years ago
Is the Latin text available in full anywhere online? You've got me wanting to read it now. :)
August 19 2007, 09:46:36 UTC 4 years ago
And yes, the whole thing is online as part of the Patrologia Latina database - it's the link I've given from the title of the work in the first line of my post.
August 19 2007, 11:26:00 UTC 4 years ago
August 19 2007, 11:36:44 UTC 4 years ago
August 19 2007, 11:54:39 UTC 4 years ago
August 19 2007, 12:05:08 UTC 4 years ago