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Martin of Braga
Moral Works 2
Latin original · 5 verses · some words can be tapped for a gloss
2:1
DE PASCHA. I. Plerique mysterium Paschae enarrare voluerunt ex ratione supputationis in mense, et luna, et die: sed, sive scientiae, sive sermonis impossibilitate, id reliquerunt obscurius, quasi nihil inde dixissent. Scio enim multos scrupulosius interrogare solitos quare secundum morem Judæorum ad lunae compu tationein diversis generibus Pascha celebremus, di centes rectius sibi videri si dominicae passionis com- memoratio agatur, ut unum anniversarium natalis diem observemus, sicuti a plerisque Gallicanis epi. scopis usque ante non multum tempus custoditum est, ut semper VIII Kal. April. diem Paschae celebra reRt, in quo facta Christi resurrectio traditur.
ON THE PASCH. I. Most writers have wished to expound the mystery of the Pasch by the reckoning of the calculation in the month, the moon, and the day; but, whether through inability of knowledge or of speech, they left it rather obscure, as if they had said nothing about it. For I know that many are accustomed to ask rather scrupulously why, after the manner of the Jews, we celebrate the Pasch with reference to the reckoning of the moon in differing ways, saying that it seems to them more correct, if the commemoration of the Lord's passion is observed, that we should keep a single anniversary day of its occurrence, just as until not long ago it was maintained by very many Gallican bishops, so that they always celebrated the day of the Pasch on the eighth of the Kalends of April, on which the resurrection of Christ is reported to have taken place.
論逾越節。一、許多人想要按照月份、月相和日子的推算之理來闡述逾越節的奧祕;但無論是因知識的不足,或言辭的不足,他們把它留得相當隱晦,彷彿絲毫未曾說過。因為我知道,許多人慣於更為細究地發問:為何我們按猶太人的方式、依月亮的推算以各種不同的方法慶祝逾越節,他們說在他們看來更為正確的乃是:若要記念主的受難,我們應守一個週年的紀念日,正如不久之前許多高盧的主教所遵守的那樣,使他們總在四月朔日前第八日慶祝逾越節之日,據傳基督的復活就發生在那一天。
2:2
Pla cuit autem mibi, inquirenti curiose quid majores nostri secuti essent, aperte exponere. II. Passio Christi redemptio est creaturae, de qua dies et luna concurrerent. Neque enim hoc sine Scripture auctoritate. Ait enim Moyses : Mensis hic vobisinitium mensium est : primus erit in mensibus anni (Exod. XII, 2). Quo vei bo totum mensem ad natalis mundi diem consecravit. Ita majores nostri qui XI Kal. Apr. die natalem mundi invenerunt, meusem primum constituentes in xi Kal. Maias de finierunt. Sic Pascha nec ante XI Kat. Apr. nec post xi Kal. Maias celebrare licebit. Sed cum in hoc mense et luna et dies convenissent, luna scilicet decima quarta et dies Dominica, tunc Pascha cele braretur.
Yet it pleased me, since I have inquired curiously into what our forefathers followed, to set it forth openly. II. The passion of Christ is the redemption of creation, for which the day and the moon were to come together. Nor indeed is this without the authority of Scripture. For Moses says: 'This month shall be for you the beginning of months: it shall be the first in the months of the year' (Exod. 12:2). By which word he consecrated the whole month to the day of the world's birth. So our forefathers, who found the world's birthday on the eleventh of the Kalends of April, establishing it as the first month, fixed it on the eleventh of the Kalends of May. Thus it will be permitted to celebrate the Pasch neither before the eleventh of the Kalends of April nor after the eleventh of the Kalends of May. But when in this month both the moon and the day had come together — namely the fourteenth moon and the Lord's day — then the Pasch was to be celebrated.
然而我既已細心查考我們的先祖所遵循的,便樂意公開陳明。二、基督的受難乃是受造之物的救贖,為此日子與月亮須相會合。這也並非沒有聖經的權威。因為摩西說:「這月要作你們的正月,要作一年之中的首月。」(出十二2)他藉這話將整個月份分別為聖,歸於世界誕生之日。於是我們的先祖既在四月朔日前第十一日找到世界誕生之日,便定它為首月,並把它定在五月朔日前第十一日。如此,慶祝逾越節既不可在四月朔日前第十一日之前,也不可在五月朔日前第十一日之後。但當在這月中月亮與日子相會合——即第十四之月與主日——那時就當慶祝逾越節。
2:3
Sane quia rursus frequenter luna decima quarta cum Dominica die concurreret, extendi lunam septem dies maluerunt, dummodo diem Dominicam in resurrectionis laetitia retinerent. Ita quando sic dies venerit usque ad vicesimam primam lunam, propter Dominicam diem Pascha differimus semper, ut nec ante xi Kal. Apr. nec post XI Kal. Maias ce lebretur : sic inventum est, ut mensis et dies et luna In celebratione Paschae retineretur. VII. Prudenter igitur, magis ad lunam et diem, quam ad xi Kal. Apr. ad natalem mundi redigemur. Luna enim prima totas noctis illuminat tenebras, et Dominica dies resurrectio est dierum : ad initium enim rediit [Forte, reditJ, et fidem dicrum renovat.
Indeed, because again the fourteenth moon often coincides with the Lord's day, they preferred to extend the moon by seven days, provided they retained the Lord's day in the joy of the resurrection. So when the day comes thus up to the twenty-first moon, on account of the Lord's day we always defer the Pasch, so that it is celebrated neither before the eleventh of the Kalends of April nor after the eleventh of the Kalends of May: thus it was found that the month and the day and the moon should be retained in the celebration of the Pasch. VII. Prudently therefore we shall be brought back rather to the moon and the day than to the eleventh of the Kalends of April, to the world's birthday. For the moon at its first quarter lights up all the darkness of night, and the Lord's day is the resurrection of days: for it has returned to the beginning, and renews the faith of days.
確實,因為第十四之月又常與主日相遇,他們便寧願將月相延展七日,只要他們在復活的喜樂中保留主日。所以當日子這樣來到第二十一之月,為了主日的緣故,我們總把逾越節延後,使它既不在四月朔日前第十一日之前、也不在五月朔日前第十一日之後慶祝:如此便定下,在逾越節的慶祝中要保留月份、日子與月亮。七、所以我們審慎地寧可回到月亮與日子,而非回到四月朔日前第十一日、世界的誕生之日。因為月亮在初現時照亮了夜間一切的黑暗,而主日乃是諸日的復活:因它已歸回起初,並更新諸日的信實。
2:4
Haec magis erunt in natalis lætitia. et in creaturæ liberatione servauda, maxime cum intra primi men sis terminos retinentur. Rursum majoreui diei reli gionem, quam lunæ dic 'runt. Decimam quartam enim lunam egredimur; diem autem nunquam egre dimur, quia tota salus est In resurrectione diei. Dies autem Dominica et initium dierdm habet et resurrectionem ; propter quod in ipsa Dominus re surrexit; luna vero, licet usque ad vicesimam pri mam partem extensam [ An extensa ? ], noh totam complet noctem : plurimnm tamen noetis illuminat, et post se quidem relinquit tenebras, sed eas quæ in ante sunt superat :
These things are rather to be observed in the joy of the world's birth and in the liberation of creation, especially when they are kept within the bounds of the first month. Again, they gave a greater religious regard to the day than to the moon. For we pass beyond the fourteenth moon; but the day we never pass beyond, because all salvation is in the resurrection of the day. Now the Lord's day has both the beginning of days and the resurrection; on account of which the Lord rose again on it; but the moon, although extended even to the twenty-first part, does not fill the whole night: yet it lights up most of the night, and behind itself indeed it leaves darkness, but that which is ahead of it, it overcomes.
這些事更當在世界誕生的喜樂中、在受造之物的得釋放中遵守,尤其當它們被保持在首月的界限之內時。再者,他們對日子的宗教敬重過於對月亮。因為我們越過第十四之月;但我們從不越過那日子,因為一切救恩都在那日的復活之中。如今主日既有諸日的起始,也有復活;因此主在這日復活了;但月亮,雖延展至第二十一份,卻不能照滿整夜:然而它照亮夜間的大部分,在它身後固然留下黑暗,但它前面的黑暗,它卻勝過。
2:5
in quo majores nostri maluerunt usque ad vicesimam a quam ante decimam quartam Pascha celebrari. Quia relifiquere tenebras post ter gum melius est, quam antecedentes non posse su perare. Itaque hac sumna et hac conclusione, quæ a majoribus constitutum est b, Pascha neque ante xi Kal. Apr. nec post XI Ka!. Maias posse celebrari. Cujus pinacis constituendi quæ fuerit ratio, in quo mediocritas potuit, ediximus : per gratiam Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi, cui est honor et gloria in sæcu lis, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
In this matter our forefathers preferred that the Pasch should be celebrated up to the twenty-first rather than before the fourteenth. Because to leave the darkness behind one's back is better than not to be able to overcome the darkness lying ahead. And so, by this summary and this conclusion which was established by our forefathers, the Pasch can be celebrated neither before the eleventh of the Kalends of April nor after the eleventh of the Kalends of May. What the reason for establishing this limit was, so far as our slender ability could reach, we have declared: through the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory through the ages, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
在這件事上,我們的先祖寧願逾越節慶祝至第二十一日,而非在第十四日之前。因為把黑暗留在背後,勝過無法勝過前面的黑暗。如此,藉著我們先祖所定的這摘要與這結論,逾越節既不可在四月朔日前第十一日之前、也不可在五月朔日前第十一日之後慶祝。至於定下這界限的理由是什麼,就我們微薄的能力所及,我們已陳明了:藉著我們救主耶穌基督的恩典,願尊貴榮耀歸給祂,直到萬世,直到世世代代。阿們。