The Society for Ancient Languages
Week Two
English Translation |
SULPICII SEVERI S. MARTINUS ET ARBOR PINUS |
SULPICIUS SEVERUS SAINT MARTIN AND THE PINE TREE |
| Item, cum in vico quodam templum antiquissimum diruisset et arborem pinum, quae fano erat proxima, esset adgressus excidere, tum vero antistes loci illius ceteraque gentilium turba coepit obsistere. Et cum idem illi, dum templum evertitur, imperante Domino quievissent, succidi arborem non patiebantur. Ille eos sedulo commonere nihil esse religionis in stipite; Deum potius, cui serviret ipse, sequerentur; arborem illam excidi oportere, quia esset daemoni dedicata. tum unus ex illis, qui erat audacior ceteris: si habes, inquit, aliquam de Deo tuo, quem dicis te colere, fiduciam, nosmet ipsi succidemus hanc arborem, tu ruentem excipe; et si tecum est tuus, ut dicis, Dominus, evades. Tum ille, intrepide confisus in Domino, facturum se pollicetur. Hic vero ad istius modi condicionem omnis illa gentilium turba consensit, facilemque arboris suae habuere iacturam, si inimicum sacrorum suorum casu illius obruissent. Itaque, cum unam in partem pinus illa esset adclinis, ut non esset dubium quam in partem succisa corrueret, eo loci vinctus statuitur pro arbitrio rusticorum, quo arborem esse casuram nemo dubitabat. Succidere igitur ipsi suam pinum cum ingenti gaudio laetitiaque coeperunt. Aderat enimus turba mirantium. Iamque paulatim nutare pinus et ruinam suam casura minitari. Pallebant enimus monachi et periculo iam propiore conterriti spem omnem fidemque perdiderant, solam Martini mortem expectantes. At ille confisus in Domino, intrepidus opperiens, cum iam fragorem sui pinus concidens edidisset, iam cadenti, iam super se ruenti, elevata obviam manu, signum salutis opponit. Tum vero, --velut turbinis modo retro actam putares, --diversam in patrem ruit, adeo ut rusticos, qui toto in loco steterant, paene prostraverit. Tum vero, in caelum clamore sublato, gentiles stupere miraculo, monachi flere prae gaudio, Christi nomen in commune ab omnibus praedicari; satisque constitit eo die salutem illi venisse regioni. | Likewise, when in a certain village he had destroyed a most ancient temple and had begun to cut down a pine tree, which was next to the temple, then however the high-priest of that place and the remaining crowd of pagans began to oppose him. And though those same men, while the temple was destroyed, under the Lord's will had been quiescent, they would not allow the tree to be cut down. Martin reminded them diligently that there was no sanctity in a tree trunk; rather, they should have followed God; that it was proper for that tree to be cut down, which had been dedicated to a demon. Then one of the pagans, who was bolder than the rest said: "If you have any faith concerning your God whom you say that you worship, we ourselves shall cut down this tree, you exposed to it falling; and if your Lord is with you, as you say, you will escape." Then Martin, intrepidly confident in the Lord, promised that he would do it. Here in fact that whole crowd of pagans consented to that kind of condition, which they considered a suitable sacrifice of their tree, if they had buried the enemy of their religion with the fall of that tree. Therefore, since that tree was leaning in one direction, so there was no doubt in what direction the cut down tree would fall, he was set bound at that spot according to the wishes of the peasants, where no one was doubting the tree would fall. Then they themselves began to cut down their own tree with great joy and exuberance.[Imagine Disney's Seven Dwarves singing 'Whistle While You Work' --Webmaster] A crowd of admiring onlookers stood by at a distance. And now little by little the tree was swaying back and forth and was threatening its own ruin by its fall. The monks in the distance grew pale and, terrified with the danger now closer, they had lost all hope and faith, expecting only the death of Martin. But Martin, confident in the Lord, waited untroubled, when first the cut-up pine tree gave out a loud crack, then Martin, with hand elevated above himself to meet the falling, collapsing tree, made the sign of salvation (i.e. the sign of the cross). Then in fact--you would think its having moved backwards as if by way of a whirlwind--collapsed in the opposite direction, to the end that it almost overwhelmed the peasants, who had stood in a risk-free place. Then truly, with a shout raised to heaven, the pagans were stunned by the miracle, the monks wept for joy, the name of Christ was praised publicly by all; and it is well established that the salvation of Christ came to that area that day. |