On Mon, 23 Feb 1998, Bill East <[log in to unmask]> wrote (snipped):
>
>We continue!
>
>In the line 'mucro
>latronis conditur' condo means 'lay aside'. Not its most common
meaning,
>but that is the meaning here. So 'The robber's sword is laid aside' -
let
>us hope, not to be taken up again!
We do hope, but sadly, conditur also has the connotation of 'laying
aside _for future use_.' To repeat, it's a motivation to pray fervently
at Compline for protection from the dangers of the night. (=leo rugiens,
hostemque nostrum)
>
>Back to Venantius Fortunatus:
>
>Vagit infans inter arta conditus praesaepia,
>membra pannis involuta virgo mater adligat,
>et pedes manusque crura stricta pingit fascia.
>
>That use of 'condo' again! 'inter' in Classical Latin regularly takes
the
>accusative, and means 'between', but unless the Gentle Punter can
correct me
>again I can only read this as with the ablative and meaning 'within'.
Salva reverentia, but I read 'ar[c]ta praes[a]epia' as n.acc.pl of
praes[a]epium, -i, the Vulgate variant of praesepe, -is. (FWIW, the
version in the office reads 'arcta . . . praesepia.') Lit., perhaps,
'amid the crowded stalls.' Actually, that's the office prior to 1971, as
this verse is not used in the hymn as it appears in the Roman _Liturgia
Horarum_ today.) Most translators --and there are dozens-- produce an
English version that would read as though it were your ablative, 'in the
manger' being a common wording.
Interesting to note his use of the two meanings of condo in a
brilliant word play. The conditus in this verse is the orbis conditor in
the previous verse. The maker of the world is now hidden among the
stalls of the animals.
>
>Cf. Luke 2:7, . . . et pannis eum involvit, et reclinavit eum in
praesepio.
>Or again Luke 2:12 . . . Invenietis infantem pannis involutum, et
positum in
>praesepio.
To belabour the obvious, there is your ablative of praesepium.
If you will forgive the personal aside, thanks for your commentaries. I
have been enjoying them.
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