Mark 4

Mc 4.1Et iterum coepit docēre ad mare: et congregāta est ad eum turba multa, ita ut nāvim ascendēns sedēret in marī, et omnis turba circā mare super terram erat:

And again he began to teach by the sea: and a large crowd was gathered to him, so that, going up into a boat, he sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was around the sea on the land:

Note. ad mare: Late Latin uses ad for 'beside, by'. The 'sea' is the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake. ita ut … sedēret: result clause. nāvim: an older accusative of nāvis (Caesar has nāvem).

Mc 4.2et docēbat eōs in parabolīs multa, et dīcēbat illīs in doctrīnā suā:

and he was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching:

Mc 4.3Audīte: ecce exiit sēmināns ad sēminandum.

"Listen: see, the one sowing went out to sow.

Note. ecce: 'look!', a favourite Vulgate word introducing something vivid. ad sēminandum: ad + gerund expresses purpose, 'to sow'.

Mc 4.4Et dum sēminat, aliud cecidit circā viam, et vēnērunt volucrēs caelī, et comēdērunt illud.

And while he sows, some fell around the road, and the birds of the sky came and ate it up.

Note. dum sēminat: dum, 'while', takes the present indicative even in a past story. aliud: understand sēmen, 'some seed'.

Mc 4.5Aliud vērō cecidit super petrōsa, ubi nōn habuit terram multam: et statim exortum est, quoniam nōn habēbat altitūdinem terrae:

But other seed fell on rocky places, where it did not have much earth: and at once it sprang up, because it did not have depth of earth:

Note. quoniam nōn habēbat: quoniam, 'because', with the indicative giving the real reason.

Mc 4.6et quandō exortus est sōl, exaestuāvit: et eō quod nōn habēbat rādīcem, exāruit.

and when the sun had risen, it was burnt up: and because it did not have a root, it dried up.

Note. eō quod: 'for this reason, that'; i.e. 'because'. A common Vulgate phrase.

Mc 4.7Et aliud cecidit in spīnās: et ascendērunt spīnae, et suffōcāvērunt illud, et frūctum nōn dedit.

And other seed fell into thorns: and the thorns came up and choked it, and it did not give fruit.

Mc 4.8Et aliud cecidit in terram bonam: et dabat frūctum ascendentem et crēscentem, et afferēbat ūnum trīgintā, ūnum sexāgintā, et ūnum centum.

And other seed fell into good earth: and it was giving fruit coming up and growing, and it was bearing, one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundred."

Note. ūnum trīgintā …: 'one (seed bore) thirty …': the yield of each seed, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold.

Mc 4.9Et dīcēbat: Quī habet aurēs audiendī, audiat.

And he was saying: "He who has ears for hearing, let him hear."

Note. aurēs audiendī: gerund in the genitive, 'ears of hearing', i.e. ears for hearing. audiat: jussive subjunctive, 'let him hear'.

Mc 4.10Et cum esset singulāris, interrogāvērunt eum hī quī cum eō erant duodecim, parabolam.

And when he was by himself, those who were with him, the twelve, questioned him about the parable.

Mc 4.11Et dīcēbat eīs: Vōbīs datum est nōsse mystērium regnī Deī: illīs autem, quī forīs sunt, in parabolīs omnia fīunt:

And he was saying to them: "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to those who are outside, all things happen in parables:

Note. nōsse: short for nōvisse, perfect infinitive of nōscō with present meaning, 'to know'. mystērium: a Greek word, 'secret'; here a truth hidden from outsiders.

Mc 4.12ut videntēs videant, et nōn videant: et audientēs audiant, et nōn intelligant: nēquandō convertantur, et dīmittantur eīs peccāta.

so that seeing they may see and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand: lest at some time they be turned, and their sins be let go for them."

Note. nēquandō: 'lest at any time'. The verse echoes Isaiah 6.9-10.

Mc 4.13Et ait illīs: Nescītis parabolam hanc? Et quōmodo omnēs parabolās cognōscētis?

And he says to them: "Do you not know this parable? And how will you come to know all the parables?

Mc 4.14Quī sēminat, verbum sēminat.

He who sows, sows the word.

Mc 4.15Hī autem sunt, quī circā viam, ubi sēminātur verbum, et cum audierint, cōnfestim venit Satanās, et aufert verbum, quod sēminātum est in cordibus eōrum.

Now these are the ones beside the road, where the word is sown, and when they have heard, at once Satan comes and carries off the word which was sown in their hearts.

Note. Satanās: Hebrew 'adversary', declined like a first-declension masculine (Satanae, Satanam).

Mc 4.16Et hī sunt similiter, quī super petrōsa sēminantur: quī cum audierint verbum, statim cum gaudiō accipiunt illud:

And these likewise are the ones who are sown on rocky places: who, when they have heard the word, at once receive it with joy:

Mc 4.17et nōn habent rādīcem in sē, sed temporālēs sunt: deinde ortā trībulātiōne et persecūtiōne propter verbum, cōnfestim scandalizantur.

and they do not have root in themselves, but are for a time: then, trouble and persecution having arisen on account of the word, at once they are made to stumble.

Note. ortā trībulātiōne et persecūtiōne: ablative absolute, 'trouble and persecution having arisen'. scandalizantur: from Greek, 'they are made to stumble', i.e. they fall away.

Mc 4.18Et aliī sunt quī in spīnās sēminantur: hī sunt quī verbum audiunt,

And others are the ones who are sown into thorns: these are the ones who hear the word,

Mc 4.19et aerumnae saeculī, et dēceptiō dīvitiārum, et circā reliqua concupīscentiae introëuntēs suffōcant verbum, et sine frūctū efficitur.

and the hardships of the age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires about the remaining things, coming in, choke the word, and it is made without fruit.

Note. introëuntēs: the diaeresis marks that e and u are separate syllables (intro-e-untes). The three subjects (aerumnae, dēceptiō, concupīscentiae) share the one participle.

Mc 4.20Et hī sunt quī super terram bonam sēminātī sunt, quī audiunt verbum, et suscipiunt, et frūctificant, ūnum trīgintā, ūnum sexāgintā, et ūnum centum.

And these are the ones who were sown on good earth, who hear the word, and take it up, and bear fruit, one thirty, one sixty, and one a hundred."

Mc 4.21Et dīcēbat illīs: Numquid venit lucerna ut sub modiō pōnātur, aut sub lectō? nōnne ut super candēlābrum pōnātur?

And he was saying to them: "Surely a lamp does not come in order to be put under a grain-measure, or under a couch? Is it not so that it may be put on a lampstand?

Note. Numquid … ?: expects the answer 'no'. nōnne … ?: expects 'yes'. modius: a grain measure; a lamp under it would be hidden and put out.

Mc 4.22Nōn est enim aliquid absconditum, quod nōn manifestētur: nec factum est occultum, sed ut in palam veniat.

For there is not anything hidden which will not be made plain: nor has anything been made secret except that it may come into the open.

Note. in palam: Late Latin uses the adverb palam as if it were a noun, 'into the open'.

Mc 4.23Sī quis habet aurēs audiendī, audiat.

If anyone has ears for hearing, let him hear."

Mc 4.24Et dīcēbat illīs: Vidēte quid audiātis. In quā mēnsūrā mēnsī fueritis, remētiētur vōbīs, et adiiciētur vōbīs.

And he was saying to them: "Watch what you hear. In the measure in which you have measured, it will be measured back to you, and it will be added to you.

Note. In quā mēnsūrā mēnsī fueritis: 'in the measure in which you have measured'; mēnsī is the perfect participle of the deponent mētior, used actively.

Mc 4.25Quī enim habet, dabitur illī: et quī nōn habet, etiam quod habet auferētur ab eō.

For he who has, it will be given to him: and he who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

Mc 4.26Et dīcēbat: Sīc est regnum Deī, quemadmodum sī homō iaciat sēmentem in terram,

And he was saying: "So is the kingdom of God, just as if a man should throw seed on the earth,

Note. quemadmodum sī: 'just as if', followed by present subjunctives (iaciat, dormiat …) describing an imagined case.

Mc 4.27et dormiat, et exsurgat nocte et diē, et sēmen germinet, et incrēscat dum nescit ille.

and should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, while he himself does not know.

Mc 4.28Ultrō enim terra frūctificat, prīmum herbam, deinde spīcam, deinde plēnum frūmentum in spīcā.

For of its own accord the earth bears fruit, first the grass, then the ear, then full grain in the ear.

Mc 4.29Et cum prōdūxerit frūctūs, statim mittit falcem, quoniam adest messis.

And when it has produced its fruit, at once he sends in the sickle, because the harvest is at hand."

Mc 4.30Et dīcēbat: Cui assimilābimus regnum Deī? aut cui parabolae comparābimus illud?

And he was saying: "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or to what parable shall we compare it?

Note. Cui assimilābimus …?: deliberative questions put as futures, 'to what shall we liken …?'.

Mc 4.31Sīcut grānum sināpis, quod cum sēminātum fuerit in terrā, minus est omnibus sēminibus, quae sunt in terrā:

Like a grain of mustard, which, when it has been sown in the earth, is smaller than all the seeds which are on the earth:

Note. minus … omnibus sēminibus: ablative of comparison, 'smaller than all the seeds'. The mustard seed was proverbially the smallest.

Mc 4.32et cum sēminātum fuerit, ascendit, et fit maius omnibus oleribus, et facit rāmōs magnōs, ita ut possint sub umbrā eius avēs caelī habitāre.

and when it has been sown, it comes up, and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and makes great branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell under its shade."

Note. maius omnibus oleribus: again ablative of comparison. Mustard could grow into a shrub tall enough for birds to perch in.

Mc 4.33Et tālibus multīs parabolīs loquēbātur eīs verbum, prōut poterant audīre:

And with many such parables he was speaking the word to them, according as they were able to hear:

Note. prōut poterant audīre: 'as they were able to hear', i.e. as much as they could take in.

Mc 4.34sine parabolā autem nōn loquēbātur eīs: sēorsum autem discipulīs suīs disserēbat omnia.

but without a parable he was not speaking to them: privately, however, he was setting out all things to his disciples.

Mc 4.35Et ait illīs in illā diē, cum sērō esset factum: Trānseāmus contrā.

And he says to them on that day, when it had become late: "Let us cross to the opposite side."

Note. cum sērō esset factum: 'when it had become late', i.e. evening. Trānseāmus: hortatory subjunctive, 'let us cross'. contrā: adverb here, 'to the opposite shore'.

Mc 4.36Et dīmittentēs turbam, assūmunt eum ita ut erat in nāvī: et aliae nāvēs erant cum illō.

And sending away the crowd, they take him along, just as he was in the boat: and other boats were with him.

Note. assūmunt eum ita ut erat in nāvī: 'they take him along just as he was, in the boat', i.e. without going ashore.

Mc 4.37Et facta est procella magna ventī, et flūctus mittēbat in nāvim, ita ut implērētur nāvis.

And a great storm of wind arose, and the wave was throwing itself into the boat, so that the boat was being filled.

Mc 4.38Et erat ipse in puppī super cervīcal dormiēns: et excitant eum, et dīcunt illī: Magister, nōn ad tē pertinet, quia perīmus?

And he himself was in the stern, sleeping on a pillow: and they wake him, and say to him: "Master, does it not concern you that we are perishing?"

Note. puppis: the stern, where a passenger could lie on the steersman's cushion. nōn ad tē pertinet quia perīmus?: 'is it no concern of yours that we are perishing?'; quia here introduces a statement, like 'that'.

Mc 4.39Et exsurgēns comminātus est ventō, et dīxit marī: Tacē, obmūtēsce. Et cessāvit ventus: et facta est tranquillitās magna.

And rising, he threatened the wind, and said to the sea: "Be silent, become still." And the wind ceased: and there came a great calm.

Note. comminātus est ventō: comminor takes the dative. Tacē, obmūtēsce: two imperatives, as if speaking to a person.

Mc 4.40Et ait illīs: Quid timidī estis? necdum habētis fidem? et timuērunt timōre magnō, et dīcēbant ad alterutrum: Quis, putās, est iste, quia et ventus et mare obēdiunt eī?

And he says to them: "Why are you timid? Do you not yet have faith?" And they feared with great fear, and were saying to one another: "Who, do you think, is this man, that both wind and sea obey him?"

Note. Quid timidī estis?: quid, 'why?'. putās: a parenthesis, 'do you think'. quia et ventus et mare obēdiunt eī: quia gives the reason for asking, 'seeing that …'.