How poor abbot John learnt a lesson...

The Carmina Cantabrigiensia (Cambridge Songs) is a collection of 76 songs written down about 1066.

Poem 42 is based on a story from the desert fathers. The desert fathers were monks who in the third century withdrew to the Egyptian desert. St.Antony the Great is the most well-known of these. The Apophthegmata Patrum contained sayings and miracles of these monks. Originally it was in Coptic, but soon translated into Greek and then from Greek into Latin. These texts served as spiritual examples for monks.

An unknown poet has with sense of humour made the following story into a poem:

xxvii. They used to tell of the abbot John of short stature that he once said to his elder brother, "I would fain be secure 'as the angels are secure, toiling not, but serving God without stay," and stripping himself of his garments, he went into the desert. And when a week had been spent there, he returned to his brother: and while he was knocking at the door, his brother answered before he would open, saying, "Who art thou?" And he said, "I am John." And his brother answered and said to him, "John is become an angel and is no longer among men." However, he went on knocking, saying, "I am he." And he would not open to him, but sent him away in distress. Then, afterwards opening the door, he said to him, "If thou art a man, thou must need work again, so as to live: if however thou art an angel, why dost thou ask to come into the cell?" And he did penance, saying, "Forgive me, brother, for I have sinned." 
Clearly a warning not te be too zealous in  religious matters, I hope that fanatics of whatever  religion will read this post!

Carmen XLII

De Iohanne abbate.

1

In gestis patrum veterum      quoddam legi ridiculum,

exemplo tamen habile,      quod vobis dico rithmice.

gestum: work, deed.  `in (a book about) the deeds’

exemplo: predicative dative `usefull (habile) as example’

2

Iohannes abba parvulus      statura, non virtutibus,

ita maiori socio,      quicum erat in heremo,

parvulus = parvus

statura, virtutibus: ablative of quality

ita with dicebat in the next stanza

quicum: abl!

heremus:  desert

3

«Volo» dicebat «vivere      secure sicut angelus,

nec veste nec cibo frui,      qui laboretur manibus.»

secure: safely

vestis, -is (f): clothing

cibus: food

fruor fructus sum (+abl,): to use (from the same root *frug as German `brauchen’.)

laboro: here `to make, produce’

4

Respondit maior: «Moneo,      ne sis incepti properus,

frater, quod tibi postmodum      sit non cepisse satius.»

inceptum: task

properus: hasty

postmodum: a little later

capio cepi captus: to hold on (cepisse = capere)

satius: very sufficiently

5

At minor: «Qui non dimicat,      non cadit neque superat!»

ait et nudus heremum      interiorem penetrat.

dimico: to fight

cado cecidi casum: to fall down

nudus: naked

6

Septem dies gramineo      vix ibi durat pabulo;

octava fames imperat,      ut ad sodalem redeat.

vix: hardly

duro: to endure

gramineo pabulo: on a diet of grasses

fames (f): hunger

sodalis –is (m and f): companion

7

Qui sero clausa ianua      tutus sedet in cellula,

cum minor voce debili      «Frater» appellat «aperi!

sero: late

clausa ianua: abl. abs. (ianua: door)

tutus: safe

debilis: weak

8

Iohannes opis indigus      notis assistit foribus;

ne spernat tua pietas,      quem redigit necessitas.»

ops opis (f): help

indigus + gen.: in need of

notis foribus: at the well-known door

sperno sprevi spretum: to despise

pietas: in case the older frater was reading the Bible or praying sermons

redigo redegi redactum: to force back

9

Respondit ille deintus:      «Iohannes factus angelus

miratur celi cardines,      ultra non curat homines.»

deintus: from within

celi =  caeli

cordo cardinis (m): pivot and socket, hence `door’

cura: to care for

10

Iohannes foris excubat      malamque noctem tolerat

et preter voluntariam      hanc agit penitentiam.

foris: outside

excubo excubui excubitum: to lie outside

tolero: to endure

preter voluntariam unvoluntary

11

Facto mane recipitur      satisque verbis uritur,

sed intentus ad crustula      fert patienter omnia.

facto mane: when morning had come

uro ussi ustum: to burn, scorn

crustulum: small pastry

12

Refocillatus Domino      grates agit ac socio,

dehinc rastellum brachiis      temptat movere languidis.

refoculo: to refresh, revive (medieval Latin)

grates ago: to thank

rastellus: hoe, rake

bracchium: arm

13

Castigatus angustia      de levitate nimia,

cum angelus non potuit,      vir bonus esse didicit.

castigo: to chastise, correct

angustia: narrowness, distress

levitas –atis (m): light-mindedness

disco didici: to learn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Songs

This is a copy of a pdf file containing a copy of the poem. It starts with the capital I ad mid right. For some reason this copy much darker than the original.