TR5. 785 Yět séyde hě tó hy̌msélf ǔpón ǎ nýght, TR5. 786 "Nǒw ám Ǐ nát ǎ fóol, thǎt wóot wěl hów TR5. 787 Hǐre wó fǒr lóve ǐs óf ǎnóthěr wíght, TR5. 788 Ǎnd héreǔpón tǒ gón ǎssáye hǐre nów? TR5. 789 Ǐ máy wěl wíte ǐt nýl nǎt bén my̌ prów, TR5. 790 Fǒr wísě fólk ǐn bóokěs ít ěxpréssě, TR5. 791 'Měn shál nǎt wówe ǎ wíght ǐn hévy̌néssě.'
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998):
- Yet he said to himself one night:
- ‘Now aren’t I a fool, knowing very well her sorrow is for love of another man, and just now to go and try something with her? I might know it won’t do me any good, for wise folk express it in books: “A person in woe is not to be wooed.”
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): だが彼はある夜こう独り言ちた。「さて彼女の悲しみは別の人を愛しているためだと百も承知しながら、さらに、今まさに言い寄ろうとする自分は、ばかではなかろうか。それはうまくいかないだろうとよく分かっているのだ、何しろ賢い人たちは本の中で、『悲しみに沈む者に求愛できぬ』と言い表しているから。
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 另一个晚上，他却又自语道，“我何其愚蠢若此，明知她的忧愁是由相思而来，却还要去试探？我该可逆料是无济于事的。聪明人已在书上说过，‘人有愁，勿强求。’
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Diomede
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): 6.10
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (folk)
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003): N/A
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
wise, clever
Comments from the Editor
This stanza closely follows Fil.6.10. In Fil, Diomede declares that he must act as a skilled artist to erase Criseida’s initial love from her mind. However, in Tr, Diomede views himself as a conqueror if he successfully achieves this goal. This statement indicates that Chaucer’s portrayal of Diomede is more assertive and aggressive in nature.