bright adj.

  bright 
 TR3.302 “Ŏ tónge, ăllás, sŏ óftĕn hére-by̆fórn
 TR3.303 Hăth mád fŭl mány ă lády̆ bríght ŏf héwĕ
 TR3.304 Sĕyd ‘Wéilăwáy, thĕ dáy thăt Í wăs bórn!’
 TR3.305 Ănd mány ă máydĕs sórwĕ fór tŏ néwĕ;
 TR3.306 Ănd fór thĕ mórĕ párt, ăl ís ŭntréwĕ
 TR3.307 Thăt mén ŏf yélpe, ănd ít wĕre bróught tŏ prévĕ.
 TR3.308 Ŏf kýndĕ nón ăváuntŏur ís tŏ lévĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): Often before now, alas, one tongue has caused many a radiant lady to have said “Alas the day that I was born!” and renewed many a young girl’s sorrow. For the most part, if it were put to the test, everything that men boast about is untrue. By nature no boaster is to be believed.
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): ああ悲しいかな、男の一枚の舌は、今までたびたび、輝くばかりに美しい多くの婦人たちに対して、「ああ、生まれて来なければよかった！」と言わせ、幾多の娘たちの悲しみを新たにさせたことか。そして、たいてい、試してみれば、男たちが自慢するものはことごとく噓なのです。元来ほら吹きは信じがたい者です。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 啊，一言的不慎，曾害过多少红颜呼唤着，‘苦呀，我生何不幸啊！’使多少妙龄女郎脱离不了悲怨；何况，男子所夸张的话，追寻起来，没有一句是有根据的。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OA
  • Addresser: Pandarus
  • Addressee: Troilus
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (female: ladies)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 135): bright of hewe: radiantly beautiful in appearance
  • Fisher (1989): N/A
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

radiant, beautiful, fair

Comments from the Editor

After winning Criseyde’s love for Troilus, Pandarus emphasises again the importance of maintaining her reputation and warns Troilus not to boast. In fact, as he later mentions, Pandarus worries that he might be considered a pimp (3.397).