TR4. 834 "Énděth thǎn lóve ǐn wó? Yě, ór měn líěth,
TR4. 835 Ǎnd állě wórldly̌ blísse, ǎs thýnkěth mé.
TR4. 836 Thě énde ǒf blísse ǎy sórwe ǐt óccǔpíěth;
TR4. 837 Ǎnd whósǒ trówěth nát thǎt ít sǒ bé,
TR4. 838 Lǎt hým ǔpón mě, wófǔl wrécche, y̌sée,
TR4. 839 Thǎt mýsělf háte ǎnd áy my̌ búrthe ǎcórsě,
TR4. 840 Fély̌ng ǎlwéy frǒ wíkke Ǐ gó tǒ wórsě.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Does love end in misery? Yes, or people are lying, and so ends all worldly happiness, as it seems to me. Sorrow always takes possession of the end of bliss. And whoever doesn’t believe that it’s so, let him look at me, sorrowful wretch, who hate myself and continually curse my birth—always in suffering, I am moving from a bad state to a worse.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 恋は悲しみに終わるもの？そうなの、でなければ人は嘘つきよ。わたしは思いますに、世俗の幸せもすべてそうなんだわ。幸せの終わりをいつも悲しみが占めますもの。そんなことはないと信じるお方はどなたであれ、そのお方に、悲しみの人物たる、わたしを見ていただきましょう。わたし自身はわが身を憎み、自分の誕生をいつも呪い、惨めな境遇からもっと惨めなそれへと進むのを常に感じますもの。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 爱情是否终归痛苦？是的，我想世上一切幸福也都如此，除非人们昧着良知而撒谎。愁痛老是盘踞在幸福的尽头；谁若不信，请他以我为鉴，我是个可怜人，我恨我自己，诅咒我出世的日子，自觉愁苦在追逐我，使我日趋绝境。

Word Information

• Etymology: From wo, n.
• Addresser: Criseyde
• Addressee: Pandarus
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (female: Criseyde)
• 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

sad, sorrowful

Comments from the Editor

Pandarus visits Criseyde to arrange another meeting between the two lovers following the parliament’s decision to exchange Criseyde for Antenor. Criseyde is deeply distraught, and Chaucer devotes approximately 150 lines (from 4.666) to describe her profound despair.