bright adj.

  bright 
 TR4.8 Frŏm Tróĭlús shĕ gán hĭre bríghtĕ fácĕ
 TR4.9 Ăwéy tŏ wríthe, ănd tók ŏf hým nŏn héedĕ,
 TR4.10 Bŭt cáste hy̆m cléne ŏut óf hĭs lády̆ grácĕ,
 TR4.11 Ănd ón hĭre whíel shĕ sétte ŭp Díŏmédĕ;
 TR4.12 Fŏr whích my̆n hértĕ ríght nŏw gýnnĕth blédĕ,
 TR4.13 Ănd nów my̆ pénne, ăllás, wĭth whích Ĭ wrítĕ,
 TR4.14 Quákĕth fŏr dréde ŏf thát Ĭ móste ĕndítĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): She began to turn her bright face away from Troilus, and took no heed of him, but cast him clean out of his lady’s favour, and she set up Diomede on her wheel, at which my heart bleeds even now. Alas, the pen with which I am writing now shakes with fear at what I must write!
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): ＜運命の女神＞はトロイルスから、その晴れやかな顔をそむけてそらし、もはや気にも止めず、彼を完全に投げ飛ばし、恋人の愛情の圏外に置き、代わりに自分の車輪にディオメーデを乗せた。そのためわが胸は今まさに張り裂けんばかり。今持つペンは、ああ、それを用いて書いているのだが、書かねばならない事柄に怖くて震えている。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 此刻她开始背转她的明颜，遗弃了特罗勒斯，将他抛出爱人的优渥，而把戴沃密德转上了轮盘；以致我觉得心中流血，我的笔尖却推托不了这痛心的工作，不免颤抖起来。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OA
  • Addresser: Narrator
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): see 3.94
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: complexion (face of Fortune)
  • 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

good, favourable

Comments from the Editor

This stanza partly follows Fil. 3.94, in which Boccaccio directly states that fortune turned her bitter face to Troilus. Chaucer, however, applied a somewhat softer tone to say that fortune began to turn her bright face away. Notably, some manuscripts (Cl and Cp) present this proem (1–28) as a conclusion to Book III (just as 3.94 closes Book III of Fil).