brotel adj.

  brotel 
 TR3.820 “Ŏ brótĕl wéle ŏf mánnĕs jóie ŭnstáblĕ!
 TR3.821 Wĭth whát wĭght só thŏw bé, ŏr hów thŏw pléyĕ,
 TR3.822 Éithĕr hĕ wóot thăt thów, jŏie, árt mŭáblĕ,
 TR3.823 Ŏr wóot ĭt nóught; ĭt mót bĕn óon ŏf twéyĕ.
 TR3.824 Nŏw íf hĕ wóot ĭt nóught, hŏw máy hĕ séyĕ
 TR3.825 Thăt hé hăth vérrăy jóie ănd sély̆néssĕ,
 TR3.826 Thăt ís ŏf ígnŏráunce ăy ín dĕrknéssĕ?

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): O fragile good fortune of man’s unstable joy! Whatever person you’re with, or however you play things, either he knows that you, joy, are changeable, or he doesn’t know it — it must be one of the two. Now if he doesn’t know it, how can he say that he has true joy and happiness, who is always in the darkness of ignorance?
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): おお、はかない幸運よ、おお、不安定な世俗の喜びよ、貴方はどんな人といようとも、またどのように戯れようと、その人は、貴方は移ろいやすいと、わかっているか、それとも全然分からないか、二つのうちの一つに違いありません。その人は現在それをまったく分かっていなければ、わたしには本当の喜びと幸せがあるとどうして言えましょうか。その人はいつも無知の暗闇にいるのですもの。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 啊，世上哪有长久的欢乐呢！凡人遇见好运临头，他不是不知道，就是找出了好运是多变的；只有这两条路；他若不知道，就完全在黑暗的无知中摸索，怎能算得了真正的福运？

Word Information

  • Etymology: OE
  • Addresser: Criseyde
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: pleasure (wele)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 156): brotel: brittle, fragile
  • Fisher (1989: 461): brotel wele: brittle pleasure
  • Benson (1987: 524): brotel: fragile
  • Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) insecure (s.v. brotel/brutel, adj.)
  • Donaldson (1975: 840): brotel: brittle
  • Baugh (1963: 139): brotel: brittle

Possible Definitions

brittle, fragile, insecure

Comments from the Editor

Criseyde’s speech here is obviously influenced by Boethius (2.pr4). Like Philosophy, Criseyde also discusses unstable joy and concludes that there is no true worldly happiness. Ironically, however, Criseyde herself stands for unstable joy and Troilus for changeable fortune.