TR2.113 “Ǐ! Gód fǒrbédě!” quód shě. “Bé yě mád?
TR2.114 Ǐs thát ǎ wíděwes líf, sǒ Gód yǒw sávě?
TR2.115 By̌ Gód, yě mákěn mé ry̌ght sóore ǎdrád!
TR2.116 Yě bén sǒ wýlde, ǐt séměth ás yě rávě.
TR2.117 Ǐt sáttě mé wěl bét ǎy ín ǎ cávě
TR2.118 Tǒ bídde ǎnd réde ǒn hóly̌ séyntěs lývěs;
TR2.119 Lǎt máyděns gón tǒ dáunce, ǎnd yóngě wývěs.”

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translation (Windeatt: 1998): ‘Oh, God forbid!’ she said. ‘Are you mad? Is that any life for a widow, God save you? By God, you’re really frightening me! You’re acting so wildly, it seems as if you’re raving. It’d be much more suitable for me to be always praying and reading holy saints’ lives in a cave. Let girls go dancing, and young wives.’
• Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 「わたしが？とんでもありません。正気ですか。それが未亡人の暮らし方でしょうか、ごめんだわ。誓って言いますが、叔父様は本当にひやりとさせますわね。あまりにも乱暴なので、狂乱しているように見えるわ。ずっと洞窟の中にいて、お祈りしたり、聖者伝を読んだりしているほうが、わたしには相応しいのよ。独身の女の子や若妻たちをダンスに誘ってください。」
• Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): “呀！上天不容！”她道“, 你发了疯吗？一个寡妇能这样寻乐吗？天哪，你吓得我不寒而栗了，你好狂妄，简直胡诌起来了！我正应去山洞中祈祷，诵念圣徒的行列；跳舞是姑娘少妇们的事。”

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• 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: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted.
• MED: (Quoted) 3. Ppl.adrad, adred: (a) afraid, frightened; ben adrad, to fear, be afraid; maken adrad, to frighten (sb.); waxen adrad, become afraid; (s.v., adrēden, v.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 56): adrad: afraid
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979: ): afraid (s.v., adrad/adred, ppl. adj.)
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

afraid, frightened

Comments from the Editor

In this instance, Criseyde reacts to Pandarus’ request that she should remove her veil and dance with him. She uses an intense tone to let him know that she is frightened. In his famous remark, Lewis (1936: 230) iterates that fear is the primary emotion controlling Criseyde throughout the story. The present study finds that from the perspective of adjective usage, Criseyde does admit to extreme fear when she talks to Pandarus. Listed below are all the adjectives that she uses to describe herself as she speaks with Pandarus (the numbers in brackets denote the frequency of the word).

adrad (1), agast (1), aspre (1), astoned (1), cruel (3), fered (1), gret (1), grievous (1), harder (1), lene (1), sory (1), woful (2)

These words evidence that Criseyde repeatedly emphasizes her vulnerability.