TR4.743 “Ăllás,” quŏd shé, “ŏut óf thĭs régĭóun TR4.744 Ĭ, wófŭl wrécche ănd ínfŏrtúnĕd wíght, TR4.745 Ănd bórn ĭn córsĕd cónstĕllácĭóun, TR4.746 Mŏot góon ănd thús dĕpártĕn fró my̆ knýght! TR4.747 Wŏ wórth, ăllás, thăt ílkĕ dáyĕs líght TR4.748 Ŏn whích Ĭ sáugh hy̆m fírst wĭth éyĕn twéynĕ, TR4.749 Thăt cáusĕth mé, ănd ích hy̆m, ál thĭs péynĕ!”
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998) (Windeatt: 1998): ‘Alas,’ said she, ‘I, sorrowful wretch, luckless being, and born under an unfavourable constellation of the planets, must leave this place, and so part from my knight! How I curse the very light of day in which I first saw him, who causes me, and I him, all this pain!’
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012) (Sasamoto: 2012): 「ああ悲しい」と彼女は言った。「この領地から、悲しい哀れな人間であり悲運の人間であるわたしは、そして惑星の不運な配置にあった時に生まれたわたしは、ああ、まさにあの日の光が、いまいましい、その光の中、この両方も目で初めてあの人を見たのですが、その人がわたしに、わたしはその人にこの苦痛をもたらすなんて！」
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956) (Fang: 1956): 我是生来不祥的一个薄命人，现在又被迫出境，不得不离别我的情郎；那天我的双眼初识了他，那是一个凶日，害了我，又害了他，使得我们这样彼此哀痛！
Word Information
- Etymology: from OE cursen
- Addresser: Criseyde
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): 4.88
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: position of planet (constellacioun: disposition of the planets)
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: (Quoted) 1b. Accursed, ill-fortuned, wretched (place, time); ill-omened (planetary configuration); miserable (care) (s.v. cursed, ppl.)
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 229): in corsed constellacioun: under an unfavourable disposition of the planets
- Fisher (1989: 488): corsed: cursed
- Benson (1987: 548): 745: And born when the planets were in an unfavorable combination (i.e., star-crossed)
- Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) ill-omened (s.v. cursed, ppl. adj.)
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963: 166): corsed constellacioun: unfavorable position of the planets
Possible Definitions
ill-omened
Comments from the Editor
Criseyde laments after hearing the news of prisoner exchange. She considers that her birth is cursed. We find the heroine cursing her own birth repeatedly throughout (see also 3.1103, 3.1423, 4.763, 5.690, 5.700). Chaucer indicates that she is a character who cannot control her own life and is a victim of Fortune and the male characters.