TR5.1170 Pǎndáre ǎnswérde, “Ǐt máy bě, wél y̌nóugh,”
TR5.1171 Ǎnd héld wǐth hým ǒf ál thǎt évere hě séydě.
TR5.1172 Bǔt ín hǐs hérte hě thóughte, ǎnd sóftě lóugh,
TR5.1173 Ǎnd tó hy̌msélf fǔl sóbrělíche hě séydě,
TR5.1174 “Frǒm hásělwóde, thěre jóly̌ Róby̌n pléydě,
TR5.1175 Shǎl cómě ál thǎt thów ǎbíděst héerě.
TR5.1176 Yě, fárě wél ǎl thé snǒw óf fěrne ýerě!”

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): ‘It may be, right enough,’ Pandarus replied, and agreed with him about everything he ever said. But in his heart he was thinking, and laughed softly, and he said to himself very soberly: ‘From never-never land, where merry Robin sported, shall come all that you’re waiting for here! Yes, farewell to all the snows of yesteryear!’
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): バンダルスは答えた。「きっと、そうかもしれません。」そしてトロイルスが今まで言ったすべてのことに同意したが、心の中では別の思いに耽り、ひそかに笑ってから、真剣になって独り言ちた。「若君がここで待ち望んでおられるものは、すべて陽気なロビンが遊んでいた榛(はしばみ)の森からやって来るでしょう。そうです、去年(こぞ)の雪よ、いざさらば！」
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): “很有可能，”彭大瑞道；他每一句话都顺着答应。但他心里却又是一种想头，暗暗苦笑，又严正地自语道，“这位久候不来的人恐怕是去无踪，来无影了；是啊，去岁的残雪已经溶尽，逝者已矣！”

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• Addresser: Pandarus
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): 7.10
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: time (year)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: (Quoted) 1. Previous, past, ancient; ~ daies, days gone by; ~ yer, the previous year; a bygone age, an earlier time; also, as adv. phrase: last year; in ages past, in an earlier age. (s.v. fern, adj.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 318): ferne yere: yesteryear
• Fisher (1989: 522): ferne yere: past years
• Benson (1987: 575): ferne yere: yesteryear
• Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) yesteryear (s.v. ferne yere, n.)
• Donaldson (1975: 974): ferne: past
• Baugh (1963: 200): ferne yere: last year

Possible Definitions

~ yere: yesteryear

Comments from the Editor

As is stated in OED, some scholars tend to read Chaucer’s “ferne yere” as “February” (s.v. † fernyear, n. and adv.). However, apparently, it is more advisable to read it as “yesteryear” in this context.