bay adj.

  bay 
TR1.1072 Bŭt Tróĭlús lăy thó nŏ léngĕr dówn,
TR1.1073 Bŭt úp ănón ŭpón hĭs stédĕ báy,
TR1.1074 Ănd ín thĕ féld hĕ pléydĕ thó lĕóun;
TR1.1075 Wó wăs thăt Grék thăt wíth hy̆m métte ă-dáy!
TR1.1076 Ănd ín thĕ tówn hĭs mánerĕ thó fŏrth áy
TR1.1077 Sŏ góodly̆ wás, ănd gát hy̆m só ĭn grácĕ,
TR1.1078 Thăt écch hy̆m lóved thăt lókĕd ón hĭs fácĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): But then Troilus no longer lay down, but was up at once on his bay steed, and acted the lion on the field of battle. Woe to that Greek who crossed his path by day! And in the city from that time on his manner was always so pleasant, and won him so much favour, that everyone loved him who but looked upon his face.
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 一方、トロイルスはもはや横臥することなく、すぐに鹿毛色の駿馬に打ち跨って出陣し、戦場で獅子奮迅の働きをした。その日遭遇したギリシャ兵こそ災難だった。町ではトロイルスの態度がその時からずっと実に立派になったので、大変気に入られた、そのため彼の顔を見た人は皆彼を好もしく思った。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 且说特罗勒斯再不躺在床头了，却跨上了他的栗毛战马去战场驰骋，像一只雄狮似的；那天碰在他手下的希腊战士就不免叫苦起来。从此之后，他在城中时也十分风采，见到他的人无不爱慕。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OF
  • Addresser: Narrator
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: animals (Troilus’s horse)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: (Quoted) 1. A reddish brown colour.a. generally used of horses, and taken to include various shades. Hence qualified as bright-bay, light-bay, blood-bay, golden-bay. (s.v. bay, adj. (and n.6)
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 49): stede bay: bay (i.e. reddish-brown) horse
  • Fisher (1989: 421): bay: red-brown (traditional color for a war-horse)
  • Benson (1987:488): bay: reddish brown
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975: 748): bay: brown
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

(reddish) brown

Comments from the Editor

Troilus is no longer tormented after Pandarus’s promise of help in winning Criseyde’s. He is now full of purpose in battle and fierce as a lion. Chaucer adds this scene, which depicts the power of love to improve a person and simultaneously reveals that Troilus is first a lover, then a knight. Only when the pain of his love is relieved can he become brave on the battlefield.