benigne adj.

  benigne 
TR3.1261 “Bĕnígnĕ Lóve, thŏw hóly̆ bónd ŏf thýngĕs,
TR3.1262 Whŏsó wŏl gráce ănd líst thĕ nóught hŏnóurĕn,
TR3.1263 Ló, hĭs dĕsír wŏl flé wĭthóutĕn wýngĕs;
TR3.1264 Fŏr nóldĕstów ŏf bówntĕ hém sŏcóurĕn
TR3.1265 Thăt sérvĕn bést ănd móst ălwéy lăbóurĕn,
TR3.1266 Yĕt wére ăl lóst, thăt dár Ĭ wél sĕyn, cértĕs,
TR3.1267 Bŭt íf thĭ grácĕ pássĕd óure dĕsértĕs.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): Gracious Love — you sacred binding force of things — whoever seeks for grace and does not care to honour you, see! his desire will be trying to fly without wings. For if you did not wish, out of kindness, to help those who serve best and always labour most, all would still be lost — that I dare well say indeed — unless your grace surpassed what we deserve.
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 恵み深い恋の神様、被造物の神聖な縁結びの神様、貴方にお恵みを求めながら敬意を表さない人は、ほら、翼なしに空を飛ぼうと望むようなものです。最もよく仕え、いつも最も尽くす人たちに貴方は好意の御手を差し伸べられますから。ですから貴方のお恵みはおれたちの受けるべき値より凌がなければ、多分、きっと、すべて破滅するでしょう。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 慈祥的爱神，万物的繁纽，谁若不向你礼敬，就莫想取得神佑，他的愿望就会不翼而飞。全靠你的赐恩，因功论赏，愿你协助你的侍从，否则，我敢说，一切都将化为乌有。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OF
  • Addresser: Troilus
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: supernatural beings (Love)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 174): Benigne: gracious
  • Fisher (1989): N/A
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

gracious

Comments from the Editor

Troilus prays to the Goddess of Love after making love with Criseyde. Windeatt (1998: 172) notes that the entire stanza quoted above is “borrowed from St Bernard’s prayer to the Virgin Mary in Dante’s Paradiso, 33.14–18, so that pagan Troilus expresses an understanding of love in terms of the Christian language of grace….”