lef adj. & adv.

2023-06-22 Uncategorized

TR4. 456 "Thǒw bídděst mé Ǐ shúldě lóve ǎnóthěr
TR4. 457 Ǎl frésshly̌ néwe, ǎnd lát Crǐséydě gó!
TR4. 458 Ǐt líth nǎt ín my̌ pówěr, léevě bróthěr;
TR4. 459 Ǎnd thóugh Ǐ mýght, Ǐ wóldě nát dǒ só.
TR4. 460 Bǔt kánstǒw pláyěn rákět, tó ǎnd fró,
TR4. 461 Néttle ǐn, dók ǒut, nów thǐs, nów thǎt, Pǎndárě?
TR4. 462 Nǒw fóulě fálle hǐre fór thǐ wó thǎt cárě!

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): You tell me I should love someone else, starting all over again afresh, and let Criseyde go! It doesn’t lie in my power, dear brother, and even if I could, I wouldn’t do so. But Pandarus, can you play a game of rackets with love, to and fro, now this, now that—first the nettle stings, and then the dock-leaf soothes? Now bad luck to her who may care about your love-sickness!
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): そなたはおれに言う、まったく新しい別の人を愛すべきであって、クリセイデに行かせてやりなさいと！愛する兄弟よ、それはおれにはできない。たとえできても、そうしたくない。だがそなたはあちこち球を打って、恋のラケット遊びができるのか、パンダルス、スカンポ入ってイラクサ出ろ、ここそこと無節操に。それではそなたの恋煩いを心配するそなたの恋人は可哀想だな！
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 你叫我让克丽西德走，然后为我求得新欢！这不是我所能办到的，亲爱的朋友，即有可能，我也不愿。你如果玩弄爱情，像打板球一样，时来时去，猜谜一般，忽此忽彼，谁若怜爱你，她就算倒了霉。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Troilus
Addressee: Pandarus
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): 2.53
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (male: Pandarus)
Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: Not quoted

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

Possible Definitions

dear, beloved

Comments from the Editor

This stanza differs from its counterpart of Fil in that Chaucer added the example of playing a game of rackets. The phrase “nettle in, dok out” in line 461 is “a charm uttered to aid the cure of nettle-stings by dock-leaves; †hence, in allusion to the full phrase used, a proverbial expression for changeableness and inconstancy” (s.v. dock, n.1, 3.)