TR3. 547 Nǒw ís thěr lítěl mórě fór tǒ dóoně, TR3. 548 Bǔt Pándǎre úp ǎnd, shórtly̌ fór tǒ séyně, TR3. 549 Rǐght sóne ǔpón thě cháungy̌nge óf thě móoně, TR3. 550 Whǎn líghtlěs ís thě wórld ǎ nýght ǒr twéyně, TR3. 551 Ǎnd thát thě wólkěn shóp hy̌m fór tǒ réyně, TR3. 552 Hě stréght ǒ mórwe ǔntó hǐs nécě wéntě -- TR3. 553 Yě hán wěl hérd thě fýn ǒf hís ěnténtě.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Little more remains to be done now, but Pandarus got up and, to put it briefly, very soon after the changing of the moon, when the world is lightless for a night or two, and the sky looked like rain, he went to his niece first thing in the morning—you have already heard the object of his intention.
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): さてもうやるべきことはほとんどなく、ただパンダルスは立ち上がるだけ、そして、手短に言うと、月の相の変わり目の直後、一晩か二晩、闇夜となる時、空は今にも雨が降りそうな雲行きだったが、彼はその朝真っ先に姪のところに行った。彼の狙いである彼の意図は皆さんがお聞きになったところです。
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 没有一件事没有布置好，一切都有彭大瑞担负起来，简单说来，正当月轮低转，一两夜天心没有月色，空中似乎要洒下雨来，清晨他来找他的甥女；他的来意不用我讲了，列位都已知道。
Word Information
- Etymology: light + less
- Addresser: Narrator
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 3.24)
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: day and night (night)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED:
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 145): lightles: without any light
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
without any light, (extremely) dark
Comments from the Editor
In Filostrato, it is described as dark and cloudy during the corresponding scene (3.24), and similarly, in Chaucer’s version, the two protagonists meet on an exceptionally dark night. The reference to the changing of the moon implies a period when the moon is not visible.