TR3.925 Crĭséyde ănswérde, “Ăs wísly̆ Gód ăt réstĕ TR3.926 My̆ sóulĕ brýnge, ăs mé ĭs fór hy̆m wó! TR3.927 Ănd ém, ĭwís, făyn wólde Ĭ dón thĕ béstĕ, TR3.928 Ĭf thát ĭch háddĕ grácĕ tó dŏ só; TR3.929 Bŭt whéthĕr thát yĕ dwélle ŏr fór hy̆m gó, TR3.930 Ĭ ám, tĭl Gód mĕ béttrĕ mýndĕ séndĕ, TR3.931 Ăt dúlcărnóun, rĭght át my̆ wíttĕs éndĕ.”
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998): ‘How sorry I am for him, God rest my soul!’ Criseyde replied. ‘And uncle, indeed, I’d gladly act for the best, if I had the grace to do so. But, whether you stay here or go and fetch him, till God lets me see things more clearly I am on the horns of a dilemma, and absolutely at my wits’ end!’
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): クリセイデは答えた。「神様、わたしの心を静めてください、本当に、お気の毒ですこと！叔父様、わたしがそうして差し上げられる徳を持っていますれば、きっと、わたし、喜んで最善を尽くしますわ。でも叔父様がここに留まられるのがよいのか、あのお方を迎えに行かれるのがよいのか、神様がもっとよい頭をくださるまで、わたしはジレンマに陥って、ほんとに途方に暮れております。」
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 她答道，“上帝安顿我的灵魂，我真心怜悯他！舅父，我愿尽力救助他，只要天照顾我。除非上天启示，究竟要不要你去找他来，我的确觉得进退维谷，不知如何是好。”
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Criseyde
- Addressee: Pandarus
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: brain / mind
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003): N/A
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
better
Comments from the Editor
In this quotation, Criseyde claims she is hesitating about whether to let Troilus come or not. However, just as Pandarus indicates in ‘ye ben wis, and that we han on honde Nis neither hard, ne skilful to withstonde’ (3.937–38), she is actually clear that Troilus’s coming is inevitable. What is more, as Criseyde’s ‘Ne hadde I er now … Ben yolde, ywis, I were now nought heere’ (3.1210–11) also suggests that she might even expect Troilus to come. As a widow and a heroine of a ‘courtly love’ story, however, she must be passive.