TR5.988 “My̆n hérte ĭs nów ĭn tríbŭlácĭóun, TR5.989 Ănd yé ĭn ármĕs bísy̆ dáy by̆ dáy. TR5.990 Hĕráftĕr, whán yĕ wónnĕn hán thĕ tówn, TR5.991 Pĕrávĕntúrĕ só ĭt háppĕn máy TR5.992 Thăt whán Ĭ sé thăt néverĕ yít Ĭ sáy TR5.993 Thăn wól Ĭ wérkĕ thát Ĭ néverĕ wróughtĕ! TR5.994 Thĭs wórd tŏ yów y̆nóugh sŭffísĕn óughtĕ.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998): My heart’s in tribulation now, and day by day you’re involved in fighting. Sometime after this, when you’ve won the town, it may perhaps so happen that, when I see what I never yet saw, then I’ll do what I never yet did! This ought to be enough for you.
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): わたしは今心に試練を受けております、貴方は日々戦いに明け暮れていらっしゃる。この後、貴方がトロイヤの町を陥れられた時には、ひょっとすると、こういうことが起こるかもしれません。わたしが今まで見たことがないことを目にすれば、その時今までしたことがないことを目にすれば、その時今までしたことがないことをするなんてことが！こう申し上げれば十分満足していただけるでしょう。
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 日复一日，我的心在忧患中喘息，正如你一心为国争荣一般。也许一朝你们取得了这城池，到那时我见其所未见，说不定也可以为其所未为！这句话应可使你满意了。
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Criseyde
- Addressee: Diomede
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 6. 31)
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: armed encounter (armes = battles, fighting)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 310): ye in armes bisy: you (are) engaged in fighting
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) occupied (s.v. bisy/besy, adj.)
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
fully occupied, busy
Comments from the Editor
In the manuscript of Cl, ‘bisy’ is put as ‘ben’.
In the Cl manuscript, ‘bisy’ is written as ‘ben’.
Criseyde’s speech to Diomede somehow reminds us of Dorigen’s when she tells Aurelie that if she sees no rocks on the coast, she will love Aurelie. However, their major difference is that Dorigen considers it impossible to remove all the rocks from the coast, while Criseyde’s speech seems more like encouragement to Diomede.