TR2. 855 “Ănd whósŏ séith thăt fór tŏ lóve ĭs vícĕ, TR2. 856 Ŏr thráldŏm, thóugh hĕ féele ĭn ít dĕstréssĕ, TR2. 857 Hĕ óuthĕr ís ĕnvýŏus, ór rĭght nýcĕ, TR2. 858 Ŏr ís ŭnmýghty̆, fór hĭs shréwĕdnéssĕ, TR2. 859 Tŏ lóvĕn; fór swĭch mánerĕ fólk, Ĭ géssĕ, TR2. 860 Dĕfámĕn Lóve, ăs nóthĭng óf hy̆m knówĕ. TR2. 861 Thĕi spékĕn, bút thĕi béntĕn névere hĭs bówĕ!
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): And whosoever says that to love is a vice or servitude, although he may feel distress in it, he is either envious or very foolish, or is unable to love because of his own wickedness. For I suppose that the kind of people who slander love know nothing of it. They talk, but Love’s bow was never bent for them, and they never tried it for themselves!
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 愛することは悪徳であるとか、隷属であるとか言う人は、たとえ愛に苦しみを感じようとも、嫉んでいるか、まったく愚か者かのどちらかです、それとも心が邪悪であるがゆえに、恋愛ができないかでしょう。そのような人びとは、〈愛の神〉を中傷すると思います、〈愛の神〉のことを何も知らないから。よく話題に出すが、その神の弓を引いて試したことがないのです！
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 如果有人说谈恋爱是错误，或是羁绊，他一定不是嫉妒，就是愚钝，或是邪恶填塞了胸怀；他不懂得爱情，却玷污了爱神的名；口头谈着爱，手里却从未挽过爱神的弓。
Word Information
- Etymology: OF
- Addresser: Antigone (in her song)
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: envious, unmighti (unmighty)
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (male)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 86): nyce: foolish
- Fisher (1989: 432): right nyce stryf: very foolish
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975: 779): nice: foolish
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
foolish, not wise
Comments from the Editor
See my comments of ‘bet’ (adj., Tr2.836) and ‘blisful’ (adj., Tr2.832).