TR2. 890 “Bŭt wénĕ yé thăt évery̆ wrécchĕ wóot TR2. 891 Thĕ párfĭt blísse ŏf lóve? Why̆, náy, ĭwýs! TR2. 892 Thĕy wénĕn áll bĕ lóve, ĭf óon bĕ hóot. TR2. 893 Dŏ wéy, dŏ wéy, thĕy wóot nŏ thýng ŏf thís! TR2. 894 Mĕn móstĕ áxe ăt séyntĕs íf ĭt ís TR2. 895 Ăught fáir ĭn hévenĕ (Whý? Fŏr théy kăn téllĕ), TR2. 896 Ănd áxĕn féndĕs ís ĭt fóul ĭn héllĕ.”
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): You don’t imagine that every wretched person knows the perfect bliss of love? Why, no, indeed! They think it’s all love if one of them feels hot. Not at all! Not at all! They don’t know anything about it! People must ask saints if it’s at all lovely in heaven—why? because they can tell—and ask devils if it’s foul in hell.’
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): でもいずれの不幸なお方も愛の完全な幸せを知っているとお思いですか。もちろん、知らないわ、きっと！そのうちの一人がかっと熱くなれば、彼らは皆恋と思うのよ。構わない、構わない、彼らは恋について何も知らないのよ！それがはたして天国では美しいものかどうか聖者に尋ねねばなりません（なぜって？彼らは答えられますもの）、地獄では醜いものかどうか悪魔に尋ねねばなりませんから。」
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 你想真正的爱岂是一般人所能懂得？当然不懂；他们认为热欲就是爱情；算了，算了，他们懂得什么！人们要知道天国的美，非问圣徒不可；为什么？因为他们才讲得透彻；要知道地狱的丑恶，就问魔鬼。”
Word Information
- Etymology: OF&L
- Addresser: Antigone
- Addressee: Criseyde
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: pleasure (bliss)
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 87): parfit: perfect
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975: 780): parfite: perfect
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
ideal; supreme
Comments from the Editor
See my comment of ‘fair’ (adj., Tr2.895).