TR3.1331 Fǒr mýně wórděs, héere ǎnd évery̌ párt, TR3.1332 Ǐ spéke hěm álle únděr cǒrréccǐóun TR3.1333 Ǒf yów thǎt fély̌ng hán ǐn lóvěs árt, TR3.1334 Ǎnd pútte ǐt ál ǐn yóure dǐscrécǐóun TR3.1335 To ěncrésse ǒr mákěn dýmy̌núcǐóun TR3.1336 Ǒf mý lǎngáge, ǎnd thát Ǐ yów bǐséchě. TR3.1337 Bǔt nów tǒ púrpǒs óf my̌ ráthěr spéchě.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): For I utter my words, here and everywhere, under correction of you who have feeling in the art of love, and submit it completely to your judgement to increase or diminish the language I have used, and I beg you to do that. But now back to the point of what I was saying earlier.
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 私の言葉については、いかなる部分においても、よく理解していらっしゃる貴方がたに、愛の技術について誤りがあったら、直していただくことにしております。そして私の言葉につけ加えるか減らすかは、すべて貴方がたの判断におまかせしておりますので、よろしくお願いいたします。しかし今は先ほどの私の物語の本筋へと戻りましょう。
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 假若为了尊崇爱情自动地增添了字句，请读者根据各自的好恶，任意弃取好了。我的写作，愿有了解爱的艺术的人多多指正，应增应减，惟命是听；现在我要讲回正题上来。
Word Information
- Etymology: From rathe adj.
- Addresser: Narrator
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: speech (speech)
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 178): rather: earlier
- Fisher (1989: 468): rather: earlier
- Benson (1987: 531): rather: earlier
- Davis et al. (1979): former (s.v. rather, adj.)
- Donaldson (1975: 858): rather: earlier
- Baugh (1963: 147): rather: earlier
Possible Definitions
earlier, former
Comments from the Editor
Chaucer emphasizes in this stanza that he is unable to fully describe the immense happiness experienced by the two protagonists. He acknowledges his own limitations as a writer, expressing that he cannot capture and convey the depth of their joy as skillfully as the original author.