blithe adj.

  blithe 
 TR3.1681 Nŏught nédĕth ít tŏ yów, sy̆n théy bĕn mét,
 TR3.1682 Tŏ áxe ăt mé ĭf thát thĕy blíthĕ wérĕ;
 TR3.1683 Fŏr íf ĭt érst wăs wél, thŏ wás ĭt bét
 TR3.1684 Ă thóusănd fóld; thĭs nédĕth nóught ĕnquérĕ.
 TR3.1685 Ăgó wăs évery̆ sórwe ănd évery̆ féerĕ;
 TR3.1686 Ănd bóthe, y̆wýs, thĕy hádde, ănd só thĕy wéndĕ,
 TR3.1687 Ăs múchĕ jóie ăs hértĕ máy cŏmpréndĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): You need not ask me, since they have met, if they were happy! For if all was well before, now it was a thousand times better — there is no need to enquire about this! Gone was every sorrow and every fear, and they both indeed had, so they believed, as much happiness as heart can contain.
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 二人は会ったのだから、二人は幸せであったかどうか私にたずねるのは不必要である。初めての時はよかったのなら、二度目はそれより千倍もよかっただろう。これを詮索する必要はあるまい。あらゆる悲しみ、あらゆる恐怖は去った。確かに二人は心に入り得るだけの喜びを味わった、味わったと思ったから。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 他俩会见之后，那中间的快慰温存，读者也可不必穷究了；第一次已是十分惬心，这次当然是千倍的爽适。一切愁烦疑惧都已消散，两人有的是满心的喜悦，尽量享受着

Word Information

  • Etymology: OE
  • Addresser: Narrator
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (they = Troilus and Criseyde)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 192): blithe: happy
  • Fisher (1989: 474): blythe: happy
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

happy

Comments from the Editor

Troilus and Criseyde spend their second night together. In Fil, we find Boccaccio’s more detailed description of this scene. Besides, in Fil, Troiolo and Criseida go to their meeting place by themselves, delightedly enter the room hand in hand, and lie down together without delay (3.65, 6–8). However, Chaucer shortened the description and emphasised Pandarus as sending them to bed. In this way, Chaucer makes Tr more a story of courtly love than Fil, which, in Helterman’s words (1974: 14–5), is a poem about ‘physical love’.