TR5. 99 Bŭt náthĕlés, thĭs thóughte hĕ wél y̆nóugh, TR5. 100 Thăt "Cértĕynlích Ĭ ám ăbóutĕ nóught, TR5. 101 Ĭf thát Ĭ spéke ŏf lóve ŏr máke ĭt tóugh; TR5. 102 Fŏr dóutĕlés, ĭf shé hăve ín hĭre thóught TR5. 103 Hy̆m thát Ĭ gésse, hĕ máy năt bén y̆bróught TR5. 104 Sŏ sóon ăwéy; bŭt Í shăl fýnde ă méenĕ TR5. 105 Thăt shé năught wíte ăs yét shăl whát Ĭ ménĕ."
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): ‘I’m certainly wasting my time if I speak of love or am too pressing. For undoubtedly, if she’s thinking about the one I suspect, he can’t be displaced so soon. But I’ll find a means. so that she won’t know as yet what I’m intending.’
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): それにもかかわらず、これも十分よく考えた。「もし愛について話をしたり、でしゃばりすぎたりすると、きっと、時間を浪費することになる。おそらく、自分の推量する男が彼女の心に思う人ならば、そんなに早くその男を忘れ去れないだろうから。でも一つ方法を捜して、彼女は今のところまだ自分の本心を知らないというようにしよう。」
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): “当然我是在无的放矢，如果我就这样向她贸然谈爱；无疑的，假若我所猜想的这个人就是她的意中人，她如何会立即将他抛出脑海；但我也不妨使一个计，不让她看出我的用意何在。”
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Diomede
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: Others (it)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 273): make it tough: am too pressing
- Fisher (1989: 505): make it tough: move too fast
- Benson (1987: 561): make it tough: be too bold
- Davis et al. (1979): be pressing (s.v. tough, adj.)
- Donaldson (1975: 938): tough: hard
- Baugh (1963: 183): make it tough: am too forward. The phrase has different meanings in different contexts. See notes to 2.1025, 3.87.
Possible Definitions
make it ~: to show off, to make things difficult, to be pressing
Comments from the Editor
Regarding Chaucer’s 100-line expansion that details Diomede’s courtship of Criseyde, see my comment of ‘bright’ (adj., Tr5.162).