TR1. 806 “Thǒw máyst ǎllóne hěre wépe ǎnd crýe ǎnd knélě --
TR1. 807 Bǔt lóve ǎ wómmǎn thát shě wóot ǐt nóught,
TR1. 808 Ǎnd shé wǒl quýte ǐt thát thǒw shált nǎt félě;
TR1. 809 Ǔnknówe, ǔnkíst, ǎnd lóst thǎt ís ǔnsóught.
TR1. 810 Whǎt, mány ǎ mán hǎth lóve fǔl déere y̌bóught
TR1. 811 Twénty̌ wýntěr thát hǐs lády̌ wístě,
TR1. 812 Thǎt néverě yét hǐs lády̌ móuth hě kístě.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): ‘You can weep and cry out and kneel here alone—but love a woman who doesn’t know about it, and she’ll pay you back in ways you won’t feel! Unknown is unkissed, and what’s unsought for is lost. What! Many a man has paid very dearly over twenty winters for a love his lady did know of, and never yet has he kissed his lady’s mouth!
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 若者はここで一人跪いて、すすり泣き、おいおい泣けますが、それを知らない女性を愛したって、そのお方が送り返せるのは心に感じないものばかりです。知らなければキスは得られず、求めなければ得るものなしです。ああ、かの君もそれと知る恋情のために二十の星霜高くあがなってきたのに、未だかの君の唇にキスをしたことのない男たちはたくさんいます。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 你尽管在此独自哭喊跪求；爱了一个女子却不让她知道，就算她有心要酬劳你，你也无从领受；没有熟识，没有接吻，没有追求，竟就此杳然逝去。请看，世上有多少人亏尽了本，过完二十个冬，爱人心中也很明瞭，却未得一吻之报。

Word Information

• Etymology: From kist, p.ppl. of kissen, v.
• Addresser: Pandarus
• Addressee: Troilus
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: unknow, unsought
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings
• Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: 2. In, or with allusion to, various (chiefly alliterative) proverbial phrases, as unknown, unkissed, uncouth, unkissed, unkissed, unkind, etc. Now rare. (s.v. unkissed, adj.)
• MED: 1. Without being or having been kissed;—often used in proverbs. (s.v. unkist(e, ppl.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 38): Unknowe, unkist, and lost that is unsought: (To remain) unknown (is to remain) unkissed, and what is not sought after is lost
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

without being or having been kissed

Comments from the Editor

Pandarus quotes proverbs to persuade Troilus. See also my comment of ‘dere’ (adj., Tr1.817).