TR5. 267 Whǒ kóudě télle ǎríght ǒr fúl dǐscrývě
TR5. 268 Hǐs wó, hǐs pléynt, hǐs lángǒur, ánd hǐs pýně?
TR5. 269 Nǎught aĺle thě mén thǎt hán ǒr bén ǒn lývě.
TR5. 270 Thǒw, réderě, máist thǐsélf fǔl wél děvýně
TR5. 271 Thǎt swích ǎ wó my̌ wít kǎn nát dǐffýně;
TR5. 272 Ǒn ýděl fór tǒ wríte ǐt shólde Ǐ swýnkě,
TR5. 273 Whǎn thát my̌ wít ǐs wéry̌ ít tǒ thýnkě.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Who could truly tell, or fully describe, his unhappiness, his lamenting, his distress, and his torment? Not all those who have been or are now alive. You, reader, can divine very well for yourself that my wits are not up to describing such a sorrow. I should labour in vain to write it, when my mind is weary to think of it!
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 誰が彼の悲しみ、嘆き、悩み、そして苦痛を正しく語り、十分に述べることができようか。むかしの人も今の人も誰も皆できないだろう。貴方、読者よ、貴方はそのような悲しみの性質を私の知恵では説明することができないとお思いだろう。それを考えただけでもうんざりする気持でいる時に、それを書こうなんて考えることは無駄骨だろう。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 谁能把他的悲诉与忧痛说得真切，或写得尽致呢？世上谁都做不到。我的能力是无从描拟他这深痛的，读者应可原谅。我只要想念到他的情况，已觉得自己技能太薄弱了，绞干了脑汁也是枉然。

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: brain / mind (the narrator’s wit)
• Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: Not quoted

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 280): wery: weary
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

weary

Comments from the Editor

After bidding farewell to Criseyde, Troilus laments, and the narrator asserts his inability to fully convey Troilus’ profound anguish. Just as the narrator cannot articulate the overwhelming happiness of the two protagonists (see 3.1310–11), he also cannot articulate Troilus’s misery, as it is an emotion he has never personally experienced.