TR3. 897 “Wǒot yé nǒt wél thǎt nóble ǎnd héigh cǒrágě TR3. 898 Ně sórwěth nóught, ně stýntěth ék, fǒr lítě? TR3. 899 Bǔt íf ǎ fóol wěre ín ǎ jálǒus rágě, TR3. 900 Ǐ nóldě séttěn át hǐs sórwe ǎ mýtě, TR3. 901 Bǔt féffe hy̌m wíth ǎ féwě wórděs whítě TR3. 902 Ǎnóthǐr dáy, whǎn thát Ǐ mýghte hy̌m fýndě; TR3. 903 Bǔt thís thy̌ng stánt ǎl ín ǎnóthěr kýndě.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Don’t you know very well that a high and noble nature neither grieves, nor stops grieving, for any little thing? If a fool were in a jealous temper, I wouldn’t care a jot about his sorrows, but bestow a few white lies upon him another day, when I happened to see him. But this matter is of an altogether different kind.
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 気高くて高潔な心の持ち主は、ちょっとした事のために嘆き悲しまないし、悲しみが止まないことを知らないのかい？愚かな男が嫉妬で怒り狂っていたら、彼の悲しみについていささかも意に介さないで、いつか、その男に会う時に、もっともらしい言業を二言三言かけてやればよいのだ。しかしこれはまったく異質の問題だ。
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 你知不知道，一个心志高超的人决不为一件小事而生忧，更不能因件小物而释忧哪？假如是一个不相干的庸才在那里心怀嫉愤，我也就懒得去顾怜他，也许有一天偶尔会见他，顺便安慰他几句就算了；无奈这件事不同。
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Pandarus
- Addressee: Criseyde
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: speech (words)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: †8. Esp. of words: calculated to make a favourable impression; plausible; specious. Obsolete (Scottish in later use). (s.v. white, adj. (and adv.) and n.)
- MED: 10. Fig. Of words: eloquent [quot. c1450]; fair-seeming, blandishing; insincere, specious. (s.v. whīt, adj.)
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 159): white: fair, specious
- Fisher (1989: 462): white: empty
- Benson (1987: 525): white: specious
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975: 843): white: i.e., plausible
- Baugh (1963: 140): wordes white: fair or specious words
Possible Definitions
fair, specious
Comments from the Editor
See my comment of ‘alive’ (adj., Tr3.892).