TR5.1429 Bŭt ín hĭre léttrĕ mádĕ shé swĭch féstĕs TR5.1430 Thăt wóndĕr wás, ănd swérth shĕ lóveth hy̆m bést, TR5.1431 Ŏf whích hĕ fónd bŭt bótmĕlés bĭhéstĕs. TR5.1432 Bŭt Tróĭlús, thŏw máist nŏw, ést ŏr wést, TR5.1433 Pĭpe ín ăn ívy̆ léf, ĭf thát thĕ lést! TR5.1434 Thŭs góth thĕ wórld. Gŏd shílde ŭs fró mĕscháuncĕ, TR5.1435 Ănd évery̆ wíght thăt ménĕth tróuthe ăváuncĕ!
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998): But in her letter she paid such compliments that it was most surprising, and swore she loved him best — in which he found only groundless promises. But Troilus, you can now go and whistle, if you want! This is how the world goes! God shield us from misfortune and advance everyone who intends to be faithful!
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): しかし彼女は手紙の中であまりにも追従して褒め称えたので、大変驚かされた、そして誰よりも貴方を愛すると誓うので、それは空疎な誓言にすぎないと判断した。しかしトロイルスよ、望めば、東でも西でも、どこを向いてでも、今は蔦の葉の笛を吹くことができるぞ！世の中はこういうものだ、神よ、われわれを禍から守りたまえ、そして誠実であろうとするすべての人に栄えあれ！
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 在信中她却竭力推崇他，还誓说她爱他最厚，关于这一点他认为有些空洞。啊，特罗勒斯，现在你走遍天下，只好去藤叶儿底下去吹哨了；世上的事就是这样；上帝佑护我们，愿忠诚的人不至遭难。
Word Information
- Etymology: botme (OE) + less
- Addresser: T(N)
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 7.105)
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: agreement (bihestes: promise)
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: (Quoted) †2.figurative. Without a firm foundation, baseless. Obsolete. (s.v. bottomless, adj.)
- MED: (Quoted) 1. (b) of promises: groundless, empty (s.v. botme-lēs adj.)
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 328): botmeles bihestes: groundless promises
- Fisher (1989: 526): botmeles byhestes: groundless promises
- Benson (1987: 579): botmeles bihestes: promises with no foundation
- Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) (fig.) without foundation, insubstantial (s.v. bot(o)melees, adj.)
- Donaldson (1975: 983): botmelees biheestes: baseless promises
- Baugh (1963: 204): botmeles bihestes: empty promises
Possible Definitions
groundless, baseless
Comments from the Editor
In her response to Troilus’s letter, Criseyde promises that she will return, but she does not know when, and she emphasises again that she loves Troilus best. However, Troilus finds her promises groundless. This quotation has its counterpart in 7.105, where the narrator directly points out that Criseida wrote ‘false scuse (false excuses)’, and that her home-coming is never to be. Obviously, compared with the source text, Chaucer’s narrator adopted a much milder tone.
Besides, to ‘pipe in an ivy lef’ refers to a futile activity one does when he/she has irretrievably lost something (see also KnT.1838).