TR4. 302 “Ǒ wéry̌ góost, thǎt érrěst tó ǎnd fró,
TR4. 303 Why̌ nýltǒw fléen ǒut óf thě wófǔlléstě

TR4. 304 Bódy̌ thǎt éverě mýghte ǒn gróundě gó?
TR4. 305 Ǒ sóulě, lúrky̌nge ín thǐs wó, ǔnnéstě,
TR4. 306 Flě fórth ǒut óf my̌n hérte, ǎnd lát ǐt bréstě,
TR4. 307 Ǎnd fǒlówe ǎlwéy Crǐséyde, thǐ lády̌ dérě.
TR4. 308 Thǐ ríghtě pláce ǐs nów nǒ léngěr hérě.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): ‘O weary spirit, you who wander to and fro, why won’t you fly out of the most sorrowful body that ever walked on earth? O soul, lurking in this misery, leave your nest, take wing out of my heart and let it break, and always follow your dear lady, Criseyde. Your rightful place is now no longer here.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): ああ、あちこちさ迷う疲労困憊の霊魂よ、お前は今まで地上を歩んだうちで最も悲しみに満ちた肉体から、なぜ逃げ出さないのか。この悲しみの中に潜む、おお魂よ、巣窟から出でよ、わが心より飛び出し、胸を破り、お前の大事な愛人、クリセイデの後をずっと追いかけなさい。お前の相応しい場所はもうここにはないのだから。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): “呀，我这困顿的灵魂，来去飘忽着，为什么还要依恋这世上最悲苦的躯壳，为什么不弃之而去？灵魂呀，你躲藏在这幽境中，赶快脱离这悽苦的窝巢吧，飞出我的心，由它去爆裂，跟着你的亲爱的克丽西德去；这里已不是你居留的地方了！

Word Information

• Etymology: From wo, n.
• Addresser: Troilus
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): 4.34
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: body (Troilus’ body), or human beings (male: Troilus)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: 1. (a) Afflicted by grief; full of woe, grieving, sad; also, aggrieved [quot. c1450]; ill-fated [quot. a1420]; ?weakened by grief [quot. c1430]; (s.v. wōful, adj.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 211): wofulleste: most sorrowful
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): sorrowful, sad (people) (s.v. woful, adj.)
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

sad, sorrowful

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘bright’ (adj., Tr4.310).