TR5.722 Ĭn ál thĭs wórld thĕr nýs sŏ crúĕl hértĕ TR5.723 Thăt híre hădde hérd cŏmpléynĕn ín hĭre sórwĕ TR5.724 Thăt nólde hăn wépĕn fór hĭre péynĕs smértĕ, TR5.725 Sŏ téndrĕlý shĕ wéep, bŏthe éve ănd mórwĕ. TR5.726 Hĭre nédĕdé nŏ térĭs fór tŏ bórwĕ! TR5.727 Ănd thís wăs yét thĕ wérste ŏf ál hĭre péynĕ: TR5.728 Thĕr wás nŏ wíght tŏ whóm shĕ dórste hĭre pléynĕ.
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translation (Windeatt: 1998) (Windeatt: 1998): In this whole world there is not so cruel-hearted a person that, if he had heard her lament in her sorrow, would not have wept for her painful sufferings, so tenderly did she weep, both evening and morning. She did not need to borrow any tears! And the worst part yet of all her suffering was that there was no one to whom she dared confide her sorrow.
- Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012) (Sasamoto: 2012): もし彼女が悲しみについて嘆くのを聞いたならば、彼女の激しい苦しみに同情して泣かないほど残忍な心の持ち主はこの世にいない。それほどさめざめと朝から晩まで泣いた。彼女は涙を一つも借りる必要がなかった！しかも彼女の苦痛の一番辛い点は自分の悲嘆を思い切って打ち明ける人がいなかったことである。
- Chinese translation (Fang: 1956) (Fang: 1956): 听她那样日夜苦诉确能使世间铁石心肠的人都要流泪。她自己当然有的是伤心泪。而最可伤心的，尤在她不敢向任何人倾诉苦衷。
Word Information
- Etymology: OF
- Addresser: Narrator
- Addressee: N/A
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): 6.3
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: seat of the emotions (heart)
- Attributive/ Predicative: attributive
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 299): so cruel hearte: so cruel-hearted a person
- Fisher (1989: 515): nys so cruwel herte: is not such a cruel-hearted person
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
fierce, cruel, pitiless
Comments from the Editor
This stanza closely follows Fil.6.3, Criseyde recalls her time spent with Troilus and regrets for not having listened to his suggestion of elopement. Ironically, though she is described as extremely sad here, she decides to break her promise no more than 2 months later (see 5.766–70).