erest adj. (sup.)

2022-08-26 erest

TR4.1317 “Ănd thénk rĭght thús: ‘Crĭséyde ĭs nów ăgón.
TR4.1318 Bŭt whát, shĕ shál cŏme hástĭlíche ăyéyn!’
TR4.1319 Ănd whánne, ăllás? By̆ Gód, lŏ, ríght ănón,
TR4.1320 Ĕr dáyĕs tén, thĭs dár Ĭ sáufly̆ séyn.
TR4.1321 Ănd thán ăt érstĕ shál wĕ bé sŏ féyn,
TR4.1322 Sŏ ás wĕ shál tŏgíderĕs éverĕ dwéllĕ,
TR4.1323 Thăt ál thĭs wórld nĕ mýghte ŏure blíssĕ téllĕ.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): and think just like this: “Criseyde is gone now. What then, she’ll come back soon!” And when, alas? By God, right away, you know, before ten days, I can safely say! And then at last we’ll be so happy, because we’ll stay together always, that this whole world couldn’t express our happiness.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): ちょっとこうお考えください。『クリセイデは今しがた去った。しかし、何と、すぐに戻って来るとは！』でも、ああ、いつ？誓って、ほら、すぐに、十日たたないうちに、これを断言します。その時やっとわたしたちは大いに喜びに浸れるでしょう、わたしたちはいつまでも一緒に暮らせるのですから。世間がわたしたちの幸せを語り尽くせないほどの喜びに浸れます。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 只要作这样想，‘克丽西德固然去了，却不必害怕，马上她就要回来的。’可是，究竟哪一天呢？很快的，不要十天功夫，我敢大胆推定。到了那天我俩将如何快乐，从此可以永久伴宿，世上没有人能说得出我俩的乐境。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Criseyde
Addressee: Troilus
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: Others
Attributive/ Predicative: –

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: (Quoted) 2. (a) than (nou) at (atte) erst [OE æt ǣrestan], then (now) for the first time, not until then (now) (s.v. ērest, adj. (superlative))

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 252): than at erste: then at last
Fisher (1989: 497): at erst: for the first time
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975: 921): erste: last
Baugh (1963: 175): than at erste: then indeed, at last

Possible Definitions

at ~: for the first time, at last

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘amis’ (pred. adj., Tr4.1271).