fals adj.

2022-08-30 fals

TR4.610 “Ǎnd Tróǐlús, ǒ thýng Ǐ dár thě swérě:
TR4.611 Thǎt íf Crǐséydě, whích thǎt ís thǐ líěf,
TR4.612 Nǒw lóvěth thé ǎs wél ǎs thów dǒst hérě,
TR4.613 Gǒd hélp mě só, shě nýl nǎt táke ǎ-gríěf,
TR4.614 Thěigh thów dǒ bóote ǎnón ǐn thís měschíěf;
TR4.615 Ǎnd íf shě wílněth fró thě fór tǒ pássě,
TR4.616 Thǎnne ís shě fáls; sǒ lóve hǐre wél thě lássě.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): ‘And Troilus, I dare swear one thing to you: if Criseyde, your beloved, loves you now as much as you love her, God help me, she won’t be upset if you come right up with a remedy in this trouble. If she’s willing to leave you, then she’s unfaithful—so love her all the less for it!
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): トロイルス様、私はあえて一つ断言しますが、もし若君の恋人であるクリセイデが若君に劣らないくらい若君を愛しているのなら、たとえ若君がこのやっかい事ですぐに策を講じられても、誓って、彼女は取り乱すことはありませんよ。もし彼女が若君のもとを喜んで去りたがるなら、それなら彼女は不実なんです、今ほど愛することもありますまい。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): “有一点，特罗勒斯，我敢向你发誓，假若你的克丽西德爱你，也像你爱她一样，有上天作证，她见你在设法补救，当然不会反而嫌恶起来。她如果自愿离你而去，就是假心爱你；那么你也不必这样爱她了。

Word Information

Etymology: L&OF
Addresser: Pandarus
Addressee: Troilus
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A but see 4.73, 74
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (female: Criseyde)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: Not quoted

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 224): fals: unfaithful
Fisher (1989): N/A
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) unfaithful (s.v. fals, adj.)
Donaldson (1975): N/A
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

unfaithful, disloyal

Comments from the Editor

Pandarus encourages Troilus to ravish Criseyde as Paris, Troilus’s brother, did to Helen. Although this scene is in line with Fil, Chaucer’s Pandarus does not stress so directly and expressly that Troilus should not care about Criseyde’s reputation as Pandaro does in Fil (see 4.73–5).