TR5.694 “My̌ fáděr nýl fǒr nóthy̌ng dó mě grácě
TR5.695 Tǒ gón ǎyéyn, fǒr náught Ǐ kán hy̌m quémě;
TR5.696 Ǎnd íf sǒ bé thǎt Í my̌ térmě pácě,
TR5.697 My̌ Tróǐlús shǎl ín hǐs hértě démě
TR5.698 Thǎt Í ǎm fáls, ǎnd só ǐt máy wěl sémě:
TR5.699 Thǔs shál ǐch háve ǔnthónk ǒn évery̌ sídě --
TR5.700 Thǎt Í wǎs bórn sǒ wéilǎwáy thě tídě!

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): My father won’t allow me to return at any price, whatever I do to please him. And if I outstay my appointed time, my Troilus will think in his heart that I’m unfaithful, and so it may well seem. I’ll be blamed on all sides like this—oh, how I wish I’d never been born!
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 父を喜ばせるためにわたしが何をしようとも、父はどうしても帰すことを許さないのです。もしもわたしがお約束した期限より長居をすれば、トロイルス様は心の中でわたしは不実な女だとお思いになるでしょう、そう見えるのも無理ないわ。こうしてあらゆる方面から非難されるでしょう。ああ生まれてきたその時が悲しい！
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 我父亲不许我回去，任凭我怎样讨好于他；然而我若过期不去，特罗勒斯将认为我负心了，而且事实也无从反证：因此两方面都不会原谅我。啊，我何不幸而生！

Word Information

• Etymology: L&OF
• Addresser: Criseyde
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
• 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: 298): fals: unfaithful
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

unfaithful, disloyal

Comments from the Editor

Chaucer includes two stanzas (5.694–707) to emphasize that Criseyde is in a dilemma. Although she wants to return to Troy, she is not able to. In this way, the author depicts his heroine as more vulnerable when under men’s power.