fat adj.

2022-09-01 fat

TR1.218 Ǎs próudě Báyǎrd gýnněth fór tǒ skíppě
TR1.219 Ǒut óf thě wéye, sǒ prýkěth hým hǐs córn,
TR1.220 Tǐl hé ǎ lásshe hǎve óf thě lóngě whíppě --
TR1.221 Thǎn thýnkěth hé, “Thǒugh Í prǎunce ál by̌fórn
TR1.222 Fǐrst ín thě tráys, fǔl fát ǎnd néwě shórn,
TR1.223 Yět ám Ǐ bút ǎn hórs, ǎnd hórsěs láwě
TR1.224 Ǐ móot ěndúre, ǎnd wíth my̌ férěs dráwě” --

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): It is like proud Bayard the horse, who begins to skip out of the way, feeling his oats, until he gets a lash from the long whip, and then he thinks: ‘Though I prance in front, the first horse in the team, quite plump and freshly groomed, I am still only a horse and must endure horse’s law and pull with my fellows.’
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 高慢な栗毛の馬バヤードはわざと跳ねて道から逸れ、燕麦畑に飛び込む。そのために長い鞭で一打ち浴びせられ、そこで初めて考える。「よく肥えて、毛を新しく刈り込んでもらって、引き網の先頭に立ち、皆より先に走っているが、しょせん俺は一匹の馬にすぎないのだ。馬の掟を辛抱強く守って、仲間と一緒に車を引かねばならない。」
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 好比一匹栗毛俊马，忽觉聠胝损脚，便跳向路旁，而长鞭已经打上了身，他于是不免自忖道，“我虽排列在前，领导着其他马匹昂步而进，鬃毛新剪，肥壮高大，然而我终究还不过是一匹马，马的规律我仍得忍受，我不得不和同类在一起拖曳。”

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Narrator
Addressee: N/A
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 1.25)
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: animals (a horse)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: Not quoted

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

Possible Definitions

plump

Comments from the Editor

In this scene, Chaucer emphasizes that no one is excluded from the laws of nature. The example of the bay steed is not given in Fil. According to OED, bayard is the proper name for the bright-bay-colored magic steed, which Charlemagne gave to Renaud (or Rinaldo). It is subsequently used as a kind of mock-heroic allusive name for any horse (s.v. bayard, adj, and n.1).