TR1.470 Thě shárpě shóurěs félle ǒf árměs prévě
TR1.471 Thǎt Éctǒr ór hǐs óthěre bréthrěn díděn
TR1.472 Ně máde hy̌m ónly̌ thérfǒre óněs mévě;
TR1.473 Ǎnd yét wǎs hé, whěre só měn wénte ǒr ríděn,
TR1.474 Fǒunde óon thě béste, ǎnd lóngěst týme ǎbíděn
TR1.475 Thěr pérǐl wás, ǎnd díde ěk swích trǎváillě
TR1.476 Ǐn árměs, thát tǒ thénke ǐt wás měrvéillě.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): On that account, the fierce and terrible assaults, the proof of arms, that Hector or his other brothers undertook, left him unmoved. And yet, wherever men rode or walked, he was found the very best, and to have remained the longest time where there was danger. He did such great feats of arms that it was a marvel to think of it.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): それゆえに、ヘクトールや彼の兄弟が行った武勲の証明としての、恐ろしい鋭い攻撃ぶりも一度も彼の心を動かすことはなかった。だが、徒歩や騎馬で行く所どこにおいても、彼はとりわけ最高の勇者であることが分かった。危険が存在する所で、長い間踏みとどまり、みごとな働きもしたので、それを思うにつけ、大変な驚きだった。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 赫克多和他的兄弟们在战场上的斩获虽多，却不能使他稍一动心；可是，凡有战士们周旋的场合，他还是勇往直前，危急的所在他必逗留得最久，因而他得战绩煞是惊人。

Word Information

• Etymology: OF
• Addresser: Narrator
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: sharpe
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): 1.45
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: armed encounter (attack, battle)
• Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: Not quoted

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 24): felle: terrible
• Fisher (1989: 408): shoures sharpe felle: sharp terrible assaults
• Benson (1987; 479): felle: terrible
• Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) terrible (s.v. fel(l, adj.)
• Donaldson (1975: 727): felle: fierce
• Baugh (1963: 89): shoures felle: combats cruel

Possible Definitions

terrible, fierce, cruel

Comments from the Editor

Quoted below are the corresponding descriptions for the first three lines in the above stanza in Fil.

  L’aspre battaglie e gli stormi angosciosi,

ch’Ettor e gli altri suoi fratei facieno

seguiti da’ Troian, dagli amorosi

pensieri però niente il rimovieno; (Fil.1.45, 1-4)

“The sharp battles and the woeful affrays of Hector and his brothers, followed by the Trojans, turned him little or naught from his amorous thoughts”

In Fil the two words in italics are actually synonyms, “battaglie” means “battles” and “stormi”, which is an archaism, means “engagement”. These two synonyms are modified by “aspre” (harsh; sharp) and “angosciosi” (grievous; painful) respectively. In Tr, however, Chaucer integrated the above-mentioned synonyms into “shoures”. The main definition of this word is “shower” and here its figurative meaning, i.e. “battle”, should be taken (Davis et al., s.v. shour, n.) Chaucer chose this word most probably because the Italian “stormi” is similar to the English “stormy”. Though “shoures” alone is already vivid, Chaucer’s art can be further read from the juxtaposed adjectives. The adjective “sharpe” in the front is alliterative with “shoures”, making the phrase more impressive. And the other adjective, “felle”, although it seems common, is easily associated with “fall” and matches perfectly the image of “shoures”. Therefore, “sharpe shoures felle” not only creates the image of a fierce battle, but also conveys to the reader a mental picture in which sharp weapons are falling like rain.