gret adj. & adv. & n.

2022-09-08 gret

TR3.1632 “Thŏw árt ăt ése, ănd hóld thĕ wél thĕrínnĕ;
TR3.1633 Fŏr álsŏ séur ăs réed ĭs évery̆ fír,
TR3.1634 Ăs grét ă cráft ĭs képĕ wél ăs wýnnĕ.
TR3.1635 Brĭdle álwĕy wél thĭ spéche ănd thí dĕsír,
TR3.1636 Fŏr wórldly̆ jóiĕ hált nŏught bút by ă wír.
TR3.1637 Thăt prévĕth wél, ĭt brést ăl dáy sŏ óftĕ;
TR3.1638 Fŏrthí nĕde ís tŏ wérkĕn wíth ĭt sóftĕ.”

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): You’re content—now keep yourself that way. For keeping is as great a skill as winning—as sure as every fire’s red! Always keep your talk and your desire well reined in, because happiness in this world only holds on by a thread. The fact that it falls apart so often all the time certainly proves as much, and so it’s necessary to treat it gently.’
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 貴方は現在落ち着いておられる、それをうまく保ってください。すべての火は赤いのと同じように、明らかに物を維持することは得ることと同様に大変な技術なのですから。言葉と欲望を常にうまく抑制してください。世俗の喜びは一本の針金だけで保っているだけにすぎないのですから。針金は絶えずよく切れることは十分に証明済みです。だから喜びは優しく取り扱うことが必要です。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 你现在既很安适，就擅自保持；守夜与创业是同样的艰苦，这个道理和火烧可以伤手是一样真切。你应该检点你的言语和情感，因为世上的快乐只系着一条细绳；很明显的，这条绳索是随时都可中断的；因此我们必须轻巧运用才是。”

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Pandarus
Addressee: Troilus
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: skill or knowledge (kepe, wynne)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: Not quoted

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 190): As gret a craft is kepe wel as wynne: Keeping is as great a skill as winning
Fisher (1989): N/A
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975): N/A
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

of considerable importance

Comments from the Editor

There is a similar statement to “keeping is as great a skill as winning” in Ovid, Ars Amatorial, 2.11–14, which may have been inspired Chaucer.