grisli adj. & n.

  grisli
TR4.155 Ănd fúl ŏf ángwĭssh ánd ŏf grísly̆ drédĕ
TR4.156 Ăbód whăt lórdĕs wólde ŭntó ĭt séyĕ;
TR4.157 Ănd íf thĕy wóldĕ gráunte -- ăs Gód fŏrbédĕ --
TR4.158 Th’ĕscháunge ŏf híre, thăn thóughte hĕ thýngĕs twéyĕ:
TR4.159 Fĭrst, hów tŏ sáve hĭre hónŏur, ánd whăt wéyĕ
TR4.160 Hĕ mýghtĕ bést th’ĕscháunge ŏf híre wĭthstóndĕ.
TR4.161 Fŭl fáste hĕ cáste hŏw ál thĭs mýghtĕ stóndĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translations (Windeatt: 1998): full of anguish and terrible dread, waited to see what the lords would say about it. And if they should agree to her exchange—which God forbid!—then he thought of two things: first, how to safeguard her honour, and how he might best oppose her exchange. He considered very intently how the whole situation might stand.
  • Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 苦悩と激しい恐怖によってたっぷりさいなまれながら、どの諸侯がそれに対して発言するか待っていた。彼らが彼女の交換を承認するならば――それは断じてならないぞ!その時彼は二つの事を思った。第一に彼女の名誉を保つべき方法を、次にどんな方法で彼女の交換を最もうまく阻止できるか。この行動効果はどうなるか一心に考えた。
  • Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 他满心含着怨愤与恐怖,等侯爵们发言;万一他们要将她交换,啊,上天不容,他想那就只有两件事要做,一是如何保持她的令誉,一是如何制止其实行;他这样私下考虑着。

Word Information

  • Etymology: OE
  • Addresser: Narrator
  • Addressee: N/A
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): 4.15
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: fear (dread)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: (Quoted) 2. (a) Expressing fear; ~ eie, fearful eye; caused by fear; ~ dred (fer); (s.v. grislī, adj. & n.)
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 205): grisly: terrible
  • Fisher (1989: 479): grysly: horrible
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) ~ drede: fearful
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

terrible; horrible

Comments from the Editor

This stanza concurs with Fil.4.15. Both Troilus and Troiolo want to prevent the exchange and at the same time, uphold their ladies’ name.