heleles adj.

2022-09-15 heleles

TR5.1590 “Cǔpíděs sóne, ěnsámple ǒf góodly̌héedě,
TR5.1591 Ǒ swérd ǒf knýghthǒd, sóurs ǒf géntǐléssě,
TR5.1592 Hǒw mýght ǎ wíght ǐn tórměnt ánd ǐn drédě
TR5.1593 Ǎnd hélělés, yǒw sénde ǎs yét glǎdnéssě?
TR5.1594 Ǐ hértělés, Ǐ sík, Ǐ ín děstréssě!
TR5.1595 Sy̌n yé wǐth mé, nǒr Í wǐth yów, mǎy délě,
TR5.1596 Yǒw néythěr sénde ǐch hértě máy nǒr hélě.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Cupid’s son, model of excellence! O sword of knighthood, fount of nobility! How could a person in torment and in fear, and devoid of well-being, as yet send you happiness? I, disheartened! I, sick! I, in distress! Since you may not have any dealings with me, nor I with you, I can send you neither heart nor health.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 「クピードのご子息、卓越の典型、ああ騎士道の剣、高貴の源泉よ、苦しい思いをし、恐れ気遣い、健やかでない者がどうして今貴方に喜びをお伝えできましょうか。わたしは気落ちし、気が滅入り、悩み苦しんでおります！貴方はわたしと、わたしは貴方とお付き合いできませんので、貴方に慕情も健康な体もお送りすることができません。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 可必德之子，善良的圭臬，啊，武士界的干城，德望之源，我这个在痛苦病患中受着折磨的人怎能给你快慰呢？我感叹我一无意兴，也无康宁；你我既无可交换的，我也就不能以意兴或康宁回报你了。

Word Information

Etymology: From hele + -less
Addresser: Criseyde
Addressee: Troilus
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: (Quoted) Deprived of health or well-being. (s.v. †healless, adj.)
MED: (Quoted) 1. Deprived of joy, unfortunate, miserable. (s.v. hēlelēs, adj.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 336): heleles: devoid of well-being
Fisher (1989: 528): heeleles: without well-being
Benson (1987: 581): heleles: ill (healthless)
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975: 989): helelees: without health
Baugh (1963: 207): heleles: devoid of health or well-being

Possible Definitions

without health or well-being, unfortunate, miserable

Comments from the Editor

This letter is written after Criseyde makes up her mind to stay in the Greek camp, she repeats adjectives which reveal her sad feelings. Though she says that “Grevous to me, God woot, is youre unreste” (5.1604), her letter is clearly self-centred, as is stressed by the repeated “I” in “I herteles, I sik, I in destresse!” (5.1594). By using these words, Criseyde obviously emphasises her own feelings more than Troilus’s. Also, her use of “heleles” (5.1593) and “herteles” (5.1594), both of which end with the suffix “-less”, reveals her feeling that she is a victim. They show that she does not stay in the Greek camp by her own will, but because she does not have any other choice. However, the adjectives make what is written in her letter seem like an excuse, and so, after reading the letter, Troilus considers it “straunge” (5.1632).