iwar adj.

2022-09-21 iwar

TR2.393 “Thěnk ék hǒw éldě wástěth évery̌ hóurě
TR2.394 Ǐn éch ǒf yów ǎ pártǐe óf běautée;
TR2.395 Ǎnd thérfǒre ér thǎt ágě thé děvóurě,
TR2.396 Gǒ lóve; fǒr óld, thěr wól nǒ wíght ǒf thé.
TR2.397 Lǎt thís prǒvérbe ǎ lóore ǔntó yǒw bé:
TR2.398 Tǒ láte y̌wár, quǒd Béautě, whán ǐt pástě;
TR2.399 Ǎnd Éldě dáuntěth Dáungěr át thě lástě.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Think too how, with every hour, advancing age lays waste in each of you some portion of your beauty. And so, before old age completely devours you, go and love—for when you’re old, no one’ll want you! Let this proverb be a motto to you: “A ware too late, said Beauty, when it’s passed”, and getting old humbles haughty airs in the end.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 歳月がお前の体の各部の美の部分を刻一刻と摩滅させていくことも考えてごらん。だから年齢に蝕まれないうちに恋をしなさい、老月をとると誰も見向きもしないから。次の諺をお前の教訓としておきなさい。「〈美〉曰く、時過ぎて気づいてももう手遅れだ！」を。老齢は最後には驕慢を打ち負かすものなのだ。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 试想你们女子年纪逐渐增长，美色是一时一刻都受到摧残；为此之故，人在未受老年侵蚀之前应趁早谈爱，一旦衰老了，谁也不理睬你了。愿你记取这句古谚：‘一旦红颜消，警觉嫌迟了；‘人到了晚年，终究要杀除他的傲气的。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Pandarus
Addressee: Criseyde
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): 2.54
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (female)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: (Quoted) 1. (a) Aware, cognizant; ben ~, to realize; ben ~ of, know (sth.), notice, realize; (s.v. iwā̆r, adj.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 67): To late ywar, quod Beaute, whan it paste: ‘Aware too late,’ said Beauty when it was past
Fisher (1989: 425): ywar: aware
Benson (1987: 494): ywar: aware
Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) aware (s.v. ywar, adj.)
Donaldson (1975: 763): ywar: aware
Baugh (1963: 105): ywar: watchful, on guard. Bohn’s Hand-book of Proverbs gives “Too late to grieve when the chance is past.”

Possible Definitions

aware

Comments from the Editor

Pandarus persuades Criseyde to answer Troilus’s love and he emphasises that a lady’s beauty will not last long. This reminds us again that Criseyde, as a lady, is placed in a vulnerable position in the story.