TR5.36 Fŏr íre hĕ quóok, sŏ gán hĭs hértĕ gnáwĕ,
 TR5.37 Whăn Díŏméde ŏn hórsĕ gán hy̆m dréssĕ,
 TR5.38 Ănd séydĕ tó hy̆msélf thĭs ílkĕ sáwĕ:
 TR5.39 “Ăllás,” quŏd hé, “thŭs fóul ă wrécchĕdnéssĕ,
 TR5.40 Whĭ súffre ĭch ít? Whĭ nýl ĭch ít rĕdréssĕ?
 TR5.41 Wĕre ít năt bét ătónĕs fór tŏ dýĕ
 TR5.42 Thăn éverĕ móre ĭn lángŏur thús tŏ drýĕ? 

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translation (Windeatt: 1998): He shook with anger — it gnawed his heart so — when Diomede mounted his horse, and he said to himself: ‘Alas, why do I put up with such despicable misery? Why won’t I set it to rights? Wouldn’t it be better to die at once than endure suffering like this for ever more?
• Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): ディオメーデが馬に乗って近づいて来ると、トロイルスは怒りに震え、胸がきりきり痛み出し、このような言葉を独り言ちた。「ああ、こんな卑劣な惨めなことに、なぜおれは耐え忍ぶのか。なぜ収拾しようとしないのか。ずっとこんな苦しみに耐え忍び続けるより即座に命を絶つほうがよくないだろうか。
• Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 他见戴沃密得在马上整装待发，气得发战，心头绞痛，自语道，“呀，这是何等的惨境，我为何忍受？我为何不反抗？有得这样凋残，何如一死为快？

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• Addresser: Troilus
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): meglio (5.3, 7)
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: Others (it= to die at once)
• Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: Not quoted

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003): N/A
• Fisher (1989: 504): bet: better
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975: 936): bet: better
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

better

Comments from the Editor

Changeable Fortune has now turned her wheel from Troilus to Diomede. Troilus’s monologue follows its source (see Fil. 5.4), but we also find some differences. For example, Troilus does not mention killing Calchas or challenging all his brothers to relieve his pain.