TR3.1380 Thĕy wól sĕyn “Yís,” bŭt Lórd, só thĕy lýĕ,
 TR3.1381 Thŏ bésy̆ wrécchĕs, fúl ŏf wó ănd drédĕ!
 TR3.1382 Thĕi cállĕn lóve ă wóodnĕsse ór fŏlíĕ,
 TR3.1383 Bŭt ít shăll fálle hĕm ás Ĭ shál yŏw rédĕ:
 TR3.1384 Thĕy shál fŏrgón thĕ whíte ănd ék thĕ rédĕ,
 TR3.1385 Ănd lýve ĭn wó, thĕr Gód yĕve hém mĕscháuncĕ,
 TR3.1386 Ănd évery̆ lóvĕre ín hĭs tróuthe ăváuncĕ! 

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translation (Windeatt: 1998): They will say ‘yes’, but Lord, how they lie, those anxious wretches, full of misery and fear! They call love madness or folly, but I shall tell you what will happen to them: they shall forgo the silver, and gold too, and live in misery — may God give them misfortune, and advance every lover in his faithfulness!
• Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 彼らは「いや得られる」と言うだろう、だがああ、何たる嘘つきだ、悲しみと恐怖で心一杯の浅ましい奴らめ！連中は恋を気遣い沙汰あるいは大戯(おおたわ)けと呼ぶが、私が貴方がたに次に言うようなことが彼らに起こるでしょう。彼らはやがて銀(しろがね)なしに、また金(こがね)もなしにやっていくことになり、悲惨のうちに生きていくでしょう、願わくは彼らに悲運を授け、信実に生きるそれぞれの恋人を助成なされますように！
• Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 他们或许会说，“是的，我们也有真乐”，但是，天哪，他们日夜忙碌，充满着愁闷与恐怖，他们说着这句话无非是哄骗人！他们视爱情为狂妄，但他们只知道抛弃人生中的红白美酒，躲进愁苦堆里去度日，愿上天给他们恶运，而让忠实的情子大步前进！

Word Information

• Etymology: OE
• Addresser: Narrator
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 3.38-9)
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (lovers)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: (Quoted) 4. Solicitous, attentive; concerned; anxious, fearful, worried. (s.v. bisī, adj.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 179): Tho besy: those anxious
• Fisher (1989): N/A
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963: 148): besy: anxious, worried

Possible Definitions

anxious; solicitous, attentive  

Comments from the Editor

In this quotation, the narrator curses those who despise love. As the translations show, ‘white’ and ‘red’ in 3.1384 can represent either silver (white) and gold (red) or white and red wines.