TR3.1338 Thǐse ílkě twó, thǎt bén ǐn árměs láft,
TR3.1339 Sǒ lóth tǒ hém ǎsónděr gón ǐt wérě,
TR3.1340 Thǎt éch frǒm óthěr wénděn bén bǐráft,
TR3.1341 Ǒr éllěs -- ló, thǐs wás hǐr móostě féerě --
TR3.1342 Thǎt ál thǐs thýng bǔt nýcě dréměs wérě;
TR3.1343 Fǒr whích fǔl ófte ěch óf hěm séyde, "Ǒ swétě,
TR3.1344 Clíppe ǐch yǒw thús, ǒr éllěs Í ǐt méetě?"

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998):
• These same two, that we left in each other’s arms, were so reluctant to separate that each thought the other would be torn away, or else—and this, you see, was their greatest fear—that this whole thing was only fond dreams; for which reason each of them very often said:
• ‘O my sweet, am I embracing you like this, or else am I dreaming it?’
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 腕を絡み合わせていたこの二人は、離れ離れになることを大変嫌がり、それぞれ相手から引き離されるのではないかと思った。またすべてがばかばかしい夢にすぎないのでないかとも思った。ああこれが彼らの最も大きな恐れだった。そのためにそれぞれが度々こう言った。「ああ、愛しい人よ、貴方をこうして抱いているのは現(うつつ)なのかそれとも夢なのか。」
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 我们在他俩拥抱之际走开，现在再去从中拆散似乎于心不忍，且他俩深怕这是一场幻梦；因而彼此常互问着，“啊，甜爱，我是真的抱着你，还是在梦中哪？”

Word Information

• Etymology: OF
• Addresser: Narrator
• Addressee: N/A
• Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
• Counterpart in its source (Fil): 3.34
• Noun(s) (NPs) modified: dream (dream)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: 1. (b) of actions, words, thoughts, faces, gestures, etc.: foolish, absurd, senseless, mistaken; (s.v. nīce,adj.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 178): nyce: foolish
• Fisher (1989: 468): but nyce dremes nere: were nothing but foolish dreams
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
• Donaldson (1975: 858): nice: foolish
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

foolish, silly

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘loth’ (adj., Tr3.1339).