prest adj.

2023-06-30 Uncategorized

TR4. 162 Lóve hy̌m máde ǎl prést tǒ dón hǐre býdě,
TR4. 163 Ǎnd ráthěr dýěn thán shě shóldě gó;
TR4. 164 Bǔt Résǒun séyde hy̌m, ón thǎt óthěr sýdě,
TR4. 165 "Wǐthóuten ǎssént ǒf híre ně dó nǎt só,
TR4. 166 Lěst fór thǐ wérk shě wóldě bé thy̌ fó,
TR4. 167 Ǎnd séyn thǎt thǒrúgh thy̌ médly̌nge ís ǐblówě
TR4. 168 Yǒure bóthěr lóve, thěr ít wǎs érst ǔnknówě."

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Love made him all eager to have her remain, and rather die than that she should go, but on the other hand Reason said to him: ‘Don’t do so without her agreement, in case she were to be antagonized by your action, and say that through your interference the love between you both is made public, where it was previously unknown.’
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 愛する気持から彼は彼女をひたすら留め置きたいし、彼女が去るくらいならいっそ死んだほうがましだと思った。しかし他方、〈理性〉が彼に言った。「彼女の同意なしにそんなことをしてはならない。お前の行動が彼女の反感を買うといけないからだ。お前のお節介によって、お前たち両人の愛が今まで分からなかった世間に、知れ渡るぞと言っておく。」
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 爱情使他的心里只想如何留她，如果放她去了，不如一死；可是理智又在向他说，“未得她的允许之前，不可这样做，不然因你鲁莽从事，她会埋怨你，说你多事，竟把这无人知悉的爱给宣扬了出去。”

Word Information

Etymology: OF
Addresser: Narrator
Addressee: N/A
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): 4.16
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (male: Troilus)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: 2. Eager, willing; willing or eager (to do sth.); determined (to do sth.), resolved; ~ to, inclined or disposed towards (sth.); eager for (battle). (s.v. prest, adj.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 205): Love hym made al prest to don hire byde: Love made him very ready to cause her to stay
Fisher (1989: 479): prest: eager
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975: 881): prest: eager
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

eager, willing

Comments from the Editor

This stanza follows Fil.4.16, but Chaucer omits the explicit statement found in the original source, which describes Troilus as a timid youth.