seli adj.

2023-07-02 Uncategorized

TR1. 869 Ǎnd wíth thǎt wórd hě gán hy̌m fór tǒ shákě,
TR1. 870 Ǎnd séydě, "Théf, thǒw shált hy̌re námě téllě."
TR1. 871 Bǔt thó gǎn sély̌ Tróilǔs fór tǒ quákě
TR1. 872 Ǎs thóugh měn shólde hǎn léd hy̌m íntǒ héllě,
TR1. 873 Ǎnd séyde, "Ǎllás, ǒf ál my̌ wó thě wéllě,
TR1. 874 Thǎnne ís my̌ swétě fó cállěd Crǐséydě!"
TR1. 875 Ǎnd wél něigh wíth thě wórd fǒr féere hě déidě.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998):
And with those words he started to shake him and said:
‘You thief! You’ve got to tell her name!
But then poor Troilus began to tremble, as though he were being led into hell, and said:
‘Alas, my sweet enemy, then, the source of all my unhappiness, is called… Criseyde!—’ and with the word he very nearly died of fright.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): そう言ってパンダルスは彼を揺すり始めて言った。「恋盗人殿、さあ名前をおっしゃるのですよ。」しかしその時哀れなトロイルスは身を震わせ始めた。さながら地獄へ案内されたかのようだったが、言葉を発した。「ああ、おれの悲しみの泉、おれの愛しい敵、それはクリセイデと呼ばれるのだ。」そう言って、怖くなって死なんばかりの様子をした。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 说着，他上前抖拽他的身子，续道，“坏家伙，赶快把她的名字交出来。”特罗勒斯满身发颤，似乎要被人拖进地狱一般，说道，“呀！我的悲哀之源，我的甜蜜的冤家，她名叫克丽西德！”说着这个名字，他吓得要死。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Narrator
Addressee: N/A
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): 2.18
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (male: Troilus)
Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: 3. (a) Wretched, unfortunate, miserable; pitiable; (s.v. sē̆lī, adj.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 41): sely: poor
Fisher (1989: 414): sely: silly (?) innocent (?)
Benson (1987: 485): sely: hapless, wretched
Davis et al. (1979): pitiable, unfortunate, poor (s.v. sely, adj.)
Donaldson (1975: 741): sely: poor
Baugh (1963: 95): sely Troilus: poor Troilus

Possible Definitions

poor, wretched, pitiable, helpless, pious, innocent

Comments from the Editor

In the counterpart of this stanza (Fil.2.18), the hero is described as covering his face and weeping rather than quaking. This stanza echoes the love-making scene (see lines 3.1198–1204), where Criseyde quakes.