seli adj.

2023-07-02 Uncategorized

TR3.1191 Whǎt mýghte ǒr máy thě sély̌ lárkě séyě,
TR3.1192 Whǎn thát thě spérhǎuk háth ǐt ín hǐs fóot?
TR3.1193 Ǐ kán nǎmóre; bǔt óf thǐse ílkě twéyě --
TR3.1194 Tǒ whóm thǐs tálě súcrě bé ǒr sóot --
TR3.1195 Thǒugh thát Ǐ tárie ǎ yér, sǒmtýme Ǐ móot,
TR3.1196 Ǎftér my̌n áuctǒur, téllěn híre glǎdnéssě,
TR3.1197 Ǎs wél ǎs Í hǎve tóld hǐre hévy̌néssě.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): What can the hapless lark say, when the sparrowhawk has it in its talons? I can say no morel But no matter to whom this tale be sweet or bitter, even though I delay for a year, I must sometime, following my author, tell of the happiness of these same two, just as I have told of their misery.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 薄幸の雲雀は灰鷹の足の爪につかまれた時、何が言えたか、それとも何が言えようか。私はもうこれ以上言えないが、まさにこの二人について――人にとってこの物語は砂糖か煤か、つまり甘かろうが苦かろうが、たとえ私は一年間ぐずぐずしようとも、いつかは原作者の後をたどりながら、彼らの重い苦しみを語ったように、彼らの喜びを語らねばならない。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 百灵鸟被雀鹰抓住了，她还有什么办法？我所知道的不过如此，——就是再等一年之久，我不免还是以古书为张本，叙述他俩的苦与乐，而听凭读者去这故事中寻求甜蜜或悲哀。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Narrator
Addressee: N/A
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: human beings (female: Criseyde) or animals (the lark)
Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: Not quoted

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 172): sely: hapless
Fisher (1989: 466): sely: innocent
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): simple, hapless (s.v. sely, adj.)
Donaldson (1975: 853): sely: innocent
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

innocent, hapless

Comments from the Editor

Chaucer employs the comparison of the two protagonists to birds in several other instances throughout the poem, such as in lines 3.1233 and 4.1432. My comment of ‘best’ (adj. (sup.), Tr3.955) also relates to this stanza.