TR1. 8 Tŏ thé clĕpe Í, thŏw góddĕsse óf tŏrmént,
TR1. 9 Thŏw crúwĕl Fúrĭe, sórwy̆nge évere ĭn péynĕ,
TR1. 10 Hĕlp mé, thăt ám thĕ sórwfŭl ínstrŭmént,
TR1. 11 Thăt hélpĕth lóverĕs, ás Ĭ kán, tŏ pléynĕ;
TR1. 12 Fŏr wél sĭt ít, thĕ sóthĕ fór tŏ séynĕ,
TR1. 13 Ă wófŭl wíght tŏ hán ă dréry̆ féerĕ,
TR1. 14 Ănd tó ă sórwfŭl tále, ă sóry̆ chérĕ.

Line Information

• Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
• English translations (Windeatt: 1998): I call on you, goddess of torment, cruel Fury, ever sorrowing in pain: help me, who am the sorrowful instrument that, as best I can, helps lovers to lament. For, to tell the truth, a sad companion best suits a sorrowful person, and a sad expression a sorrowful tale.
• Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 私は貴女に対して責め苦の女神と呼ぶが、絶えず人を痛苦で苦しめるむごい復讐の女神よ、世の嘆く恋人たちを力の及ぶ限り手助けする嘆かわしい楽器たる媒介役の私をお助けください。実を申しあげますと、悲しむ人には悲しみに暮れる仲間を持つことが、そして悲しい物語には曇った顔つきがよく似合いますから。
• Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 我向你呼唤，苦难的女神，残忍的魔怪，你永远在痛楚中哀号，协助我，我就是悲哀的工具，尽我所能，帮衬着情人们歌哭！正是，伤心人应有潦倒的伴侣，愁苦的事迹应有悲惨的阵容。

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: attitude (chere)
• Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

• OED: Not quoted
• MED: 2. (b) expressing sorrow; dejected-looking, gloomy; also, expressing vexation; gon a ~ pase, to go sorrowfully; singen a ~ song, be sad; (s.v. sōrī, adj.)

• Commented in other previous works:
• Windeatt (2003: 3): sory: sad
• Fisher (1989: 400): sory cheere: sorrowful disposition
• Benson (1987): N/A
• Davis et al. (1979): sad, sorrowful (s.v. sory, adj.)
• Donaldson (1975): N/A
• Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

sorrowful, gloomy

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘cruel’ (adj., Tr1.9).