blisful adj.

  blisful 
 TR1.1009 Whăn Tróĭlús hădde hérd Păndáre ăsséntĕd
 TR1.1010 Tŏ bén hĭs hélp ĭn lóvy̆ng óf Cry̆séydĕ,
 TR1.1011 Wéex ŏf hĭs wó, ăs whó sĕith, úntŏrméntĕd,
 TR1.1012 Bŭt hóttĕr wéex hĭs lóve, ănd thús hĕ séydĕ,
 TR1.1013 Wĭth sóbrĕ chére, ălthóugh hĭs hértĕ pléydĕ:
 TR1.1014 “Nŏw blísfŭl Vénŭs hélpe, ĕr thát Ĭ stérvĕ,
 TR1.1015 Ŏf thé, Păndáre, Ĭ mówe sŏm thánk dĕsérvĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): When Troilus had heard how Pandarus agreed to help him in his loving of Criseyde, he became (as one might say) untormented by his unhappiness, but his love grew hotter and he spoke like this, with a sober expression although his heart was light: ‘Now blessed Venus grant that I may deserve some thanks from you, Pandarus, before I die!
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): トロイルスは、パンダルスがクリセイデへの愛の助けになることに同意するのを聞いた時、いわば、悲しみの責め苦が和らいできたが、しかし彼の恋はさらに熱くなり、心は軽くなったけれども、真面目な顔つきをしながら、彼はこう言った。「さあ恵み深いウェヌスよ、お助けください、おれが死ぬ前に、パンダルス、そなたから何らかの感謝をされてよいように。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 特罗勒斯听得彭大瑞答应帮他完成这段情缘，他的悲哀虽已不来侵扰，他的爱火却愈加炽热，他的心灵虽在舞跃，脸色却是沉静的，他一面说道，“啊，祝福维娜丝，在我未死之前，彭大瑞，我一定要努力不负你的美意。

Word Information

  • Etymology: blis (OE) + ful
  • Addresser: Troilus
  • Addressee: Pandarus
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A (but see 2.29)
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: supernatural beings (Venus)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: Not quoted
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 47): blisful: blessed
  • Fisher (1989): N/A
  • Benson (1987): N/A
  • Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
  • Donaldson (1975): N/A
  • Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

blessed; beneficent

Comments from the Editor

Troilus prays to Venus for a chance to repay Pandarus. Although this scene has a counterpart in Fil (see. 2.29), the prayer is Chaucer’s. Venus is a blissful goddess for Troilus, and we see him praying to her in various scenes, each time full of hope.

Apart from the scene above, Troilus also prays to Venus after he hears that Pandarus has succeeded in winning Criseyde’s love for him. In this scene, Troilus is described as one of the ‘flowers, closed up by the cold of night-time, drooping low on their stalks, straighten[ing] themselves up again in the bright sun and open[ing] out in their natural way in a row’ (2.967–970). This scene has a counterpart in Fil where Troiolo prays to Venus (see Fil. 2.80, 7–8). Later, before and during his love’s consummation, Troilus prays to various gods (3.705–35; 1254–74), but especially to Venus (3.705, 712, 715, 1255, 1257), and Chaucer added all these repeated references to Venus. Clearly, therefore, compared with Fil, Chaucer increased the significance of Venus in Tr as a goddess of bliss for Troilus.