TESBEE, THISBEE, THYSBE, TISBE, TYSBE. Thisbe, a young Babylonian maiden, fell in love with her neighbor Pyramus. Their parents refused consent to their marriage, and they planned to leave Babylon together, meeting first at King Ninus's tomb. Thisbe arrived first, but a bloody lioness scared her, and she fled into the tomb, leaving her cloak behind. The lioness tore the cloak with her bloody jaws, then went off. Pyramus arrived later and, seeing the bloody cloak, presumed that Thisbe had been slain and killed himself. When Thisbe emerged from the tomb, she found Pyramus dead, and she slew herself with his sword (Met IV.55-166; OM IV.229-1169; Machaut, Le Jugement dou roy de Navarre, 3171-3212). The story is also told in an Anglo-Norman poem of the twelfth or thirteenth century, Pyrame et Tisbé, and in an Old French poem, Piramus et Tisbé (c. 1170).

The Man of Law lists the story of "babilan Tesbee" among Chaucer's works, MLI 63. The story of Piramus and Tesbee shows that love will find a way, MerchT 2125-2128. Thisbe is among love's martyrs in Venus's temple, PF 289, and in the catalogue of faithful women, LGW F 261, LGW G 215. The full story appears in LGW 706-923. [Nynus: Piramus: Semyrame]

Tesbee appears once medially, MerchT 2128, and once in final rhyming position, MLI 63. Thesbe appears once in final rhyming position, LGW 751. Thisbe appears twice medially, PF 289; LGW 870, once in final rhyming position, LGW 849. Thysbe appears once in final rhyming position, LGW 777. Tisbe occurs eight times in medial positions, LGW F 26, LGW 793, 809, 853, 877, 881, 884, 916, and twice in final rhyming position, LGW 835, 907. Tysbee occurs twice initially, LGW 725, 887, once medially, LGW G 215. The forms are all spelling variants; intrusive h was not pronounced.