Definition of "rue"

I wept to see, and rued it from my heart.

1614–1615, Homer, “(please specify the book number)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volumes (please specify the book number), London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857,

Thy will chose freely what it now so justly rues.

1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 4

And feminization of the homeland is something to be rued, while the feminized humiliation of the enemy for the sake of the fatherland is cause for commendation and celebration.

2009, David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race

As far as they were concerned, he must be ruing the day he ever met Sally.

2009, Erica James, It's The Little Things

And was the fact she was no longer losing large chunks of time something to be celebrated or something to be rued?

2012, Joy Fielding, Still Life

“If we get in a fight, you'll be ruing your lack of training.”

2014, Gary Meehan, True Fire

Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark

2017, Lorde (lyrics and music), “Writer in the Dark”

Madame, reweth upon my peynes smerte

Late 14th century Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin's Tale’, Canterbury Tales

which stirred men's hearts to rue upon them

1842, Nicholas Ridley, The Life of Nicholas Ridley

Old year, we'll dearly rue for you.

1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Death of the Old Year”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […]

But th'aged Nourse, her calling to her bowre, / Had gathered Rew, and Savine, and the flowre / Of Camphora, and Calamint, and Dill [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie

Ophelia:There’s fennel for you, and columbines: there’s rue for you; and here’s some for me: we may call it herb-grace o' Sundays: O you must wear your rue with a difference.

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene v]

The life of one plant would be affected by another. Rue was definitely hostile to basil, rosemary to hyssop, but coriander, dill and chervil lived on the friendliest of terms[.]

1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 253