The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 162
you, being a king, blessed with a good son,
gave permission for him to be disinherited,
which made you look like a most unloving father.
Unthinking animals feed their young;
and though they are frightened of men,
who hasn't seen them protecting their
offspring, even using the wings
which they could have use to fly away in fear,
to make war against someone who has climbed up to their nest,
offering their own lives in the defence of their young?
You should be ashamed, my lord! Be like them.
Isn't it shameful that this good boy
should lose his birthright because of his father's mistakes,
and for years to come should say to his children,
“What my great-grandfather and grandfather got,
my careless father stupidly gave away?"
How shameful this would be! Look at the boy,
and let his manly face, which promises
success, reinforce your melting heart
to keep what you have, and pass it on to him.
KING HENRY.
Full well hath Clifford play'd the orator,
Inferring arguments of mighty force.
But, Clifford, tell me, didst thou never hear
That things ill got had ever bad success?
And happy always was it for that son
Whose father for his hoarding went to hell?
I'll leave my son my virtuous deeds behind,
And would my father had left me no more;
For all the rest is held at such a rate
As brings a thousand-fold more care to keep
Than in possession any jot of pleasure.--
Ah, cousin York! would thy best friends did know
How it doth grieve me that thy head is here!
Clifford has made an excellent speech,
putting forward very strong arguments.
But tell me, Clifford, have you never heard
that things got in a bad way lead to bad ends?
Will the son be happy when his father
has been sent to hell for his miserliness?
I shall leave my good deeds to my son,
and I wish that's all my father had left me;
you have to pay so much for all the rest
that it gives one a thousand times more trouble
to keep it than any pleasure in having it.
Ah, cousin York! I wish your best friends knew
how sad it makes me to see your head there!
QUEEN MARGARET.
My lord, cheer up your spirits;
our foes are nigh,
And this soft courage makes your followers faint.
You promis'd knighthood to our forward son;
Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.--
Edward, kneel down.
My lord, raise your spirits;
our enemies are nearby,
and this weakness will infect your followers.
You promised a knighthood to our brave son;
take out your sword and invest him at once.
Edward, kneel down.
KING HENRY.
Edward Plantagenet, arise a knight;
And learn this lesson,--draw thy sword in right.
Arise, Sir Edward Plantagenet;
learn this lesson; always draw your sword on the side of right.
PRINCE.
My gracious father, by your kingly leave,
I'll draw it as apparent to the crown,
And in that quarrel use it to the death.
My gracious father, with your kingly permission,
I shall draw it in my position as heir to the crown,
and in that argument I'll use it to the death.
CLIFFORD.
Why, that is spoken like a toward prince.
Why, spoken like a good prince.
[Enter a Messenger.]
MESSENGER.
Royal commanders, be in readiness;
For with a band of thirty thousand men
Comes Warwick, backing of the Duke of York,
And in the towns, as they do march along,
Proclaims him king, and many fly to him.
Darraign your battle, for they are at hand.
Royal commanders, prepare yourselves;
Warwick is coming, in support of the Duke of York,
with a force of thirty thousand men,
and as they march along through the towns
they proclaim him as king, and many are joining him.
Get in battle order, for they are near.
CLIFFORD.
I would your highness would depart the field;
The queen hath best success when you are absent.
I wish your Highness would leave the battlefield;
the Queen does best when you are not here.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Ay, good my lord, and leave us to our fortune.
Yes, go my good lord, and leave us to take our chances.
KING HENRY.
Why, that's my fortune too; therefore I'll stay.
Why, it's my business too; so I'll stay.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
Be it with resolution then to fight.
Then you must resolve to fight.
PRINCE.
My royal father, cheer these noble lords,
And hearten those that fight in your defence.
Unsheathe your sword, good father; cry'saint George!'
My royal father, rouse these noble lords,
and give heart to those who are fighting to defend you.
Take out your sword, good father; cry out for St George!
[March. Enter EDWARD, GEORGE, RICHARD, WARWICK,
NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, and Soldiers.]
EDWARD.
Now, perjur'd Henry, wilt thou kneel for grace
And set thy diadem upon my head,
Or bide the mortal fortune of the field?
Now, perjured Henry, will you kneel for pardon
and put the crown upon my head,
or will you take your chances on the battlefield?
QUEEN MARGARET.
Go, rate thy minions, proud insulting boy!
Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms
Before thy sovereign and thy lawful king?
Go and insult your servants, you rude boy!
Is that any way for you to talk
to your ruler and your lawful king?
EDWARD.
I am his king, and he should bow his knee.
I was adopted heir by his consent;
Since when, his oath is broke; for, as I hear,
You, that are king, though he do wear the crown,
Have caus'd him by new act of parliament
To blot out me and put his own son in.
I am his king, and he should kneel to me.
I was adopted as heir with his agreement;
since then, he has broken his promise; for, I have heard,
that you, who is the real king even if he wears the crown,
have made him pass a new act of Parliament
which has written me out and placed his own son there.
CLIFFORD.
And reason, too;
Who should succeed the father but the son?
There's a good reason, too;
who apart from the son should inherit from his father?
RICHARD.
Are you there, butcher?--O, I cannot speak!
Is that you, butcher? Oh, I cannot talk!
CLIFFORD.
Ay, crook-back; here I stand, to answer thee,
Or any he the proudest of thy sort.
Yes, hunchback; I'm waiting here to fight you
or any of your greatest men.
RICHARD.
'T was you that kill'd young Rutland, was it not?
It was you who killed young Rutland, wasn't it?
C
LIFFORD.
Ay, and old York, and yet not satisfied.
Yes, and old York, and I'm still not satisfied.
RICHARD.
For God's sake, lords, give signal to the fight.
For God's sake, lords, give the signal to fight.
WARWICK.
What say'st thou, Henry, wilt thou yield the crown?
What do you say, Henry, will you surrender the Crown?
QUEEN MARGARET.
Why, how now, long-tongued Warwick! dare you speak?
When you and I met at Saint Alban's last,
Your legs did better service than your hands.
Why, what's this, snake tongued Warwick! Do you dare to speak?
When you and I last met at St Albans,
you did better work with your legs than with your hands.
WARWICK.
Then 't was my turn to fly, and now 't is thine.
That was my time to run, and now it's yours.
CLIFFORD.
You said so much before, and yet you fled.
You said that before, and yet you fled.
WARWICK.
'T was not your valour, Clifford, drove me thence.
It wasn't your bravery, Clifford, that drove me away.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
No, nor your manhood that durst make you stay.
No, and it wasn't your manhood that made you stay.
RICHARD.
Northumberland, I hold thee reverently.
Break off the parley; for scarce I can refrain
The execution of my big-swoln heart
Upon that Clifford, that cruel child-killer.
Northumberland, I respect you.
Stop this talking; I can hardly stop myself
following my aching heart and attacking
that Clifford, that cruel child killer.
CLIFFORD.
I slew thy father; call'st thou him a child?
I killed your father; are you calling him a child?
RICHARD.
Ay, like a dastard and a treacherous coward,
As thou didst kill our tender brother Rutland,
But ere sunset I'll make thee curse the deed.
Yes, like a horrible and treacherous coward,
in the same way that you killed our young brother Rutland,
but before the sun sets I will make you regret what you've done.
KING HENRY.
Have done with words, my lords, and hear me speak.
That's enough arguing, my lords, listen to me.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Defy them then, or else hold close thy lips.
Attack them then, otherwise don't speak.
KING HENRY.
I prithee, give no limits to my tongue;
I am a king, and privileg'd to speak.
Please don't tell me what I can and can't say;
I am a king, and I have the right to speak.
CLIFFORD.
My liege, the wound that bred this meeting here
Cannot be cur'd by words; therefore be still.
My lord, the business which has brought us here
cannot be solved with words; so be quiet.
RICHARD.
Then, executioner, unsheathe thy sword.
By him that made us all, I am resolv'd
That Clifford's manhood lies upon his tongue.
Then, executioner, take out your sword.
I swear by God that I believe
that all Clifford's manliness rests in his words.
EDWARD.
Say, Henry, shall I have my right, or no?
A thousand men have broke their fasts to-day
That ne'er shall dine unless thou yield the crown.
Say, Henry, whether I shall have my rights or not.
a thousand men have breakfasted today
who will never eat dinner unless you give up the crown.
WARWICK.
If thou deny, their blood upon thy head;
For York in justice puts his armour on.
If you deny him, their blood is on your head;
for York has every right to fight.
PRINCE.
If that be right which Warwick says is right,
There is no wrong, but every thing is right.
If what Warwick says is right
nothing is wrong, everything is right.
RICHARD.
Whoever got thee, there thy mother stands;
For, well I wot, thou hast thy mother's tongue.
Whoever your father is, that is your mother speaking;
I can see that you have your mother's tongue.
QUEEN MARGARET.
But thou art neither like thy sire nor dam,
But like a foul misshapen stigmatic,
Mark'd by the destinies to be avoided,
As venom toads or lizards' dreadful stings.
But you are neither like your father nor mother,
you are like a disgusting misshapen cursed thing,
marked out by fate to be avoided,
like a venomous toad or the dreadful stings of a lizard.
RICHARD.
Iron of Naples hid with English gilt,
Whose father bears the title of a king,--
As if a channel should be call'd the sea,--
Sham'st thou not, knowing whence thou art extraught,
To let thy tongue detect thy base-born heart?
Iron of Naples covered over with English gilt,
whose father has the title of the King–
as if the stream should be called the sea–
aren't you ashamed, knowing your ancestry,
to let your tongue betray the lowliness of your heart?
EDWARD.
A wisp of straw were worth a thousand crowns
To make this shameless callat know herself.--
Helen of Greece was fairer far than thou,
Although thy husband may be Menelaus;
And ne'er was Agamemmon's brother wrong'd
By that false woman as this king by thee.
His father revell'd in the heart of France,
And tam'd the king, and made the dauphin stoop;
And, had he match'd according to his state,
He might have kept that glory to this day;
But when he took a beggar to his bed,
And grac'd thy poor sire with his bridal day,
Even then that sunshine brew'd a shower for him
That wash'd his father's fortunes forth of France
And heap'd sedition on his crown at home.
For what hath broach'd this tumult but thy pride?
Hadst thou been meek, our title still had slept;
And we, in pity of the gentle king,
Had slipp'd our claim until another age.
A wisp of straw would be worth a thousand crowns
if it helps this shameless peasant to know herself–
Helen of Greece was more beautiful than by far,
although your husband could be Menelaus;
Agamemnon's brother was never so insulted
by that false woman as this king is by you.
His father swept through the heart of France,
and tamed the King, and made the Dauphin bow;
and, if he had married according to his position,
he might still have that glory now;
but when he took a beggar into his bed,
and elevated your poor father with his marriage,
at once the storm clouds started gathering
which washed his father's gains right out of France
and brought rebellion against his crown at home.
What started this storm apart from your pride?
If you had been humble, I wouldn't be claiming this title;
and we, pitying this gentle king,
would have left our claim until another time.
GEORGE.
But when we saw our sunshine made thy spring,
And t
hat thy summer bred us no increase,
We set the axe to thy usurping root;
And though the edge hath something hit ourselves,
Yet, know thou, since we have begun to strike,
We'll never leave till we have hewn thee down
Or bath'd thy growing with our heated bloods.
But when we saw that you were flourishing in our place,
and that you would not share any of your gains with us,
we put the axe to your usurping root;
and though the blade has done us some damage,
you must know that since we have begun to strike
we shall never stop until we have chopped you down
or drowned your growth in our hot blood.
EDWARD.
And in this resolution I defy thee;
Not willing any longer conference,
Since thou deniest the gentle king to speak.--
Sound trumpets;--let our bloody colours wave,
And either victory or else a grave!
And with this resolution I defy you;
I don't want to talk any longer,
since you will not let the gentle King speak–
sound the trumpets; let our bloody colours fly,
and let us find victory or otherwise a grave!
QUEEN MARGARET.
Stay, Edward.
Wait, Edward.
EDWARD.
No, wrangling woman, we'll no longer stay;
These words will cost ten thousand lives this day.
No, argumentative woman, we shall not wait any longer;
these words will cost ten thousand lives today.