The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 221
yet this I won’t do, even if I could.
I would rather subject myself to the evil
of an estranged and bloodthirsty brother.
ADAM
But do not so. I have five hundred crowns,
The thrifty hire I saved under your father,
Which I did store to be my foster-nurse
When service should in my old limbs lie lame
And unregarded age in corners thrown:
Take that, and He that doth the ravens feed,
Yea, providently caters for the sparrow,
Be comfort to my age! Here is the gold;
And all this I give you. Let me be your servant:
Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty;
For in my youth I never did apply
Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood,
Nor did not with unbashful forehead woo
The means of weakness and debility;
Therefore my age is as a lusty winter,
Frosty, but kindly: let me go with you;
I'll do the service of a younger man
In all your business and necessities.
Do not do that. I have five hundred crowns,
all saved while working under your father
and stored for my retirement
when I am too old and lame to give service to anyone,
when I am so old that I am thrown in a corner and forgotten.
Take that with you, and God who feeds the ravens
and cares for the sparrow
will watch over me in my age! Here is my money,
and all of it I give to you. Let me be your servant still:
though I look old, I am still strong and energetic.
In my youth, I never
drank evil liquors
nor did I recklessly test
my means and abilities:
therefore my age is like windy winter:
frosty, but kind. Let me go with you
and I will help you as if I were a younger man
in all of your business and needs.
ORLANDO
O good old man, how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world,
When service sweat for duty, not for meed!
Thou art not for the fashion of these times,
Where none will sweat but for promotion,
And having that, do choke their service up
Even with the having: it is not so with thee.
But, poor old man, thou prunest a rotten tree,
That cannot so much as a blossom yield
In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry
But come thy ways; well go along together,
And ere we have thy youthful wages spent,
We'll light upon some settled low content.
O good old man, in you I see
the constant service that used to be common in the old world,
when one served out of duty, not just for money.
You are not built for these times
where no one will work hard except for promotion,
and when they get that, stop their work
almost immediately. That’s not how you are.
But, poor old man, by coming me you are trimming a rotten tree
that cannot yield even a single blossom,
even with all of the pain and care you give to it.
But come anyway, we will go along together
and before we have spent your money,
we will find some way to make a happy living.
ADAM
Master, go on, and I will follow thee,
To the last gasp, with truth and loyalty.
From seventeen years till now almost fourscore
Here lived I, but now live here no more.
At seventeen years many their fortunes seek;
But at fourscore it is too late a week:
Yet fortune cannot recompense me better
Than to die well and not my master's debtor.
Master, go forward and I will follow you
until my last breath with loyalty and faithfulness.
From when I was seventeen years old until now, almost sixty,
I have lived here, and now I will live here no longer.
At seventeen, many men leave to look for their fortunes, for wealth –
at sixty it is too late for that.
Yet, there is no greater fortune for me now
than to die without owing my master anything.
Exeunt
Enter ROSALIND for Ganymede, CELIA for Aliena, and TOUCHSTONE
ROSALIND
O Jupiter, how weary are my spirits!
O Jupiter, my spirits are so tired!
TOUCHSTONE
I care not for my spirits, if my legs were not weary.
I wouldn’t really care about my spirits if my legs weren’t so tired.
ROSALIND
I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's
apparel and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort
the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show
itself courageous to petticoat: therefore courage,
good Aliena!
I would cry out from my heart against wearing a man’s
clothing, like a woman would, but I must instead comfort
the weaker sex, just as anyone wearing men’s clothing must be
brave and courageous to one wearing a dress. Therefore, be strong,
good Aliena!
CELIA
I pray you, bear with me; I cannot go no further.
Please, bear with me: I can’t go any further.
TOUCHSTONE
For my part, I had rather bear with you than bear
you; yet I should bear no cross if I did bear you,
for I think you have no money in your purse.
As for me, I would rather bear with you than bear
you and carry you. Yet, it would not be like bearing a cross to carry you
since I don’t think that you have any money with crosses on them with you.
ROSALIND
Well, this is the forest of Arden.
This is the forest of Arden.
TOUCHSTONE
Ay, now am I in Arden; the more fool I; when I was
at home, I was in a better place: but travellers
must be content.
Yes, and now I am a bigger fool for being in Arden. When I was
at home, I was in a better place – but a traveller
should be happy regardless.
ROSALIND
Ay, be so, good Touchstone.
Yes, be happy, good Touchstone.
Enter CORIN and SILVIUS
Look you, who comes here; a young man and an old in
solemn talk.
Look, here comes a young man and an old man in a serious discussion.
CORIN
That is the way to make her scorn you still.
But doing that is how you will make her continue to dislike you.
SILVIUS
O Corin, that thou knew'st how I do love her!
O Corin, if only you knew how much I love her!
CORIN
I partly guess; for I have loved ere now.
I can guess, since I used to be in love once.
SILVIUS
No, Corin, being old, thou canst not guess,
Though in thy youth thou wast as true a lover
As ever sigh'd upon a midnight pillow:
But if thy love were ever like to mine--
As sure I think did never man love so--
How many actions most ridiculous
Hast thou been drawn to by thy fantasy?
No, Corin, you are old and so you can’t really guess.
If in your youth you were as in love as a lover
who cries into his pillow late at night,
and if your love was ever as strong as mine –
which I think no love ever was �
�
then how many ridiculous actions
did you do out of your fantasies?
CORIN
Into a thousand that I have forgotten.
Thousands that I have forgotten.
SILVIUS
O, thou didst then ne'er love so heartily!
If thou remember'st not the slightest folly
That ever love did make thee run into,
Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not sat as I do now,
Wearying thy hearer in thy mistress' praise,
Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not broke from company
Abruptly, as my passion now makes me,
Thou hast not loved.
O Phebe, Phebe, Phebe!
Then you never loved as strong as I do!
If you do not remember the slightest foolish action
that you ever did because of your love,
than you have not truly loved.
Or, if you have not sat like this,
tiring your listener with praise for your mistress,
than you have not truly loved.
Or if you have not left the company of others
abruptly, as my feelings made me do,
than you have not truly loved.
O Phebe, Phebe, Phebe!
Exit
ROSALIND
Alas, poor shepherd! searching of thy wound,
I have by hard adventure found mine own.
O, poor shepherd! What you have said about your heartache
reminds me of my own.
TOUCHSTONE
And I mine. I remember, when I was in love I broke
my sword upon a stone and bid him take that for
coming a-night to Jane Smile; and I remember the
kissing of her batlet and the cow's dugs that her
pretty chopt hands had milked; and I remember the
wooing of a peascod instead of her, from whom I took
two cods and, giving her them again, said with
weeping tears 'Wear these for my sake.' We that are
true lovers run into strange capers; but as all is
mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly.
It reminds me of mine, too. I remember when I was in love, and I broke
my sword on a stone and told it, “Take that!” for
seeing my love, Jane Smile, at night. I also
kissed both her laundry washing stick and the cow udders, which
she touched with her pretty hands. And I remember
wooing a pea plant in her name, and then taking
two pea pods and giving them to her, begging
while crying, “Wear these for my sake.” We who are
true lovers will do strange things – but everything
is mortal, even the foolishness of love.
ROSALIND
Thou speakest wiser than thou art ware of.
You are saying wiser things than you know.
TOUCHSTONE
Nay, I shall ne'er be ware of mine own wit till I
break my shins against it.
I’ll never know my own wit until I
break my shins against it.
ROSALIND
Jove, Jove! this shepherd's passion
Is much upon my fashion.
Oh, God! This shepherd’s love
is very much like my own state.
TOUCHSTONE
And mine; but it grows something stale with me.
And mine – but I am beginning to get over it.
CELIA
I pray you, one of you question yond man
If he for gold will give us any food:
I faint almost to death.
Please, one of you ask that man
if he will sell us any food:
I feel like I will faint.
TOUCHSTONE
Holla, you clown!
Hello! You clown!
ROSALIND
Peace, fool: he's not thy kinsman.
Be quiet, you fool: he is not related to you.
CORIN
Who calls?
Who is calling?
TOUCHSTONE
Your betters, sir.
Those better than you, sir.
CORIN
Else are they very wretched.
If they weren’t, they would be very wretched.
ROSALIND
Peace, I say. Good even to you, friend.
Be quiet, Touchstone. Good evening, friend.
CORIN
And to you, gentle sir, and to you all.
And to you, gentle sir, and all of you.
ROSALIND
I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold
Can in this desert place buy entertainment,
Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed:
Here's a young maid with travel much oppress'd
And faints for succor.
Please, shepherd, I would like to know if love or money
can in this foreign and deserted place get us anything here.
If so, take us to where we can rest and find food –
this young lady is tired from a lot of traveling
and is faint with hunger.
CORIN
Fair sir, I pity her
And wish, for her sake more than for mine own,
My fortunes were more able to relieve her;
But I am shepherd to another man
And do not shear the fleeces that I graze:
My master is of churlish disposition
And little recks to find the way to heaven
By doing deeds of hospitality:
Besides, his cote, his flocks and bounds of feed
Are now on sale, and at our sheepcote now,
By reason of his absence, there is nothing
That you will feed on; but what is, come see.
And in my voice most welcome shall you be.
Good sir, I pity her
and wish for her sake, not for my own benefit,
that I was fortunate enough to be able to help her.
But I am a shepherd, hired by another man,
and I do not profit from the sheep that I watch.
My master is a mean-spirited man
and does not care about finding a path to heaven
through good works of hospitality.
Besides, his house, his flocks, and his feed for the sheep
are all on sale, and so at the cottage,
since he is gone, there is nothing
to eat. But whatever is there you can have, come and see what is left.
You are most welcome.
ROSALIND
What is he that shall buy his flock and pasture?
Who is buying his flock and pasture?
CORIN
That young swain that you saw here but erewhile,
That little cares for buying any thing.
The young man whom you saw here a moment ago,
though he doesn’t really about buying anything.
ROSALIND
I pray thee, if it stand with honesty,
Buy thou the cottage, pasture and the flock,
And thou shalt have to pay for it of us.
Please, if it can be done honestly,
buy the cottage, pasture, and flock for us,
and we will pay you for it.
CELIA
And we will mend thy wages. I like this place.
And willingly could waste my time in it.
We will also increase your wages. I like it this place
and can would like to waste my time here.
CORIN
Assuredly the thing is to be sold:
Go with me: if you like upon report
The soil, the profit and this kind of life,
I will your very faithful feeder be
And buy it with your gold right suddenly.
Truly, the place is going to be sold.
Come with me and if
you like how
the soil looks, and the profit you think can be had, and this way of life,
then I will be a faithful servant
and will buy it with your money right away.
Exeunt
Enter AMIENS, JAQUES, and others.
AMIENS
singing
Under the greenwood tree
Who loves to lie with me,
And turn his merry note
Unto the sweet bird's throat,
Come hither, come hither, come hither:
Here shall he see No enemy
But winter and rough weather.
Under the greenwood tree
whoever wants to lie with me
and sing the song
that comes from the sweet bird’s throat,
come here, come here, come here.
Here there will be no enemy
except winter and rough weather.
JAQUES
More, more, I prithee, more.
More, more, please, sing more.
AMIENS
It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.
It will make you sad, Mister Jacques.
JAQUES
I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck
melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs.
More, I prithee, more.
I welcome it. Please, sing more. I can suck
sadness from a song like a weasel can suck eggs.
Sing more, please.
AMIENS
My voice is ragged: I know I cannot please you.
My voice is strained – I can’t please you now.