That contains the summary of my fortune.
Reads
You that choose not by the view,
Chance as fair and choose as true!
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content and seek no new,
If you be well pleased with this
And hold your fortune for your bliss,
Turn you where your lady is
And claim her with a loving kiss.
A gentle scroll. Fair lady, by your leave;
I come by note, to give and to receive.
Like one of two contending in a prize,
That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes,
Hearing applause and universal shout,
Giddy in spirit, still gazing in a doubt
Whether these pearls of praise be his or no;
So, thrice fair lady, stand I, even so;
As doubtful whether what I see be true,
Until confirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you.
You who has chosen not by looks
Have had good luck and made the right choice!
Since this good fortune falls to you,
Be happy and seek nothing else.
If you are happy with this
And accept this fortune for your state of being,
Turn toward where your lady is
And claim her as yours with a loving kiss.
A nice note. Fair lady, with your permission,
This note tells me to give you a kiss and to receive you.
But like someone struggling in a contest,
That things he has done well in people’s eyes,
Draws applause and shouting—
I am still excited and energized, but wondering and not sure
Whether this praise is mine or not.
So, wonderfully beautiful lady, I’m standing here,
Doubting if what I see is true,
Until it is confirmed, signed and made official by you.
PORTIA
You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am: though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish,
To wish myself much better; yet, for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself;
A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;
That only to stand high in your account,
I might in virtue, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account; but the full sum of me
Is sum of something, which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractised;
Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn;
Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself and what is mine to you and yours
Is now converted: but now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants,
Queen o'er myself: and even now, but now,
This house, these servants and this same myself
Are yours, my lord: I give them with this ring;
Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love
And be my vantage to exclaim on you.
You see me, Lord Bassanio, as I stand here,
And I am what I am, though I alone wouldn’t wish
To be better for myself,
I wish I could be better for you.
I would be twenty times what I am—
A thousand times more beautiful and ten thousand times richer—
So you might value me more.
My talents, beauties, possessions and friends,
Would be more than you could want. However, the full worth of me
Is something that amounts to the total of
An unlearned girl—uneducated and innocent—
And happy that she is not too old
That she can learn new things, and even happier
That she was not raised without the ability to be capable of learning,
And happiest of all that her spirit
Commits itself to you to be taught.
By her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself and all that is mine is now to you
Transferred. Until now I was the lord
Of this beautiful mansion. I was master of my servants,
And Queen of myself. But even as we speak
This house, these servants and even me
Are yours, my lord. I give them to you with this ring.
If you ever part with it, lose it or give it away,
It means our love is over,
And I’ll have the right to be angry with you.
BASSANIO
Madam, you have bereft me of all words,
Only my blood speaks to you in my veins;
And there is such confusion in my powers,
As after some oration fairly spoke
By a beloved prince, there doth appear
Among the buzzing pleased multitude;
Where every something, being blent together,
Turns to a wild of nothing, save of joy,
Express'd and not express'd. But when this ring
Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence:
O, then be bold to say Bassanio's dead!
Madam, you’ve left me speechless.
My blood is pounding in my veins in response to you.
I feel so confused right now about everything,
Like after there is a wonderful speech
Made by a prince you admire, and among
The crowd is applause and cheers.
Everything—all blending together—
Becomes nothing but wild joy
Both shouted and not shouted about. If this ring
Ever leaves my finger, you can be sure I am dead.
You can declare with certainty, ‘Bassanio’s dead!’
NERISSA
My lord and lady, it is now our time,
That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper,
To cry, good joy: good joy, my lord and lady!
My lord and my lady, it is now time
For us who have been watching this to make our wishes known
And to say, Best wishes! Best wishes, my lord and lady!
GRATIANO
My lord Bassanio and my gentle lady,
I wish you all the joy that you can wish;
For I am sure you can wish none from me:
And when your honours mean to solemnize
The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you,
Even at that time I may be married too.
My lord Bassanio and my gentle lady,
I wish you all the happiness you could possible want,
And I am sure I can wish you no more.
When you are ready to take your vows
To become married, I want to ask
If I may get married at the same time as you.
BASSANIO
With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife.
Certainly, if you can find a wife by then.
GRATIANO
I thank your lordship, you have got me one.
My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours:
You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You loved, I loved for intermission.
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune stood upon the casket there,
And so did mine too, as the matter falls;
For wooing here until I sweat again,
And sweating until my very roof was dry
With oaths of love, at last, if promise last,
I got a promise of this fair one here
To have her love, provided that your fortune
Achieved her mistress.
Thank y
ou, my lord, I have gotten one because of you.
I fall in love as quickly as you do—at first sight.
Just as when you fell when you saw Portia, I looked at Nerrisa
And fell in love as quickly as you.
We both have the same right to do so.
Just as your fortune depended on the trunks,
So did mine, and I got right to the matter
Of wooing her until I began to sweat
And making more effort until my mouth was dry,
From declarations of love and promises
Until I got a promise from this beautiful lady
That we would marry dependent on fortune
Of winning her mistress.
PORTIA
Is this true, Nerissa?
Is this true, Nerissa?
NERISSA
Madam, it is, so you stand pleased withal.
Yes, Madam, if you say it is okay.
BASSANIO
And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?
And do you mean what you say, Gratiano?
GRATIANO
Yes, faith, my lord.
Yes, I mean it, my lord.
BASSANIO
Our feast shall be much honour'd in your marriage.
We would be honored to include you in our marriage feast.
GRATIANO
We'll play with them the first boy for a thousand ducats.
Let’s bet them a thousand ducats that we’ll have the first son.
NERISSA
What, and stake down?
What, and put it down now?
GRATIANO
No; we shall ne'er win at that sport, and stake down.
But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infidel? What,
and my old Venetian friend Salerio?
No, we’d never win the bet if I put it down!
Who’s coming? Lorenzo and his pagan? Look,
is it really my old Venetian friend Salerio?
Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO, a Messenger from Venice
BASSANIO
Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome hither;
If that the youth of my new interest here
Have power to bid you welcome. By your leave,
I bid my very friends and countrymen,
Sweet Portia, welcome.
Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome!
I hope my new position as master of the house
Has enough power to bid you welcome. If it’s alright with you,
I give my friends and countrymen
a welcome, sweet Portia.
PORTIA
So do I, my lord:
They are entirely welcome.
So do I, my lord.
They are totally welcome.
LORENZO
I thank your honour. For my part, my lord,
My purpose was not to have seen you here;
But meeting with Salerio by the way,
He did entreat me, past all saying nay,
To come with him along.
Thank you. It wasn’t my intention, my lord,
To come here to see you.
I met with Salerio along the way
And he insisted, with no room for me to say no,
That I come along with him!
SALERIO
I did, my lord;
And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio
Commends him to you.
I did that, my lord,
And I have good reason. Signior Antonio
Sends his grettings.
Gives Bassanio a letter
BASSANIO
Ere I ope his letter,
I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth.
Before I open this,
Please tell me how Antonio is doing.
SALERIO
Not sick, my lord, unless it be in mind;
Nor well, unless in mind: his letter there
Will show you his estate.
He’s not sick, my lord, but he is worried.
He’s not well, but he is very worried. This letter
Will reveal what’s going on.
GRATIANO
Nerissa, cheer yon stranger; bid her welcome.
Your hand, Salerio: what's the news from Venice?
How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
I know he will be glad of our success;
We are the Jasons, we have won the fleece.
Nerrisa, welcome this man. Say hello to her, too,
Salerio. What’s the word from Venice?
How is the merchant Antonio doing?
I know he will be glad to hear of our success.
We are the Jasons who have won the Golden Fleece.
SALERIO
I would you had won the fleece that he hath lost.
I wish you had won what he has lost.
PORTIA
There are some shrewd contents in yon same paper,
That steals the colour from Bassanio's cheek:
Some dear friend dead; else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution
Of any constant man. What, worse and worse!
With leave, Bassanio: I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of anything
That this same paper brings you.
Whatever is written in that letter is hard news—
It is making Bassanio turn pale to read it.
Some dear friend must have died—I can’t think of anything else in the world
That would change the mood
Of a stable man so much. Look! He seems worse and worse!
With your permission, Bassanio: I am your other half,
So let me bear half of whatever it is
This letter brings to you.
BASSANIO
O sweet Portia,
Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words
That ever blotted paper! Gentle lady,
When I did first impart my love to you,
I freely told you, all the wealth I had
Ran in my veins, I was a gentleman;
And then I told you true: and yet, dear lady,
Rating myself at nothing, you shall see
How much I was a braggart. When I told you
My state was nothing, I should then have told you
That I was worse than nothing; for, indeed,
I have engaged myself to a dear friend,
Engaged my friend to his mere enemy,
To feed my means. Here is a letter, lady;
The paper as the body of my friend,
And every word in it a gaping wound,
Issuing life-blood. But is it true, Salerio?
Have all his ventures fail'd? What, not one hit?
From Tripolis, from Mexico and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary and India?
And not one vessel 'scape the dreadful touch
Of merchant-marring rocks?
Oh sweet Portia,
What is here are the most unpleasant words
That ever stained paper! Kind lady,
When I first told you I love you.
I told you that all the wealth I have
Runs in my veins—that I was born noble,
And then I told you the truth, but still, dear lady,
When I said I have nothing, you will see
That I was bragging. When I said
I had nothing, I should have told you, as well,
That I have worse than nothing, for, it’s true,
I asked a favor of a dear frined,
And he borrowed money from his enemy
To help me out. In this letter, lady,
The paper seems like the body of my friend.
With every word like a huge wound
bleeding all over the place. Is it true, Salerio,
Have all his ships at sea failed? Did not one survive?
From Tripolos and Mexico and England,
From Lisbon, Barbary and India?
Not one of the sh
ips escaped being wrecked
On merchant-ruining rocks?
SALERIO
Not one, my lord.
Besides, it should appear, that if he had
The present money to discharge the Jew,
He would not take it. Never did I know
A creature, that did bear the shape of man,
So keen and greedy to confound a man:
He plies the duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice: twenty merchants,
The duke himself, and the magnificoes
Of greatest port, have all persuaded with him;
But none can drive him from the envious plea
Of forfeiture, of justice and his bond.
Not one, my lord.
Besides, it looks as though even if he had
The money to pay off the Jew,
The Jew would not take it. Never have I known
A creature that looked so much like a man
So ready and eager to ruin a man.
He’s at the duke both morning and night
Saying the freedom of the state will be harmed
If they deny him justice. Twenty merchants,
The duke himself, and the Venetian leaders
Of highest standing have all tried to convince him,
But no one can convince his not to go after the claim
Written in the loan papers regarding non-payment.
JESSICA
When I was with him I have heard him swear
To Tubal and to Chus, his countrymen,
That he would rather have Antonio's flesh
Than twenty times the value of the sum
That he did owe him: and I know, my lord,
If law, authority and power deny not,
It will go hard with poor Antonio.
When I was with my father I heard him swear
To Tubal and to Chus, fellow Jews,
That he would rather have Antonio’s flesh
Than twenty times the value of the loaned amount
That Antonio owed him. And I know, my lord.
That is the law, authory and power can not stop it,
It will be hard for poor Antonio.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 284