The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  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.