The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 342
Not well.
Not exactly.
First Fisherman
Why, I'll tell you: this is called Pentapolis, and
our king the good Simonides.
Well, I'll tell you: this place is called Pentapolis, and
our king is the good Simonides.
PERICLES
The good King Simonides, do you call him?
The good King Simonides, you call him?
First Fisherman
Ay, sir; and he deserves so to be called for his
peaceable reign and good government.
Yes, sir; and he deserves the name for his
peaceful reign and good government.
PERICLES
He is a happy king, since he gains from his subjects
the name of good by his government. How far is his
court distant from this shore?
He is a lucky king, since his subjects call him good
on account of his government. How far is his
court from this shore?
First Fisherman
Marry, sir, half a day's journey: and I'll tell
you, he hath a fair daughter, and to-morrow is her
birth-day; and there are princes and knights come
from all parts of the world to just and tourney for her love.
Well, sir, half a day's journey: and I'll you,
he has a beautiful daughter, and tomorrow is her
birthday; princes and knights have come
from all over the world to joust and compete for her love.
PERICLES
Were my fortunes equal to my desires, I could wish
to make one there.
If my fortune matched my wishes, I would wish
to be one of them.
First Fisherman
O, sir, things must be as they may; and what a man
cannot get, he may lawfully deal for his wife's soul.
Re-enter Second and Third Fishermen, drawing up a net
Oh sir, things go the way they will; what a man
can't get he can always swap for his wife's soul.
Second Fisherman
Help, master, help! here's a fish hangs in the net,
like a poor man's right in the law; 'twill hardly
come out. Ha! bots on't, 'tis come at last, and
'tis turned to a rusty armour.
Help, master, help! There's a fish caught in the net,
like a poor man caught in a lawsuit; it's almost impossible
to get it out. Ha! Curse it, it's come out at last, and
it turns out to be a rusty suit of armour.
PERICLES
An armour, friends! I pray you, let me see it.
Thanks, fortune, yet, that, after all my crosses,
Thou givest me somewhat to repair myself;
And though it was mine own, part of my heritage,
Which my dead father did bequeath to me,
With this strict charge, even as he left his life,
'Keep it, my Pericles; it hath been a shield
Twixt me and death;'--and pointed to this brace;--
'For that it saved me, keep it; in like necessity--
The which the gods protect thee from!--may
defend thee.'
It kept where I kept, I so dearly loved it;
Till the rough seas, that spare not any man,
Took it in rage, though calm'd have given't again:
I thank thee for't: my shipwreck now's no ill,
Since I have here my father's gift in's will.
A suit of armour, friends! Please, let me see it.
I thank you, Fortune, that after all my setbacks
you have given me a way of restoring myself;
this was my own, part of my inheritance,
which my dead father left to me
with these strict instructions, even as he died,
‘Keep it, my Pericles; it has been a shield
between me and death;’–and he pointed to this armguard–
‘because it saved me, keep it; if you're in the same trouble,
which I hope the gods keep you from, may it protect you!’
It went with me everywhere–I loved it so dearly–
until the rough sea, that doesn't spare anybody,
took it in its rage, although in the calm it has given it back.
Thank you for this; my shipwreck is now no hardship,
since I have here what my father left me in his will.
First Fisherman
What mean you, sir?
What do you mean, sir?
PERICLES
To beg of you, kind friends, this coat of worth,
For it was sometime target to a king;
I know it by this mark. He loved me dearly,
And for his sake I wish the having of it;
And that you'ld guide me to your sovereign's court,
Where with it I may appear a gentleman;
And if that ever my low fortune's better,
I'll pay your bounties; till then rest your debtor.
To beg you, kind friends, to let me have this coat,
which once upon a time shielded a king;
I recognise it from this mark. He loved me dearly,
and I should like to have it to remember him by;
and I would like you to guide me to your king's court,
where it will help me to appear like a gentleman;
if my fortunes ever improve
I will pay you a reward; until then I'll be in your debt.
First Fisherman
Why, wilt thou tourney for the lady?
What, will you compete for the lady?
PERICLES
I'll show the virtue I have borne in arms.
I'll show the skills I have in combat.
First Fisherman
Why, do 'e take it, and the gods give thee good on't!
Well, have it, and may you have good luck with it!
Second Fisherman
Ay, but hark you, my friend; 'twas we that made up
this garment through the rough seams of the waters:
there are certain condolements, certain vails. I
hope, sir, if you thrive, you'll remember from
whence you had it.
Yes, but listen here, my friend; it was we who
pulled this garment out of the rough seas:
there should be some reward, some tip. I
hope, sir, that if you do well, you will remember where
you got it from.
PERICLES
Believe 't, I will.
By your furtherance I am clothed in steel;
And, spite of all the rapture of the sea,
This jewel holds his building on my arm:
Unto thy value I will mount myself
Upon a courser, whose delightful steps
Shall make the gazer joy to see him tread.
Only, my friend, I yet am unprovided
Of a pair of bases.
Believe me, I will.
With your help I am armoured in steel;
and, in spite of all the damage of the sea,
this jewel still shines upon my arm:
I will use it to get the best horse it can
buy, whose delightful steps
will make the onlookers love to see him walk.
Except, my friends, I don't yet have
the knightly skirts.
Second Fisherman
We'll sure provide: thou shalt have my best gown to
make thee a pair; and I'll bring thee to the court myself.
We'll provide those: we shall make a pair out of
my best gown; and I'll bring you to the court myself.
PERICLES
Then honour be but a goal to my will,
This day I'll rise, or else add ill to ill.
Exeunt
Then honour will be my goal,
I shall rise up, or things will get worse.
/>
A public way or platform leading to the
lists. A pavilion by the side of it for the
reception of King, Princess, Lords, & c.
Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, and Attendants
SIMONIDES
Are the knights ready to begin the triumph?
Are the knights ready to begin the festivities?
First Lord
They are, my liege;
And stay your coming to present themselves.
They are, my lord;
they are waiting for your arrival to present themselves.
SIMONIDES
Return them, we are ready; and our daughter,
In honour of whose birth these triumphs are,
Sits here, like beauty's child, whom nature gat
For men to see, and seeing wonder at.
Exit a Lord
Tell them that we are ready; and my daughter,
whose birthday these festivities are celebrating,
is sitting here, like a child of beauty, whom nature made
for men to see, and seeing be astonished by.
THAISA
It pleaseth you, my royal father, to express
My commendations great, whose merit's less.
You like to exaggerate my virtues, father,
I don't deserve it.
SIMONIDES
It's fit it should be so; for princes are
A model which heaven makes like to itself:
As jewels lose their glory if neglected,
So princes their renowns if not respected.
'Tis now your honour, daughter, to entertain
The labour of each knight in his device.
That's how it should be; for princes are
the models heaven makes of itself:
jewels will lose their brightness if they're not polished,
and princes their reputations if they are not respected.
It's now your privilege, daughter, to welcome
each knight according to the coat of arms on his shield.
THAISA
Which, to preserve mine honour, I'll perform.
Enter a Knight; he passes over, and his Squire presents his shield to the Princess
Which I will do, as befits my position.
SIMONIDES
Who is the first that doth prefer himself?
Who is the first one who puts himself forward?
THAISA
A knight of Sparta, my renowned father;
And the device he bears upon his shield
Is a black Ethiope reaching at the sun
The word, 'Lux tua vita mihi.'
A knight of Sparta, my renowned father;
the picture he has on his shield
is of a black Ethiopian reaching out to the sun,
with the words, ‘Your light is life to me.’
SIMONIDES
He loves you well that holds his life of you.
The Second Knight passes over
Who is the second that presents himself?
The one who rules over you loves you well.
Who is the second who presents himself?
THAISA
A prince of Macedon, my royal father;
And the device he bears upon his shield
Is an arm'd knight that's conquer'd by a lady;
The motto thus, in Spanish, 'Piu por dulzura que por fuerza.'
The Third Knight passes over
A prince of Macedonia, my royal father;
and the picture on his shield
is of an armed knight who is conquered by a lady;
the motto in Spanish is, 'More by gentleness than by force.’
SIMONIDES
And what's the third?
And who is the third?
THAISA
The third of Antioch;
And his device, a wreath of chivalry;
The word, 'Me pompae provexit apex.'
The Fourth Knight passes over
The third is from Antioch;
his symbol is a chivalric wreath;
the motto is, ‘The desire for triumph drives me on.’
SIMONIDES
What is the fourth?
Who's the fourth?
THAISA
A burning torch that's turned upside down;
The word, 'Quod me alit, me extinguit.'
A burning torch that's upside down;
the motto, ‘The one who feeds me puts me out.’
SIMONIDES
Which shows that beauty hath his power and will,
Which can as well inflame as it can kill.
The Fifth Knight passes over
Which shows that beauty has a power and desire,
which can light up just as well as it can kill.
THAISA
The fifth, an hand environed with clouds,
Holding out gold that's by the touchstone tried;
The motto thus, 'Sic spectanda fides.'
The Sixth Knight, PERICLES, passes over
The fifth is a hand surrounded by clouds,
holding out gold that has been tested for genuineness;
the motto is, ‘So you can test my faithfulness.’
SIMONIDES
And what's
The sixth and last, the which the knight himself
With such a graceful courtesy deliver'd?
And what is
the sixth and last, which the knight himself
handed over with such an elegant bow?
THAISA
He seems to be a stranger; but his present is
A wither'd branch, that's only green at top;
The motto, 'In hac spe vivo.'
He seems to be a foreigner; his emblem is
a withered branch, that's only green at the top;
the motto is, ‘I live for this hope.’
SIMONIDES
A pretty moral;
From the dejected state wherein he is,
He hopes by you his fortunes yet may flourish.
A nice motto;
from the lowly state he is in now,
he hopes to improve himself through you.
First Lord
He had need mean better than his outward show
Can any way speak in his just commend;
For by his rusty outside he appears
To have practised more the whipstock than the lance.
His intentions will have to be better than his outward appearance
which doesn't exactly recommend him;
from his rusty armour he seems
more like a carter than a knight.
Second Lord
He well may be a stranger, for he comes
To an honour'd triumph strangely furnished.
He may well be a foreigner, for he's very
strangely dressed for an important festival.
Third Lord
And on set purpose let his armour rust
Until this day, to scour it in the dust.
He seems to have deliberately let his armour rust,
until today, when it will be rubbed clean in the dust.
SIMONIDES
Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan
The outward habit by the inward man.
But stay, the knights are coming: we will withdraw
Into the gallery.
Exeunt
Great shouts within and all cry 'The mean knight!'
Opinion's just an idiocy, it makes us think
we can tell the inner man from his appearance.
But wait, here come the knights: we shall go
into the grandstand.
(Great shouts from within and all cry, "The poor knight!)
Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, Attendants, and Knights, from tilting
SIMONIDES
Knights,
To say you're welcome were superfluous.
To place upon the volume of your deeds,
As in a title-page, your worth in arms,
We
re more than you expect, or more than's fit,
Since every worth in show commends itself.
Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feast:
You are princes and my guests.
Knights,
it's not necessary to say that you're welcome.
To make a list of everything you've done,
as if writing a title page, your achievements with arms,
is more than you would expect, or more than is necessary,
since all your merits are obvious to see.
Get ready to enjoy yourselves, for feasts should be enjoyed:
you are princes and my guests.
THAISA
But you, my knight and guest;
To whom this wreath of victory I give,
And crown you king of this day's happiness.
But you, my knight and guest;
I give you this victory wreath,
and crown you king of this happy day.
PERICLES
'Tis more by fortune, lady, than by merit.
It was more by luck, lady, than through skill.
SIMONIDES
Call it by what you will, the day is yours;
And here, I hope, is none that envies it.
In framing an artist, art hath thus decreed,
To make some good, but others to exceed;
And you are her labour'd scholar. Come, queen o'
the feast,--
For, daughter, so you are,--here take your place: