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

by William Shakespeare

  Marshal, the rest, as they deserve their grace.

  Call it what you want, you are the winner;

  and I trust nobody begrudges you your victory.

  When making an artist, art has ruled

  that some will be good, but others exceptional;

  you are her favourite pupil. Now, queen of

  the feast–for that is what you are, daughter–

  take your seat here:

  Marshall, seat all the rest in order of precedence.

  KNIGHTS

  We are honour'd much by good Simonides.

  We appreciate the honour good Simonides gives us.

  SIMONIDES

  Your presence glads our days: honour we love;

  For who hates honour hates the gods above.

  Your presence makes me happy: I love honour;

  anyone who hates honour hates the gods above.

  Marshal

  Sir, yonder is your place.

  Sir, your place is there.

  PERICLES

  Some other is more fit.

  Another would be more suitable.

  First Knight

  Contend not, sir; for we are gentlemen

  That neither in our hearts nor outward eyes

  Envy the great nor do the low despise.

  Do not argue, sir; we are gentlemen

  who do not envy the great nor hate the low,

  neither in our hearts or our behaviour.

  PERICLES

  You are right courteous knights.

  You are truly courteous knights.

  SIMONIDES

  Sit, sir, sit.

  Sit, sit, sit.

  PERICLES

  By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts,

  These cates resist me, she but thought upon.

  By Jove, who is the king of thoughts, I'm amazed

  that my thoughts of her quite put me off these delicacies.

  THAISA

  By Juno, that is queen of marriage,

  All viands that I eat do seem unsavoury,

  Wishing him my meat. Sure, he's a gallant gentleman.

  By Juno, who is the queen of marriage,

  all the food I eat seems tasteless,

  wishing to taste him. He certainly is a gallant gentleman.

  SIMONIDES

  He's but a country gentleman;

  Has done no more than other knights have done;

  Has broken a staff or so; so let it pass.

  He's just a country gentleman;

  he has done no more than other knights;

  he's broken a lance or two; forget it.

  THAISA

  To me he seems like diamond to glass.

  To me he's like a diamond compared to glass.

  PERICLES

  Yon king's to me like to my father's picture,

  Which tells me in that glory once he was;

  Had princes sit, like stars, about his throne,

  And he the sun, for them to reverence;

  None that beheld him, but, like lesser lights,

  Did vail their crowns to his supremacy:

  Where now his son's like a glow-worm in the night,

  The which hath fire in darkness, none in light:

  Whereby I see that Time's the king of men,

  He's both their parent, and he is their grave,

  And gives them what he will, not what they crave.

  The King reminds me of my father's picture,

  which showed me how glorious he once was;

  he had princes sitting, like stars, around his throne,

  with him as the sun, for them to worship;

  nobody who saw him could help but, like smaller stars,

  to have the light of their crown eclipsed by his supremacy:

  now his son is like a glowworm in the night,

  which only shines in the darkness, not in the light:

  through this I can see that time rules over men,

  he is their parent and their gravedigger,

  and he gives them what he decides, not what they want.

  SIMONIDES

  What, are you merry, knights?

  Are you enjoying yourselves, knights?

  Knights

  Who can be other in this royal presence?

  How could we not be in your royal presence?

  SIMONIDES

  Here, with a cup that's stored unto the brim,--

  As you do love, fill to your mistress' lips,--

  We drink this health to you.

  Here, with a cup that is full to the brim–

  as you love her, lift it to your mistress' lips–

  we drink your health.

  KNIGHTS

  We thank your grace.

  We thank your grace.

  SIMONIDES

  Yet pause awhile:

  Yon knight doth sit too melancholy,

  As if the entertainment in our court

  Had not a show might countervail his worth.

  Note it not you, Thaisa?

  But just a minute:

  that knight there looks too miserable,

  as if the entertainment at our court

  wasn't good enough for him.

  Do you see it, Thaisa?

  THAISA

  What is it

  To me, my father?

  Why should I care,

  father?

  SIMONIDES

  O, attend, my daughter:

  Princes in this should live like gods above,

  Who freely give to every one that comes

  To honour them:

  And princes not doin g so are like to gnats,

  Which make a sound, but kill'd are wonder'd at.

  Therefore to make his entertainment more sweet,

  Here, say we drink this standing-bowl of wine to him.

  Pay attention, my daughter:

  in matters like this princes should live like gods,

  who give freely to everyone who comes

  to honour them:

  Princes who do not do so are like gnats,

  which make a sound which can't be believed when they killed.

  So, to cheer him up,

  tell him we drink a toast to him.

  THAISA

  Alas, my father, it befits not me

  Unto a stranger knight to be so bold:

  He may my proffer take for an offence,

  Since men take women's gifts for impudence.

  Alas, my father, it's not my place

  to be so forward with an unknown knight:

  he might take offence at my offer,

  since men look at women's gifts as impertinence.

  SIMONIDES

  How!

  Do as I bid you, or you'll move me else.

  What!

  Do as you're told, or you'll make me angry.

  THAISA

  [Aside] Now, by the gods, he could not please me better.

  By the gods, nothing could make me happier.

  SIMONIDES

  And furthermore tell him, we desire to know of him,

  Of whence he is, his name and parentage.

  And also tell him, I want to know about him,

  where he's come from, his name and his ancestry.

  THAISA

  The king my father, sir, has drunk to you.

  My father the king, sir, has drunk your health.

  PERICLES

  I thank him.

  I thank him.

  THAISA

  Wishing it so much blood unto your life.

  And he wishes you a long life.

  PERICLES

  I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely.

  I thank both him and you, and gladly drink to you.

  THAISA

  And further he desires to know of you,

  Of whence you are, your name and parentage.

  And he wants to know more about you,

  where you've come from, your name and ancestry.

  PERICLES

  A gentle
man of Tyre; my name, Pericles;

  My education been in arts and arms;

  Who, looking for adventures in the world,

  Was by the rough seas reft of ships and men,

  And after shipwreck driven upon this shore.

  I am a gentleman of Tyre; my name is Pericles;

  I have been tutored in arts and arms;

  seeking adventure in the world,

  I had my ships and men stolen from me by rough seas,

  and after I was shipwrecked I was washed up on this shore

  THAISA

  He thanks your grace; names himself Pericles,

  A gentleman of Tyre,

  Who only by misfortune of the seas

  Bereft of ships and men, cast on this shore.

  He thanks your grace; he says his name is Pericles,

  a gentleman of Tyre,

  who through a mishap on the sea

  lost his ships and men, and was washed up on this shore.

  SIMONIDES

  Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune,

  And will awake him from his melancholy.

  Come, gentlemen, we sit too long on trifles,

  And waste the time, which looks for other revels.

  Even in your armours, as you are address'd,

  Will very well become a soldier's dance.

  I will not have excuse, with saying this

  Loud music is too harsh for ladies' heads,

  Since they love men in arms as well as beds.

  The Knights dance

  So, this was well ask'd,'twas so well perform'd.

  Come, sir;

  Here is a lady that wants breathing too:

  And I have heard, you knights of Tyre

  Are excellent in making ladies trip;

  And that their measures are as excellent.

  Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune,

  and I will bring him out of his sadness.

  Come on, gentlemen, we've been sitting too long over food,

  and wasting time which could be spent on other entertainment.

  As you are all dressed in your armour

  that's very suitable for a soldier's dance.

  I'll have no excuses with people saying

  such things are too rough for the ladies,

  because they love men in armour as well as in their beds.

  This performance honoured my request.

  Come, sir, there's a lady here who needs exercise;

  and I have heard that the knights of Tyre

  are excellent dancers with the ladies,

  in a light skipping dance or a formal one.

  PERICLES

  In those that practise them they are, my lord.

  Those who practice dancing are, my lord.

  SIMONIDES

  O, that's as much as you would be denied

  Of your fair courtesy.

  The Knights and Ladies dance

  Unclasp, unclasp:

  Thanks, gentlemen, to all; all have done well.

  To PERICLES

  But you the best. Pages and lights, to conduct

  These knights unto their several lodgings!

  To PERICLES

  Yours, sir,

  We have given order to be next our own.

  Oh, that's enough of your polite modesty.

  Let them go, let them go:

  thank you, gentlemen, all of you, you all danced well–

  But you were the best. Servants and torches here,

  to guide these knights to their bedrooms!

  I have ordered, sir,

  that you should be lodged next door to me.

  PERICLES

  I am at your grace's pleasure.

  Whatever your grace chooses.

  SIMONIDES

  Princes, it is too late to talk of love;

  And that's the mark I know you level at:

  Therefore each one betake him to his rest;

  To-morrow all for speeding do their best.

  Exeunt

  Princes, it is too late to talk about love:

  and I know that's what you're all thinking about:

  so each of you go and get your rest;

  tomorrow you can all do your best to win.

  Enter HELICANUS and ESCANES

  HELICANUS

  No, Escanes, know this of me,

  Antiochus from incest lived not free:

  For which, the most high gods not minding longer

  To withhold the vengeance that they had in store,

  Due to this heinous capital offence,

  Even in the height and pride of all his glory,

  When he was seated in a chariot

  Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him,

  A fire from heaven came and shrivell'd up

  Their bodies, even to loathing; for they so stunk,

  That all those eyes adored them ere their fall

  Scorn now their hand should give them burial.

  No, Escanes, I can tell you this,

  Antiochus did not escape unpunished for his incest:

  the great gods decided to no longer

  hold back the punishment they had in store for him,

  due to his appalling offence;

  even as he sat in his luxurious chariot

  at the height of all his pride and glory,

  with his daughter by his side,

  fire struck from heaven and shrivelled up

  their bodies until they were a foul sight to see: they stank so badly

  that all those people who worshipped them before

  refuse to even touch them to give them a burial.

  ESCANES

  'Twas very strange.

  It was very strange.

  HELICANUS

  And yet but justice; for though

  This king were great, his greatness was no guard

  To bar heaven's shaft, but sin had his reward.

  But it was only justice; although

  this king was great, his greatness was no protection

  against the powers of heaven, so he got what he deserved.

  ESCANES

  'Tis very true.

  Enter two or three Lords

  That's very true.

  First Lord

  See, not a man in private conference

  Or council has respect with him but he.

  You see, he respects no man's opinion, in

  private conference or in council, but his own.

  Second Lord

  It shall no longer grieve without reproof.

  It shall no longer carry on uncritcised.

  Third Lord

  And cursed be he that will not second it.

  And damnation to anyone who will not agree.

  First Lord

  Follow me, then. Lord Helicane, a word.

  Follow me, then. Lord Helicanus, a word with you.

  HELICANUS

  With me? and welcome: happy day, my lords.

  With me? You're welcome to it: good day to you, my lords.

  First Lord

  Know that our griefs are risen to the top,

  And now at length they overflow their banks.

  I tell you that our flood of grievances has swollen

  to the point where they will now burst their banks.

  HELICANUS

  Your griefs! for what? wrong not your prince you love.

  Your grievances! For what? Do not wrong the prince you love.

  First Lord

  Wrong not yourself, then, noble Helicane;

  But if the prince do live, let us salute him,

  Or know what ground's made happy by his breath.

  If in the world he live, we'll seek him out;

  If in his grave he rest, we'll find him there;

  And be resolved he lives to govern us,

  Or dead, give's cause to mourn his funeral,

  And leave us to our free election.

  Do not wrong yourself, then, noble Helicanus;

  but if
the Prince is alive, let us salute him,

  or at least know where he is.

  If he is alive somewhere, we'll look for him;

  if he is in his grave, will find him there;

  if he is alive he should be governing us,

  if he is dead, let us mourn him

  and proceed to choose a new leader.

  Second Lord

  Whose death indeed's the strongest in our censure:

  And knowing this kingdom is without a head,--

  Like goodly buildings left without a roof

  Soon fall to ruin,--your noble self,

  That best know how to rule and how to reign,

  We thus submit unto,--our sovereign.

  It seems most likely that he is dead:

  and as this kingdom is now leaderless–

  and like strong buildings left without a roof

  will soon be ruined–we ask your noble self,

  who knows best of all how to rule and how to reign,

  to allow us to accept you as our king.

  All

  Live, noble Helicane!

  Long live noble Helicanus!

  HELICANUS

  For honour's cause, forbear your suffrages:

  If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear.

  Take I your wish, I leap into the seas,

  Where's hourly trouble for a minute's ease.

  A twelvemonth longer, let me entreat you to