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

by William Shakespeare

  Forbear the absence of your king:

  If in which time expired, he not return,

  I shall with aged patience bear your yoke.

  But if I cannot win you to this love,

  Go search like nobles, like noble subjects,

  And in your search spend your adventurous worth;

  Whom if you find, and win unto return,

  You shall like diamonds sit about his crown.

  For the sake of honour, do not make such a choice:

  if you still love Prince Pericles, hold off.

  If I allowed your wish I would be jumping into seas

  where there's lifelong trouble for the sake of minute's pleasure.

  Let me beg you to tolerate

  the absence of your king for one more year:

  if he has not returned when that time is up,

  I will take on your request with my aged patience.

  But if I cannot persuade you to do this,

  go and search like noblemen, like noble subjects,

  using all your courage in the search;

  if you find him, and persuade him to return,

  you will be like diamonds in his crown.

  First Lord

  To wisdom he's a fool that will not yield;

  And since Lord Helicane enjoineth us,

  We with our travels will endeavour us.

  Only a fool will not follow wise advice;

  and since Lord Helicanus asks us,

  we will undertake this journey.

  HELICANUS

  Then you love us, we you, and we'll clasp hands:

  When peers thus knit, a kingdom ever stands.

  Exeunt

  Then you love me, I you, and we'll shake hands on it:

  when lords stand together like this, the kingdom cannot fall.

  Enter SIMONIDES, reading a letter, at one door: the Knights meet him

  First Knight

  Good morrow to the good Simonides.

  Good day to good Simonides.

  SIMONIDES

  Knights, from my daughter this I let you know,

  That for this twelvemonth she'll not undertake

  A married life.

  Her reason to herself is only known,

  Which yet from her by no means can I get.

  Knights, I must tell you this from my daughter,

  that she refuses to get married for the next

  year.

  Only she knows the reason for this,

  and she will not tell me it.

  Second Knight

  May we not get access to her, my lord?

  Can we not speak to her, my lord?

  SIMONIDES

  'Faith, by no means; she has so strictly tied

  Her to her chamber, that 'tis impossible.

  One twelve moons more she'll wear Diana's livery;

  This by the eye of Cynthia hath she vow'd

  And on her virgin honour will not break it.

  Definitely not; she has locked herself so securely

  in her rooms that it is impossible.

  She will remain a virgin for another year;

  she has sworn this by the goddess Diana

  and she will not break her maidenly vow.

  Third Knight

  Loath to bid farewell, we take our leaves.

  Exeunt Knights

  Though we hate to say farewell, we shall leave.

  SIMONIDES

  So,

  They are well dispatch'd; now to my daughter's letter:

  She tells me here, she'd wed the stranger knight,

  Or never more to view nor day nor light.

  'Tis well, mistress; your choice agrees with mine;

  I like that well: nay, how absolute she's in't,

  Not minding whether I dislike or no!

  Well, I do commend her choice;

  And will no longer have it be delay'd.

  Soft! here he comes: I must dissemble it.

  Enter PERICLES

  So,

  they are on their way; now for my daughter's letter:

  she tells me here that she will marry the foreign knight,

  or never see daylight again.

  That's fine, mistress; that's my choice too;

  that pleases me: still, how determined she is,

  not caring whether I approve or not!

  Well, I approve the choice;

  and want the matter progressed without delay.

  Hush! Here he comes: I must keep it secret.

  PERICLES

  All fortune to the good Simonides!

  All blessings to the good Simonides!

  SIMONIDES

  To you as much, sir! I am beholding to you

  For your sweet music this last night: I do

  Protest my ears were never better fed

  With such delightful pleasing harmony.

  And the same to you, sir! I am grateful to you

  for the sweet music you gave us last night: I must

  say that my ears never heard

  such delightful pleasant harmonies.

  PERICLES

  It is your grace's pleasure to commend;

  Not my desert.

  It is kind of your grace to say so,

  but I don't deserve it.

  SIMONIDES

  Sir, you are music's master.

  Sir, you are a master of music.

  PERICLES

  The worst of all her scholars, my good lord.

  I'm the worst of all her students, my good lord.

  SIMONIDES

  Let me ask you one thing:

  What do you think of my daughter, sir?

  Let me ask you one thing:

  what do you think my daughter, sir?

  PERICLES

  A most virtuous princess.

  A very virtuous princess.

  SIMONIDES

  And she is fair too, is she not?

  And she is beautiful too, isn't she?

  PERICLES

  As a fair day in summer, wondrous fair.

  As a lovely summer's day, amazingly beautiful.

  SIMONIDES

  Sir, my daughter thinks very well of you;

  Ay, so well, that you must be her master,

  And she will be your scholar: therefore look to it.

  Sir, my daughter thinks a lot of you;

  so much so she wants you as a master,

  and she will be your student: so proceed.

  PERICLES

  I am unworthy for her schoolmaster.

  I am not worthy to be her schoolmaster.

  SIMONIDES

  She thinks not so; peruse this writing else.

  She doesn't think so; have a look at this letter.

  PERICLES

  [Aside] What's here?

  A letter, that she loves the knight of Tyre!

  'Tis the king's subtlety to have my life.

  O, seek not to entrap me, gracious lord,

  A stranger and distressed gentleman,

  That never aim'd so high to love your daughter,

  But bent all offices to honour her.

  What's this?

  A letter, saying she loves the Knight of Tyre!

  This is a trap to keep me here for life.

  Oh, do not try to trap me, gracious lord,

  a foreigner and distressed gentleman,

  who never aimed so high as to love your daughter,

  but tried to honour her in every way.

  SIMONIDES

  Thou hast bewitch'd my daughter, and thou art

  A villain.

  You have bewitched my daughter, and you are

  a villain.

  PERICLES

  By the gods, I have not:

  Never did thought of mine levy offence;

  Nor never did my actions yet commence

  A deed might gain her love or your displeasure.

  I swear by the gods, I have not:

  I have done nothing wrong in my thoughts

  nor in my act
ions, I've done no deed

  which might gain her love or your displeasure.

  SIMONIDES

  Traitor, thou liest.

  Traitor, you lie.

  PERICLES

  Traitor!

  Traitor!

  SIMONIDES

  Ay, traitor.

  Yes, traitor.

  PERICLES

  Even in his throat--unless it be the king--

  That calls me traitor, I return the lie.

  If anyone except for the king calls me

  a traitor, I'll throw it back in his face.

  SIMONIDES

  [Aside] Now, by the gods, I do applaud his courage.

  Now, by the gods, I admire his courage.

  PERICLES

  My actions are as noble as my thoughts,

  That never relish'd of a base descent.

  I came unto your court for honour's cause,

  And not to be a rebel to her state;

  And he that otherwise accounts of me,

  This sword shall prove he's honour's enemy.

  My actions are as pure as my thoughts,

  that never had a trace of anything vulgar.

  I came to your court for the sake of honour,

  not to undermine its majesty;

  if anyone says differently about me,

  this sword will prove him a liar.

  SIMONIDES

  No?

  Here comes my daughter, she can witness it.

  Enter THAISA

  Really?

  Here comes my daughter, she can vouch for it.

  PERICLES

  Then, as you are as virtuous as fair,

  Resolve your angry father, if my tongue

  Did ere solicit, or my hand subscribe

  To any syllable that made love to you.

  Then, as you are as good as you're beautiful,

  tell your angry father if my tongue

  ever uttered, or my hand ever wrote,

  any syllable saying I loved you.

  THAISA

  Why, sir, say if you had,

  Who takes offence at that would make me glad?

  Why, sir, in the event that you had,

  who would take offence at something that would make me glad?

  SIMONIDES

  Yea, mistress, are you so peremptory?

  Aside

  I am glad on't with all my heart.--

  I'll tame you; I'll bring you in subjection.

  Will you, not having my consent,

  Bestow your love and your affections

  Upon a stranger?

  Aside

  who, for aught I know,

  May be, nor can I think the contrary,

  As great in blood as I myself.--

  Therefore hear you, mistress; either frame

  Your will to mine,--and you, sir, hear you,

  Either be ruled by me, or I will make you--

  Man and wife:

  Nay, come, your hands and lips must seal it too:

  And being join'd, I'll thus your hopes destroy;

  And for a further grief,--God give you joy!--

  What, are you both pleased?

  So, mistress, you've decided on this?

  [Aside] I'm glad of this with all my heart–

  I'll tame you, I'll make you obey.

  Will you give your love and affection

  to a stranger, without my consent? [Aside] Who,

  for all I know, might be (and I think is)

  as highborn as I am myself–

  now listen to me, mistress: either do

  as I say; and you, sir, listen:

  if you don't do as I say I shall make you–

  man and wife.

  Come on now, your hands and lips must seal the bargain;

  being joined like this, I'll further destroy your hopes,

  and give you more grief, by saying, may God give you joy!

  So, are you both happy with this?

  THAISA

  Yes, if you love me, sir.

  Yes, if you love me, sir.

  PERICLES

  Even as my life, or blood that fosters it.

  As much as my life, or the blood that sustains it.

  SIMONIDES

  What, are you both agreed?

  So, you are both agreed?

  BOTH

  Yes, if it please your majesty.

  Yes, if it pleases your Majesty.

  SIMONIDES

  It pleaseth me so well, that I will see you wed;

  And then with what haste you can get you to bed.

  Exeunt

  It makes me so pleased, that I want to see you married;

  and then you can go to bed as quickly as you like.

  Enter GOWER

  GOWER

  Now sleep y-slaked hath the rout;

  No din but snores the house about,

  Made louder by the o'er-fed breast

  Of this most pompous marriage-feast.

  The cat, with eyne of burning coal,

  Now crouches fore the mouse's hole;

  And crickets sing at the oven's mouth,

  E'er the blither for their drouth.

  Hymen hath brought the bride to bed.

  Where, by the loss of maidenhead,

  A babe is moulded. Be attent,

  And time that is so briefly spent

  With your fine fancies quaintly eche:

  What's dumb in show I'll plain with speech.

  DUMB SHOW.

  Enter, PERICLES and SIMONIDES at one door, with Attendants; a Messenger meets them, kneels, and gives PERICLES a letter: PERICLES shows it SIMONIDES; the Lords kneel to him. Then enter THAISA with child, with LYCHORIDA a nurse. The KING shows her the letter; she rejoices: she and PERICLES takes leave of her father, and depart with LYCHORIDA and their Attendants. Then exeunt SIMONIDES and the rest

  By many a dern and painful perch

  Of Pericles the careful search,

  By the four opposing coigns

  Which the world together joins,

  Is made with all due diligence

  That horse and sail and high expense

  Can stead the quest. At last from Tyre,

  Fame answering the most strange inquire,

  To the court of King Simonides

  Are letters brought, the tenor these:

  Antiochus and his daughter dead;

  The men of Tyrus on the head

  Of Helicanus would set on

  The crown of Tyre, but he will none:

  The mutiny he there hastes t' oppress;

  Says to 'em, if King Pericles

  Come not home in twice six moons,

  He, obedient to their dooms,

  Will take the crown. The sum of this,

  Brought hither to Pentapolis,

  Y-ravished the regions round,

  And every one with claps can sound,

  'Our heir-apparent is a king!

  Who dream'd, who thought of such a thing?'

  Brief, he must hence depart to Tyre:

  His queen with child makes her desire--

  Which who shall cross?--along to go:

  Omit we all their dole and woe:

  Lychorida, her nurse, she takes,

  And so to sea. Their vessel shakes

  On Neptune's billow; half the flood

  Hath their keel cut: but fortune's mood

  Varies again; the grisly north

  Disgorges such a tempest forth,

  That, as a duck for life that dives,

  So up and down the poor ship drives:

  The lady shrieks, and well-a-near

  Does fall in travail with her fear:

  And what ensues in this fell storm

  Shall for itself itself perform.

  I nill relate, action may

  Conveniently the rest convey;

  Which might not what by me is told.

  In your imagination hold

  This stage the ship, upon whose deck

  The sea-tost Pericles appea
rs to speak.

  Exit

  Now sleep has calmed the revelry;

  the only sound in the house is snores,

  made louder by the overfeeding

  of this magnificent wedding feast.

  The cat, with eyes like burning coals,

  now sleeps in front of the mouse's hole;

  and crickets by the oven door

  sing more sweetly in the heat.

  The goddess Hymen has brought the bride to bed,

  and in her loss of virginity

  a baby is conceived. Pay attention,

  and eke out this brief display

  with your great imaginations;

  I shall explain this dumb show with speech.

  Enter, PERICLES and SIMONIDES at one door, with Attendants; a Messenger meets them, kneels, and gives PERICLES a letter: PERICLES shows it SIMONIDES; the Lords kneel to him. Then enter THAISA with child, with LYCHORIDA a nurse. The KING shows her the letter; she rejoices: she and PERICLES takes leave of her father, and depart with LYCHORIDA and their Attendants. Then exeunt SIMONIDES and the rest.

  With many dark and dangerous journeys

  Pericles is sought

  in all four corners

  of the world,

  with all the efforts

  that horses and ships and great expense

  can muster. At last from the unfamiliar

  land of Tyre comes an enquiry, prompted

  by rumours, to the court of King Simonides,

  and letters arrive, telling this story:

  that Antiochus and his daughter are dead,

  and that the people of Tyre want

  to crown Helicanus as their king,

  but he will not accept: