The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 349
her and her fortunes: nobody would look at her,
they all looked at Marina instead;
our child was sneered at and thought a slut
who was not worth the time of day. It stabbed me to the heart;
and though you call my actions unnatural,
as you don't love your child enough, for me
this was an act of kindness, performed
for the sake of your only daughter.
CLEON
Heavens forgive it!
May heaven forgive it!
DIONYZA
And as for Pericles,
What should he say? We wept after her hearse,
And yet we mourn: her monument
Is almost finish'd, and her epitaphs
In glittering golden characters express
A general praise to her, and care in us
At whose expense 'tis done.
And as for Pericles,
what's he going to say? We wept at her funeral,
and we are still in mourning: her monument
is almost finished, and her epitaphs
show great praise for her
in glittering golden letters, and they show
how much we cared, the ones who paid for it.
CLEON
Thou art like the harpy,
Which, to betray, dost, with thine angel's face,
Seize with thine eagle's talons.
You are like the harpy,
which traps people by showing the face of an angel
whilst grabbing them with the claws of an eagle.
DIONYZA
You are like one that superstitiously
Doth swear to the gods that winter kills the flies:
But yet I know you'll do as I advise.
Exeunt
And you are like one who is so scared of the gods
that you have to swear to them that winter killed the flies, not you:
and yet I know you'll do as I say.
Enter GOWER, before the monument of MARINA at Tarsus
GOWER
Thus time we waste, and longest leagues make short;
Sail seas in cockles, have an wish but for't;
Making, to take your imagination,
From bourn to bourn, region to region.
By you being pardon'd, we commit no crime
To use one language in each several clime
Where our scenes seem to live. I do beseech you
To learn of me, who stand i' the gaps to teach you,
The stages of our story. Pericles
Is now again thwarting the wayward seas,
Attended on by many a lord and knight.
To see his daughter, all his life's delight.
Old Escanes, whom Helicanus late
Advanced in Tyre to great and high estate,
Is left to govern. Bear you it in mind,
Old Helicanus goes along behind.
Well-sailing ships and bounteous winds have brought
This king to Tarsus,--think his pilot thought;
So with his steerage shall your thoughts grow on,--
To fetch his daughter home, who first is gone.
Like motes and shadows see them move awhile;
Your ears unto your eyes I'll reconcile.
And so we make time fly past, and telescope distances;
we can sail the seas in seashells, just because we want to;
travelling through our imagination
from border to border, country to country.
If you forgive us, there is no crime
to use a single language for the different countries
where our scene seems to be set. I now ask you
to listen to me, whose job is to fill in the gaps
in our story. Pericles
is once again crossing the dangerous seas,
accompanied by many lords and knights,
to see his daughter, the great joy of his life.
Old Helicanus goes with him. They have left
old Escanes behind to govern, please note that;
Helicanus recently promoted him to a high
position in Tyre.
Fast running ships and friendly winds have brought
this king to Tarsus–keep this thought in mind,
so you remember it as his journey goes on–
To bring his daughter home, who has already left.
Watch them move for you in dumb show for a while;
afterwards I'll explain to you what you've seen.
DUMB SHOW.
Enter PERICLES, at one door, with all his train; CLEON and DIONYZA, at the other. CLEON shows PERICLES the tomb; whereat PERICLES makes lamentation, puts on sackcloth, and in a mighty passion departs. Then exeunt CLEON and DIONYZA
See how belief may suffer by foul show!
This borrow'd passion stands for true old woe;
And Pericles, in sorrow all devour'd,
With sighs shot through, and biggest tears
o'ershower'd,
Leaves Tarsus and again embarks. He swears
Never to wash his face, nor cut his hairs:
He puts on sackcloth, and to sea. He bears
A tempest, which his mortal vessel tears,
And yet he rides it out. Now please you wit.
The epitaph is for Marina writ
By wicked Dionyza.
See how belief can suffer through hypocrisy!
This counterfeit passion stands in for real sorrow;
and Pericles, overcome with sorrow,
racked with sighs and swamped with tears,
leaves Tarsus and re-embarks. He swears
that he shall never wash his face not cut his hair again.
He puts on sackcloth, and sets out to sea. He has
encountered a storm, which tears at his body,
and yet he survives it. Now you should know
that this epitaph is written for Marina
by the wicked Dionyza.
Reads the inscription on MARINA's monument
'The fairest, sweet'st, and best lies here,
Who wither'd in her spring of year.
She was of Tyrus the king's daughter,
On whom foul death hath made this slaughter;
Marina was she call'd; and at her birth,
Thetis, being proud, swallow'd some part o' the earth:
Therefore the earth, fearing to be o'erflow'd,
Hath Thetis' birth-child on the heavens bestow'd:
Wherefore she does, and swears she'll never stint,
Make raging battery upon shores of flint.'
No visor does become black villany
So well as soft and tender flattery.
Let Pericles believe his daughter's dead,
And bear his courses to be ordered
By Lady Fortune; while our scene must play
His daughter's woe and heavy well-a-day
In her unholy service. Patience, then,
And think you now are all in Mytilene.
Exit
‘The fairest, sweetest and best, lies here,
who died while still in her youth.
She was the daughter of the king of Tyre,
whom foul death has attacked with this slaughter.
She was called Marina; when she was born the god of the sea
proud that she was born in his domain, took the part of the earth.
So the earth, fearing it would be flooded,
has sent his child up to heaven;
where she makes endless attacks
upon the flinty shores.’
No mask suits black villainy
as well as soft and tender flattery.
Let Pericles believe his daughter is dead,
and think his life is ordered
by the fates; meanwhile we must show
his daughter's sorrow and heavy grief
in her devilish service. Indulge us, then,
and now imagine you are all in Mytilen.
First Gentleman
Did you ever hear the like?
Did you ever hear anything like it?
Second Gentleman
No, nor never shall do in such a place as this, she
being once gone.
No, nor will I ever do in a place like this,
once she is gone.
First Gentleman
But to have divinity preached there! did you ever
dream of such a thing?
But to have divinity preached in a brothel! Did you
ever think such a thing could happen?
Second Gentleman
No, no. Come, I am for no more bawdy-houses:
shall's go hear the vestals sing?
Certainly not. Come, I'll stay out of brothels from now on:
shall we go to hear the temple virgins singing?
First Gentleman
I'll do anything now that is virtuous; but I
am out of the road of rutting for ever.
Exeunt
I'll do anything that is good now; but I
have finished with randy behaviour forever.
Enter Pandar, Bawd, and BOULT
Pandar
Well, I had rather than twice the worth of her she
had ne'er come here.
Well, I would have given twice what I paid for her
for her never to have come here.
Bawd
Fie, fie upon her! she's able to freeze the god
Priapus, and undo a whole generation. We must
either get her ravished, or be rid of her. When she
should do for clients her fitment, and do me the
kindness of our profession, she has me her quirks,
her reasons, her master reasons, her prayers, her
knees; that she would make a puritan of the devil,
if he should cheapen a kiss of her.
Damn her, damn her! She's been able to beat down
Priapus, and ruin a whole generation. We must
either have her raped, or get rid of her. When she
should be entertaining the clients, and obeying me
as my employee, she gives me her idiosyncrasies,
her reasons, her great reasons, her prayers, her
kneeling; if the devil tried to get a kiss from her
she would turn him into a puritan.
BOULT
'Faith, I must ravish her, or she'll disfurnish us
of all our cavaliers, and make our swearers priests.
By God, I must rape her, or she'll put off all
our young gentleman, and turn our regulars into priests.
Pandar
Now, the pox upon her green-sickness for me!
Now, I say a pox upon her inexperienced innocence!
Bawd
'Faith, there's no way to be rid on't but by the
way to the pox. Here comes the Lord Lysimachus disguised.
By God, there's no way we can get rid of it except by
the method which gives you the pox. Here comes Lord Lysimachus disguised.
BOULT
We should have both lord and lown, if the peevish
baggage would but give way to customers.
Enter LYSIMACHUS
We would have Lords and the lowborn coming, if the sullen
baggage would just let the customers have a go at her.
LYSIMACHUS
How now! How a dozen of virginities?
Hello there! What price for a dozen virginities?
Bawd
Now, the gods to-bless your honour!
Now, may the gods bless your honour!
BOULT
I am glad to see your honour in good health.
I'm glad to see your honour is in good health.
LYSIMACHUS
You may so; 'tis the better for you that your
resorters stand upon sound legs. How now!
wholesome iniquity have you that a man may deal
withal, and defy the surgeon?
I'm sure you are; it's better for you if your
customers are healthy. Well now!
Have you got some healthy bit of sin to offer a chap,
so that he wouldn't have to see the doctor afterwards?
Bawd
We have here one, sir, if she would--but there never
came her like in Mytilene.
We do have one like that, sir, if she would give in–but
no one like her ever came to Mytilene.
LYSIMACHUS
If she'ld do the deed of darkness, thou wouldst say.
If she would do the deeds of darkness, as you would call them.
Bawd
Your honour knows what 'tis to say well enough.
Your honour knows what they're called well enough.
LYSIMACHUS
Well, call forth, call forth.
Well bring her out, bring her out.
BOULT
For flesh and blood, sir, white and red, you shall
see a rose; and she were a rose indeed, if she had but--
For physical presence, sir, pink and white,
you will see a rose; and she would be a rose indeed, if she only had–
LYSIMACHUS
What, prithee?
What, tell me.
BOULT
O, sir, I can be modest.
No, sir, I will be polite.
LYSIMACHUS
That dignifies the renown of a bawd, no less than it
gives a good report to a number to be chaste.
Exit BOULT
Well, that makes a pimp look better, just as it
does for plenty of those who are supposedly pure.
Bawd
Here comes that which grows to the stalk; never
plucked yet, I can assure you.
Re-enter BOULT with MARINA
Is she not a fair creature?
Here comes the one that grows on the stalk; never
yet plucked, I can promise you.
Isn't it a beautiful creature?
LYSIMACHUS
'Faith, she would serve after a long voyage at sea.
Well, there's for you: leave us.
Well, she would do for after a long sea voyage.
Well, there's your fee: leave us alone.
Bawd
I beseech your honour, give me leave: a word, and
I'll have done presently.
I beg your honour, just a moment: let me have a word, and
I'll be finished shortly
LYSIMACHUS
I beseech you, do.
You had better.
Bawd
[To MARINA] First, I would have you note, this is
an honourable man.
Firstly, I want you to note, that this is
an honourable man.
MARINA
I desire to find him so, that I may worthily note him.
I hope that I will find he is, so he will be worthy of me noting him.
Bawd
Next, he's the governor of this country, and a man
whom I am bound to.
Next, he's the governor of this country, and the man
who rules over me.
MARINA
If he govern the country, you are bound to him
indeed; but how honourable he is in that, I know not.
If he governs the country, you are certainly ruled
by him; but how honourable that makes him, I don't know.
Bawd
Pray you, without any more virginal fencing, will
you use him kindly? He will line your apron with gold.
Now can you please, without any more virginal resistance,
treat him well? He will fill your apron with gold.
MARINA
What he will do graciously, I will thankfully receive.
Whatever he does politely, I will welcome with thanks.
LYSIMACHUS
Ha' you done?
Have you finished?
Bawd
My lord, she's not paced yet: you must take some
pains to work her to your manage. Come, we will
leave his honour and her together. Go thy ways.
Exeunt Bawd, Pandar, and BOULT
My Lord, she's not broken yet: you will have to make
some efforts before you can ride her. Come on, we will
leave them together. Go about your business.
LYSIMACHUS
Now, pretty one, how long have you been at this trade?
Now, pretty one, how long have you been in this business?
MARINA
What trade, sir?
What business, sir?
LYSIMACHUS
Why, I cannot name't but I shall offend.
Why, I can't name it without being rude.
MARINA
I cannot be offended with my trade. Please you to name it.
I can't be offended by the name of my trade. Please name it.
LYSIMACHUS
How long have you been of this profession?
How long have you been in this profession?
MARINA
E'er since I can remember.
Ever since I can remember.
LYSIMACHUS
Did you go to 't so young? Were you a gamester at
five or at seven?