The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 375
Though this island seem to be desert,--
But this island seems to be a desert,--
SEBASTIAN
Ha, ha, ha! So, you're paid.
Ha, ha, ha! So, you won.
ADRIAN
Uninhabitable and almost inaccessible,--
Uninhabitable and almost inaccessible,--
SEBASTIAN
Yet,--
But,--
ADRIAN
Yet,--
But,--
ANTONIO
He could not miss't.
He couldn’t miss it.
ADRIAN
It must needs be of subtle, tender and delicate
It seems to be of a nice, gentle and pleasanttemperance.
Climate.
ANTONIO
Temperance was a delicate wench.
Climate is a self-indulgent girl.
SEBASTIAN
Ay, and a subtle; as he most learnedly delivered.
Yes, and a fine one; as he very intelligently said.
ADRIAN
The air breathes upon us here most sweetly.
The air blows on us here very sweetly.
SEBASTIAN
As if it had lungs and rotten ones.
As if it had lungs, and bad ones.
ANTONIO
Or as 'twere perfumed by a fen.
Or if it used a swamp for perfume.
GONZALO
Here is everything advantageous to life.
There is everything here that is useful to life.
ANTONIO
True; save means to live.
True; except the necessary things to live.
SEBASTIAN
Of that there's none, or little.
Of that there’s none, or little.
GONZALO
How lush and lusty the grass looks! how green!
How lush and strong the grass looks! How green!
ANTONIO
The ground indeed is tawny.
The ground is in fact a tan brown.
SEBASTIAN
With an eye of green in't.
With a hint of green in it.
ANTONIO
He misses not much.
He doesn’t miss much.
SEBASTIAN
No; he doth but mistake the truth totally.
No; he just misses the truth completely.
GONZALO
But the rarity of it is,--which is indeed almost
But the exceptional part of it is,--which is infact almostbeyond credit,--
Beyond belief,--
SEBASTIAN
As many vouched rarities are.
As many certified rare things are.
GONZALO
That our garments, being, as they were, drenched in
That our clothes, having been soaked as they were inthe sea, hold notwithstanding their freshness and
The sea, nevertheless still are fresh andglosses, being rather new-dyed than stained with
Shiny, seeming more like they have just been newly dyed instead of stained withsalt water.
Salt water.
ANTONIO
If but one of his pockets could speak, would it not
If just one of his pockets could speak, wouldn’t itsay he lies?
Say that he’s lying?
SEBASTIAN
Ay, or very falsely pocket up his report
Yes, or it would be wrongly accepting his insult.
GONZALO
Methinks our garments are now as fresh as when we
I think our clothes are now as clean as when weput them on first in Afric, at the marriage of
First put them on in Africa, at the marriage ofthe king's fair daughter Claribel to the King of Tunis.
The king’s lovely daughter Claribel to the King of Tunis.
SEBASTIAN
'Twas a sweet marriage, and we prosper well in our return.
It was a sweet marriage, and we will prosper well when we return.
ADRIAN
Tunis was never graced before with such a paragon to
Tunis was never graced before with such a beauty astheir queen.
Their queen.
GONZALO
Not since widow Dido's time.
Not since the widow Dido’s time.
ANTONIO
Widow! a pox o' that! How came that widow in?
Widow! Curse that! Why did you call her a widow?widow Dido!
Widow Dido!
SEBASTIAN
What if he had said 'widower AEneas' too? Good Lord,
What if had also said, ‘the widower Aeneas’? Good Lord,how you take it!
How would you stand it!
ADRIAN
'Widow Dido' said you? you make me study of that:
You said, ‘the widow Dido’? You made me think about that:she was of Carthage, not of Tunis.
She was from Carthage, not from Tunis.
GONZALO
This Tunis, sir, was Carthage.
Tunis, sir, used to be Carthage.
ADRIAN
Carthage?
Carthage?
GONZALO
I assure you, Carthage.
I promise you, Carthage.
SEBASTIAN
His word is more than the miraculous harp; he hath
His word is greater than the magical harp that built the walls of Thebes; he hasraised the wall and houses too.
Built the wall and houses too.
ANTONIO
What impossible matter will he make easy next?
What impossible task will he make simple next?
SEBASTIAN
I think he will carry this island home in his pocket
I think he will carry this island home in his pocketand give it his son for an apple.
And give it to his son as an apple.
ANTONIO
And, sowing the kernels of it in the sea, bring
And, by planting the seeds of it in the sea, he willforth more islands.
Grow more islands.
GONZALO
Ay.
Yes.
ANTONIO
Why, in good time.
Well, all in good time.
GONZALO
Sir, we were talking that our garments seem now
Sir, we were talking about how our clothes now seemas fresh as when we were at Tunis at the marriage
As clean as when we were in Tunis at the weddingof your daughter, who is now queen.
Of your daughter, who is now queen.
ANTONIO
And the rarest that e'er came there.
And the most exceptional queen that ever was there.
SEBASTIAN
Bate, I beseech you, widow Dido.
Except, I tell you, the widow Dido.
ANTONIO
O, widow Dido! ay, widow Dido.
Oh, the widow Dido! Yes, the widow Dido.
GONZALO
Is not, sir, my doublet as fresh as the first day I
Sir, isn’t my jacket as clean as the first day that Iwore it? I mean, in a sort.
Wore it? I mean, in a way.
ANTONIO
That sort was well fished for.
If you look hard for that ‘way’.
GONZALO
When I wore it at your daughter's marriage?
When I wore it at your daughter’s wedding?
ALONSO
You cram these words into mine ears against
You cram these words into my ears againstThe stomach of my sense. Would I had never
What my mind wants. I wish I had neverMarried my daughter there! for, coming thence,
Married my daughter there! For, in going there,My son is lost and, in my rate, she too,
I have lost my son, and in my opinion, lost her too,Who is so far from Italy removed
She is now so far away from Italy thatI ne'er again shall see her. O thou mine heir
I’ll never see her again. Oh, my heirOf Naples and of Milan, what strange fish
Of
Naples and Milan, what strange fishHath made his meal on thee?
Have eaten your body in the sea?
FRANCISCO
Sir, he may live:
Sir, he may live:I saw him beat the surges under him,
I saw him kick the waves under him,And ride upon their backs; he trod the water,
And ride on their backs; he tread the water,Whose enmity he flung aside, and breasted
Whose hostility he cast aside, and tackledThe surge most swoln that met him; his bold head
The giant wave that met him; he kept his bold head'Bove the contentious waves he kept, and oar'd
Above the warring waves, and rowed Himself with his good arms in lusty stroke
Himself with his good arms in strong strokesTo the shore, that o'er his wave-worn basis bow'd,
To the shore, and over its wave-worn sands he bowed,As stooping to relieve him: I not doubt
as if he stooped to relieve himself: I don’t doubtHe came alive to land.
That he got to land alive.
ALONSO
No, no, he's gone.
No, no, he’s gone.
SEBASTIAN
Sir, you may thank yourself for this great loss,
Sir, you may blame yourself for this great loss,That would not bless our Europe with your daughter,
That would take the blessing of your daughter away from Europe,But rather lose her to an African;
and instead lose her to an African man;Where she at least is banish'd from your eye,
Where at least she is out of your eyesight,Who hath cause to wet the grief on't.
Your daughter who gave you reason for the tears of grief in your eyes.
ALONSO
Prithee, peace.
Please, silence.
SEBASTIAN
You were kneel'd to and importuned otherwise
You were begged and urged not to do thisBy all of us, and the fair soul herself
By all of us, and the lovely girl herselfWeigh'd between loathness and obedience, at
Went back and forth between hatred and obedience, at Which end o' the beam should bow. We have lost your
Whichever side of the scale was weighed down. We have lost yourson,
Son,I fear, for ever: Milan and Naples have
Forever, I’m afraid: Milan and Naples haveMore widows in them of this business' making
More widows in them due to this incidentThan we bring men to comfort them:
Than the number of men we could bring to comfort them:The fault's your own.
It’s your fault.
ALONSO
So is the dear'st o' the loss.
So is the worst of the loss.
GONZALO
My lord Sebastian,
My lord Sebastian,The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness
The truth you speak lacks some tendernessAnd time to speak it in: you rub the sore,
And the right time to bring it up: you’re aggravating the woundWhen you should bring the plaster.
When you should be trying to heal it.
SEBASTIAN
Very well.
Very well.
ANTONIO
And most chirurgeonly.
And quite like a doctor.
GONZALO
It is foul weather in us all, good sir,
It’s bad news for us all, good sirmWhen you are cloudy.
When you are saddened.
SEBASTIAN
Foul weather?
Bad news?
ANTONIO
Very foul.
Very bad.
GONZALO
Had I plantation of this isle, my lord,--
If I had a settlement on this island, my lord,--
ANTONIO
He'ld sow't with nettle-seed.
He would plant it with stinging nettles.
SEBASTIAN
Or docks, or mallows.
Or weeds, or wild plants.
GONZALO
And were the king on't, what would I do?
And I were the of it, what would I do?
SEBASTIAN
'Scape being drunk for want of wine.
Avoid being drunk from the lack of wine.
GONZALO
I' the commonwealth I would by contraries
In the nation I would very differentlyExecute all things; for no kind of traffic
Run all things; no kind of tradeWould I admit; no name of magistrate;
Would I allow; I would name no officials;Letters should not be known; riches, poverty,
Learning would not be known; riches, poverty,And use of service, none; contract, succession,
And the use of slaves, none of that; contracts, inheritance,Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none;
Limits and boundaries of land, farms, vineyards, none of that;No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;No occupation; all men idle, all;
No trades; all men would be at leisure, all of them;And women too, but innocent and pure;
And women too, but innocent and pure;No sovereignty;--
No royalty;--
SEBASTIAN
Yet he would be king on't.
Yet he would be the king of it.
ANTONIO
The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the
This other end of his nation forgets thebeginning.
Beginning.
GONZALO
All things in common nature should produce
All things of a universal nature would produceWithout sweat or endeavour: treason, felony,
Without toil or work: treason, felony,Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any weapon,Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,
I would not have; but nature would create,Of its own kind, all foison, all abundance,
From itself, a great plenty, all abundance,To feed my innocent people.
To feed my innocent people.
SEBASTIAN
No marrying 'mong his subjects?
So no marrying between his subjects?
ANTONIO
None, man; all idle: whores and knaves.
There would be none, man; they’re all idle: whores and scoundrels.
GONZALO
I would with such perfection govern, sir,
I would govern with such perfection, sir,To excel the golden age.
To bring about the golden age.
SEBASTIAN
God save his majesty!
God save his majesty!
ANTONIO
Long live Gonzalo!
Long live Gonzalo!
GONZALO
And,--do you mark me, sir?
An—are you listening to me, sir?
ALONSO
Prithee, no more: thou dost talk nothing to me.
Please, no more: you are saying nothing to me.
GONZALO
I do well believe your highness; and
I do believe this your highness; anddid it to minister occasion to these gentlemen,
I did it to supply the opportunity to these gentleman,who are of such sensible and nimble lungs that
Who have such responsibe and quick lungs thatthey always use to laugh at nothing.
They used to always laugh at nothing.
ANTONIO
'Twas you we laughed at.
It was you that we laughed at.
GONZALO
Who in this kind of merry fooling am nothing
In this kind of happy silliness I am nothingto you: so you may continue and laugh at
To you: so you may continue and laugh atnothing still.
Nothing still.
ANTONIO
What a blow was there given!
What a blow he just gave us!
SEBASTIAN
An it had not fallen flat-long.
And it didn’t hit with the flat of the blde.
GONZALO
You are gentlemen of bra
ve metal; you would lift
You are gentleman of noble resolve; you would liftthe moon out of her sphere, if she would continue
The moon out of her orbit, if she would keepin it five weeks without changing.
It going for five weeks without changing.
Enter ARIEL, invisible, playing solemn music
SEBASTIAN
We would so, and then go a bat-fowling.
We would do so, and then go catch roosting birds at night.
ANTONIO
Nay, good my lord, be not angry.
No, my good lord, don’t be angry.
GONZALO
No, I warrant you; I will not adventure
No, I assure you; I will not riskmy discretion so weakly. Will you laugh
My judgment with such weakness. Will you laughme asleep, for I am very heavy?
Me to sleep, for I am very sleepy?
ANTONIO
Go sleep, and hear us.
Go to sleep, and listen to us.
All sleep except ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, and ANTONIO
ALONSO
What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine eyes
Look at that, all so quickly asleep! I wish my eyesWould, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find
Would, along with themselves, silence my thoughts: I findThey are inclined to do so.
They are inclined to do so.
SEBASTIAN
Please you, sir,
Please you, sir,Do not omit the heavy offer of it:
Do not deny the pressing offer of sleep:It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth,
It seldom visits sorrow: and with it does,It is a comforter.
It is a comfort,
ANTONIO