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

Page 417

by William Shakespeare


  PALAMON

  ’Tis too true, Arcite. To our Theban hounds,

  That shook the aged forest with their echoes,

  No more now must we hallow; no more shake

  Our pointed javelins, whilst the angry swine

  Flies like a Parthian quiver from our rages,

  Struck with our well-steel’d darts. All valiant uses

  (The food and nourishment of noble minds)

  In us two here shall perish; we shall die

  (Which is the curse of honor) lastly

  Children of grief and ignorance.

  That's too true, Arcite. We can no longer call

  to our Theban hounds, who shook the ancient forests

  with their barking; no more will we shake

  our sharp javelins, while the angry boar

  runs like a Parthian from our attacks,

  carrying our trusty arrows. All brave qualities

  (the food and nourishment of noble minds)

  will die here in us; we shall die

  (this is the curse of honour) finally,

  full of grief and ignorance.

  ARCITE

  Yet, cousin,

  Even from the bottom of these miseries,

  From all that fortune can inflict upon us,

  I see two comforts rising, two mere blessings,

  If the gods please—to hold here a brave patience,

  And the enjoying of our griefs together.

  Whilst Palamon is with me, let me perish

  If I think this our prison.

  But, cousin,

  even in the depths of these miseries,

  suffering all the worst that fortune can throw at us,

  I can see two comforts, two perfect blessings,

  if the gods allow them–that we can use to reconcile ourselves

  to our fate and face our sorrows together.

  Whilst Palamon is with me, let me die

  if I think of this as our prison.

  PALAMON

  Certainly

  ’Tis a main goodness, cousin, that our fortunes

  Were twin’d together. ’Tis most true, two souls

  Put in two noble bodies, let ’em suffer

  The gall of hazard, so they grow together,

  Will never sink; they must not, say they could;

  A willing man dies sleeping, and all’s done.

  It's certainly

  a great stroke of luck, cousin, that our fates

  were joined together. It's very true, two souls

  in two noble bodies, let them suffer

  the spite of fate, as long as they are together,

  they will never sink; they must not, even if they could;

  when a man wants to he dies in his sleep, and that's the end.

  ARCITE

  Shall we make worthy uses of this place

  That all men hate so much?

  Shall we make good use of this place

  that all men hate so much?

  PALAMON

  How, gentle cousin?

  How, gentle cousin?

  ARCITE

  Let’s think this prison holy sanctuary

  To keep us from corruption of worse men.

  We are young and yet desire the ways of honor,

  That liberty and common conversation,

  The poison of pure spirits, might, like women,

  Woo us to wander from. What worthy blessing

  Can be, but our imaginations

  May make it ours? And here being thus together,

  We are an endless mine to one another;

  We are one another’s wife, ever begetting

  New births of love; we are father, friends, acquaintance;

  We are, in one another, families:

  I am your heir, and you are mine; this place

  Is our inheritance. No hard oppressor

  Dare take this from us; here with a little patience

  We shall live long, and loving. No surfeits seek us;

  The hand of war hurts none here, nor the seas

  Swallow their youth. Were we at liberty,

  A wife might part us lawfully, or business,

  Quarrels consume us, envy of ill men

  Crave our acquaintance; I might sicken, cousin,

  Where you should never know it, and so perish

  Without your noble hand to close mine eyes,

  Or prayers to the gods. A thousand chances,

  Were we from hence, would sever us.

  Let's think of this prison as a holy sanctuary,

  to keep us from being corrupted by bad men.

  We are young and yet we want to follow the paths of honour,

  which freedom and low talk,

  the curse of pure natures, might, like women,

  lead us astray from. What is there that can't

  become a blessing, if we just imagine

  that it is? And as we are here together,

  we are never-ending resources to each other;

  we are each the wife of the other, forever creating

  new children of love; we are father, friends, acquaintances;

  we are each other's families:

  I am your heir, and you are mine; this place

  is our inheritance. No hard oppressor

  would dare to take this away from us; with a little patience

  we shall live long and loving lives here. There will be no excess;

  nobody can be hurt by war here, nor can they be

  drowned in the sea. If we were free,

  a wife might lawfully separate us, or we might

  quarrel over money, fall in with

  bad companions; I might become ill, cousin,

  and you would never know it, and so I would die

  without your noble hand to close my eyes,

  or offer prayers to the gods. If we weren't here,

  a thousand different things could separate us.

  PALAMON

  You have made me

  (I thank you, cousin Arcite) almost wanton

  With my captivity. What a misery

  It is to live abroad, and every where!

  ’Tis like a beast, methinks. I find the court here,

  I am sure, a more content, and all those pleasures

  That woo the wills of men to vanity

  I see through now, and am sufficient

  To tell the world ’tis but a gaudy shadow

  That old Time, as he passes by, takes with him.

  What had we been, old in the court of Creon,

  Where sin is justice, lust and ignorance

  The virtues of the great ones? Cousin Arcite,

  Had not the loving gods found this place for us,

  We had died as they do, ill old men, unwept,

  And had their epitaphs, the people’s curses.

  Shall I say more?

  You have made me

  (I thank you, cousin Arcite) almost love

  my imprisonment. How miserable it is

  to live in the wide world, go everywhere!

  That's like being an animal, I think. I'm sure

  that our position here is a more contented one, and I

  can see through all those pleasures which attract men

  to frivolous things, and I'm able

  to tell the world that these things are just vulgar shadows

  that disappear with the passing of time.

  What would we have become, grown old in Creon's court,

  where sin rules and lust and ignorance

  are the virtues of great men? Cousin Arcite,

  if the loving gods hadn't found this place for us,

  we would have died like them, sick old men, unmourned,

  with the curses of the people as our epitaphs.

  Shall I say more?

  ARCITE

  I would hear you still.

  Do go on.

  PALAMON

  Ye shall.

  Is there record of any two that lov’d

 
Better than we do, Arcite?

  I shall.

  Have you ever heard of any two who loved each other

  better than us, Arcite?

  ARCITE

  Sure there cannot.

  I'm sure there can't have been.

  PALAMON

  I do not think it possible our friendship

  Should ever leave us.

  I don't think it's possible for our friendship

  to ever end.

  ARCITE

  Till our deaths it cannot,

  Enter Emilia and her Woman below.

  And after death our spirits shall be led

  To those that love eternally. Speak on, sir.

  It cannot until we die,

  and after death our spirits will

  remain together to love eternally. Go on, sir.

  EMILIA

  This garden has a world of pleasures in’t.

  What flow’r is this?

  This garden is full of pleasures.

  What's this flower?

  WAITING-WOMAN

  ’Tis call’d narcissus, madam.

  That's called Narcissus, madam.

  EMILIA

  That was a fair boy certain, but a fool

  To love himself. Were there not maids enough?

  He was certainly good-looking boy, but a fool

  to love himself. Weren't there enough girls for him?

  ARCITE

  Pray forward.

  Please go on.

  PALAMON

  Yes.

  Yes.

  EMILIA

  Or were they all hard-hearted?

  Or were they all hardhearted?

  WAITING-WOMAN

  They could not be to one so fair.

  They couldn't have hardened their hearts against one so beautiful.

  EMILIA

  Thou wouldst not.

  You wouldn't have.

  WAITING-WOMAN

  I think I should not, madam.

  Definitely not, madam.

  EMILIA

  That’s a good wench!

  But take heed to your kindness though.

  Good lass!

  But watch yourself with your kindness.

  WAITING-WOMAN

  Why, madam?

  Why, madam?

  EMILIA

  Men are mad things.

  Because men are mad.

  ARCITE

  Will ye go forward, cousin?

  Will you carry on, cousin?

  EMILIA

  Canst not thou work such flowers in silk, wench?

  Can you embroider these flowers on silk, girl?

  WAITING-WOMAN

  Yes.

  Yes.

  EMILIA

  I’ll have a gown full of ’em, and of these:

  This is a pretty color, will’t not do

  Rarely upon a skirt, wench?

  I'll have a dress covered in them, and these:

  this is a pretty colour; don't you think it would

  look very good on a skirt, girl?

  WAITING-WOMAN

  Dainty, madam.

  Very sweet, madam.

  ARCITE

  Cousin, cousin, how do you, sir? Why, Palamon!

  Cousin, cousin, how are you, sir? Why, Palamon!

  PALAMON

  Never till now I was in prison, Arcite.

  I never felt I was in prison until now, Arcite.

  ARCITE

  Why, what’s the matter, man?

  Why, what's the matter, man?

  PALAMON

  Behold, and wonder!

  By heaven, she is a goddess.

  Look, and be amazed!

  By heaven, she is a goddess.

  ARCITE

  Ha!

  Ha!

  PALAMON

  Do reverence;

  She is a goddess, Arcite.

  Worship her;

  she is a goddess, Arcite.

  EMILIA

  Of all flow’rs

  Methinks a rose is best.

  I think that roses

  are the best of all the flowers.

  WAITING-WOMAN

  Why, gentle madam?

  Why, sweet madam?

  EMILIA

  It is the very emblem of a maid;

  For when the west wind courts her gently,

  How modestly she blows, and paints the sun

  With her chaste blushes! When the north comes near her,

  Rude and impatient, then, like chastity,

  She locks her beauties in her bud again,

  And leaves him to base briers.

  She perfectly symbolises a maid;

  for when the West wind gently approaches her,

  how modestly she opens up, adorning the sun

  with her chaste blushes! When the north wind comes near her,

  rude and bullying, then, like chastity,

  she locks her beauties up in her bud again,

  and leaves him with the low thorns.

  WAITING-WOMAN

  Yet, good madam,

  Sometimes her modesty will blow so far she falls for’t.

  A maid, if she have any honor, would be loath

  To take example by her.

  Yet, good madam,

  sometimes in her modesty she will blow over so far she actually falls.

  Any girl who has any honour would not wish

  to follow her example.

  EMILIA

  Thou art wanton.

  You are lusty.

  ARCITE

  She is wondrous fair.

  She's incredibly beautiful.

  PALAMON

  She is all the beauty extant.

  She is everything beautiful in the world.

  EMILIA

  The sun grows high, let’s walk in. Keep these flowers,

  We’ll see how near art can come near their colors.

  I am wondrous merry-hearted, I could laugh now.

  The sun’s getting high, let's go indoors. Keep these flowers,

  we’ll see how closely art can match their colours.

  I feel very happy, I could laugh now.

  WAITING-WOMAN

  I could lie down, I am sure.

  I think I could lie down.

  EMILIA

  And take one with you?

  Taking someone with you?

  WAITING-WOMAN

  That’s as we bargain, madam.

  That can be negotiated, madam.

  EMILIA

  Well, agree then.

  Well, agree to it then.

  Exeunt Emilia and Woman.

  PALAMON

  What think you of this beauty?

  What do you think of this beauty?

  ARCITE

  ’Tis a rare one.

  She is exceptional.

  PALAMON

  Is’t but a rare one?

  Just exceptional?

  ARCITE

  Yes, a matchless beauty.

  Yes, an incomparable beauty.

  PALAMON

  Might not a man well lose himself and love her?

  Couldn't a man easily lose himself and fall in love with her?

  ARCITE

  I cannot tell what you have done; I have,

  Beshrew mine eyes for’t! Now I feel my shackles.

  I can't tell what you have done; I have,

  damn my eyes for doing it! Now I can feel my chains.

  PALAMON

  You love her then?

  You love her then?

  ARCITE

  Who would not?

  Who wouldn't?

  PALAMON

  And desire her?

  And you desire her?

  ARCITE

  Before my liberty.

  More than my freedom.

  PALAMON

  I saw her first.

  I saw her first.

  ARCITE

  That’s nothing.

  That doesn't count for anything.

  PALAMON

  But it shall
be.

  It will do.

  ARCITE

  I saw her too.

  I saw her as well.

  PALAMON

  Yes, but you must not love her.

  Yes, but you must not love her.

  ARCITE

  I will not, as you do—to worship her

  As she is heavenly and a blessed goddess;

  I love her as a woman, to enjoy her.

  So both may love.

  I won't, not in the same way you do, worshipping her

  as a heavenly and blessed goddess;

  I love her as a woman, I want to enjoy her.

  So we can both love.

  PALAMON

  You shall not love at all.

  You shan't love at all.

  ARCITE

  Not love at all! Who shall deny me?

  Not love at all! Who's going to stop me?

  PALAMON

  I, that first saw her; I, that took possession

  First with mine eye of all those beauties in her

  Reveal’d to mankind. If thou lov’st her,

  Or entertain’st a hope to blast my wishes,

  Thou art a traitor, Arcite, and a fellow

  False as thy title to her. Friendship, blood,

  And all the ties between us, I disclaim

 

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