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

by William Shakespeare

  PIRITHOUS

  Thanks, Theseus.—

  What e’er you are, y’ are mine, and I shall give you

  To a most noble service—to this lady,

  This bright young virgin. Pray observe her goodness.

  You have honor’d her fair birthday with your virtues,

  And as your due y’ are hers. Kiss her fair hand, sir.

  Thanks, Theseus–

  whatever you are, you are mine, and I will put you

  to a very noble task–I'll give you to this lady,

  this bright young virgin. Please look at her goodness.

  Your performance has honoured her birthday,

  and so you deserve to be hers. Kiss her lovely hand, sir.

  ARCITE

  Sir, y’ are a noble giver. Dearest beauty,

  Thus let me seal my vow’d faith.

  Kisses Emilia’s hand.

  When your servant

  (Your most unworthy creature) but offends you,

  Command him die, he shall.

  Sir, you give generously. Dearest beauty,

  please let me put the seal on my oath to you.

  When your servant,

  your most unworthy creature, upsets you,

  if you tell him to die, he will.

  EMILIA

  That were too cruel.

  If you deserve well, sir, I shall soon see’t.

  Y’ are mine, and somewhat better than your rank I’ll use you.

  That would be too cruel.

  If you deserve good treatment, sir, I will soon know.

  You are mine, and I'll treat you rather better than your rank deserves.

  PIRITHOUS

  I’ll see you furnish’d, and because you say

  You are a horseman, I must needs entreat you

  This afternoon to ride, but ’tis a rough one.

  I'll see that you are kitted out, and because you say

  you are a horseman, I'd like to invite you

  to come riding this afternoon, but it is a rough ride.

  ARCITE

  I like him better, prince, I shall not then

  Freeze in my saddle.

  I prefer that, prince, I don't like

  just sitting in my saddle.

  THESEUS

  Sweet, you must be ready,

  And you, Emilia, and you, friend, and all,

  Tomorrow, by the sun, to do observance

  To flow’ry May, in Dian’s wood. Wait well, sir,

  Upon your mistress. Emily, I hope

  He shall not go afoot.

  Darling, you must be ready,

  and you, Emilia, and you, friend, and everyone,

  tomorrow, at sunrise, to worship

  the flowery May, in Diana's woods. Serve your mistress

  well, sir. Emilia, I hope

  he won't be walking.

  EMILIA

  That were a shame, sir,

  While I have horses.—Take your choice, and what

  You want at any time, let me but know it.

  If you serve faithfully, I dare assure you

  You’ll find a loving mistress.

  That would be wrong, sir,

  while I have horses.–Choose what you want,

  and any time you need anything just let me know.

  If you serve me faithfully, I can promise you

  you will find I am a loving mistress.

  ARCITE

  If I do not,

  Let me find that my father ever hated,

  Disgrace and blows.

  If I don't

  I hope I will get what my father always hated,

  disgrace and beatings.

  THESEUS

  Go lead the way; you have won it.

  It shall be so; you shall receive all dues

  Fit for the honor you have won; ’twere wrong else.

  Sister, beshrew my heart, you have a servant

  That if I were a woman, would be master,

  But you are wise.

  You lead the way; you've won the right.

  This is how it will be; you will get everything

  you deserve for your performance; that's only right.

  Sister, I swear, you have a servant

  who, if I were a woman, would be my master;

  but you are wise.

  EMILIA

  I hope too wise for that, sir.

  Too wise for that, I hope, sir.

  Flourish. Exeunt omnes.

  Athens. Before the prison.

  (Jailer’s Daughter)

  Enter Jailer’s Daughter alone.

  JAILER’S DAUGHTER

  Let all the dukes and all the devils roar,

  He is at liberty! I have ventur’d for him,

  And out I have brought him to a little wood

  A mile hence. I have sent him where a cedar,

  Higher than all the rest, spreads like a plane

  Fast by a brook, and there he shall keep close

  Till I provide him files and food, for yet

  His iron bracelets are not off. O Love,

  What a stout-hearted child thou art! My father

  Durst better have endur’d cold iron than done it.

  I love him beyond love and beyond reason,

  Or wit, or safety. I have made him know it.

  I care not, I am desperate. If the law

  Find me, and then condemn me for’t, some wenches,

  Some honest-hearted maids, will sing my dirge,

  And tell to memory my death was noble,

  Dying almost a martyr. That way he takes

  I purpose is my way too. Sure he cannot

  Be so unmanly as to leave me here.

  If he do, maids will not so easily

  Trust men again. And yet he has not thank’d me

  For what I have done; no, not so much as kiss’d me;

  And that, methinks, is not so well; nor scarcely

  Could I persuade him to become a freeman,

  He made such scruples of the wrong he did

  To me and to my father. Yet I hope,

  When he considers more, this love of mine

  Will take more root within him. Let him do

  What he will with me, so he use me kindly,

  For use me so he shall, or I’ll proclaim him,

  And to his face, no man. I’ll presently

  Provide him necessaries, and pack my clothes up,

  And where there is a path of ground I’ll venture,

  So he be with me. By him, like a shadow,

  I’ll ever dwell. Within this hour the whoobub

  Will be all o’er the prison. I am then

  Kissing the man they look for. Farewell, father;

  Get many more such prisoners and such daughters,

  And shortly you may keep yourself. Now to him!

  Let all the Dukes and all the devils roar,

  he is free! I have risked it for him,

  and I have brought him out to a little wood

  a mile away. I have put him where a cedar,

  the highest tree around, spreads like a plane

  right next to a stream, and he will stay there

  until I can bring him food and a file, for he still

  has his iron chains on. Oh love,

  what a strong child you are! My father

  would rather have been stabbed than do it.

  I love him more than love, reason,

  sense or safety. I have told him so.

  I don't care, I'm desperate. If the law

  finds me, and sentences me for it, some girls,

  some honest hearted maids, will sing my funeral song,

  and tell history that my death was noble,

  that I almost died as a martyr. Wherever he goes

  I shall follow. He surely can't be so

  ungentlemanly as to leave me here.

  If he does, girls will not trust men

  so easily again. But he hasn't thanked me

  for what I've done; no, he hasn't even
kissed me;

  and that, I think, is not a good sign; I could hardly

  persuade him to take his freedom,

  he made such a fuss about the harm he was doing

  me and my father. But I hope,

  when he thinks about it more, he will start

  to appreciate my love for him. He can do

  what he wants with me, as long as he has me,

  and have me he will, or I will declare him,

  to his face, no man. I'll soon

  bring him what he needs, and pack up my clothes,

  and wherever the path goes I will follow,

  as long as he is with me. I will stick to him

  like a shadow. Within the hour the alarm

  will be raised all over the prison. By then I will be

  kissing the man they search for. Farewell, father;

  if you have many more prisoners and daughters like this,

  you'll soon have to lock yourself up. Now I must go to him!

  Exit.

  A forest near Athens.

  (Arcite, Palamon)

  Cornets in sundry places. Noise and hallowing, as people a-Maying. Enter Arcite alone.

  ARCITE

  The Duke has lost Hippolyta; each took

  A several land. This is a solemn rite

  They owe bloom’d May, and the Athenians pay it

  To th’ heart of ceremony. O queen Emilia,

  Fresher than May, sweeter

  Than her gold buttons on the boughs, or all

  Th’ enamell’d knacks o’ th’ mead or garden! Yea

  (We challenge too) the bank of any nymph,

  That makes the stream seem flowers! Thou, O jewel

  O’ th’ wood, o’ th’ world, hast likewise blest a place

  With thy sole presence. In thy rumination

  That I, poor man, might eftsoons come between

  And chop on some cold thought! Thrice-blessed chance,

  To drop on such a mistress, expectation

  Most guiltless on’t. Tell me, O Lady Fortune

  (Next after Emily my sovereign), how far

  I may be proud. She takes strong note of me,

  Hath made me near her; and this beauteous morn

  (The prim’st of all the year) presents me with

  A brace of horses; two such steeds might well

  Be by a pair of kings back’d, in a field

  That their crowns’ titles tried. Alas, alas,

  Poor cousin Palamon, poor prisoner, thou

  So little dream’st upon my fortune that

  Thou think’st thyself the happier thing to be

  So near Emilia. Me thou deem’st at Thebes,

  And therein wretched, although free. But if

  Thou knew’st my mistress breath’d on me, and that

  I ear’d her language, liv’d in her eye, O coz,

  What passion would enclose thee!

  Enter Palamon, as out of a bush, with his shackles; bends his fist at Arcite.

  The Duke has parted from Hippolyta; each one gone

  to a different area. This is a solemn duty

  they perform for blooming May, and the Athenians

  place it at the heart of their ceremony. O Queen Emilia,

  fresher than May, sweeter

  than the buds on the branches, or all

  the painted ornaments of fields and gardens! Yes,

  I say you're better than any nymph's riverbank

  which makes the stream seem as though it's made of flowers!

  You jewel of the woods, of the world, you bless a place in the same way

  just by being there. I hope that as you reflect

  that a poor man like me could occasionally come to mind

  and interrupt your thoughts! It would be greatly blessed chance,

  to land on such a mistress, there's no shame in

  hoping for it. Tell me, O Lady Fortune

  (my Queen apart from Emily), how much

  I can be proud. She takes much notice of me,

  keeps me near her; and this lovely morning

  (the best of the whole year) she gave me

  a pair of horses; a pair that might well carry

  a pair of Kings, as they battled each other

  for their crowns. Alas, alas,

  Poor cousin Palamon, poor prisoner, you

  never dreamed that I would have such luck,

  you think that you are more fortunate, being

  so close to Emilia. You think I am at Thebes,

  and miserable there, even though free. But if

  you knew my mistress was talking to me, and that

  I was listening to her words, being seen by her,

  how furious you would be!

  PALAMON

  Traitor kinsman,

  Thou shouldst perceive my passion, if these signs

  Of prisonment were off me, and this hand

  But owner of a sword! By all oaths in one,

  I, and the justice of my love, would make thee

  A confess’d traitor! O thou most perfidious

  That ever gently look’d! The void’st of honor

  That ev’r bore gentle token! Falsest cousin

  That ever blood made kin, call’st thou her thine?

  I’ll prove it in my shackles, with these hands

  Void of appointment, that thou li’st, and art

  A very thief in love, a chaffy lord,

  Nor worth the name of villain! Had I a sword,

  And these house-clogs away—

  You treacherous kinsman,

  you would feel my anger, if I wasn't wearing

  the shackles, and my hand

  was holding a sword! I swear by everything

  that I, and my true love, would make you

  confess your treachery! You are the most unfaithful man

  that ever looked kind! The most dishonourable

  that ever pretended otherwise! You are the most false

  cousin anyone was ever related to, do you say she is yours?

  Even with my chains, with these hands

  which don't have a sword, I'll prove that you are lying, and are

  an absolute thief in love, a worthless lord

  who can't even be dignified with the name of the villain! If I had a sword,

  and could be rid of these shackles–

  ARCITE

  Dear cousin Palamon—

  Dear cousin Palamon–

  PALAMON

  Cozener Arcite, give me language such

  As thou hast show’d me feat.

  You cheating Arcite, speak to me in the same

  way that you have treated me.

  ARCITE

  Not finding in

  The circuit of my breast any gross stuff

  To form me like your blazon, holds me to

  This gentleness of answer: ’tis your passion

  That thus mistakes, the which to you being enemy,

  Cannot to me be kind. Honor and honesty

  I cherish and depend on, howsoev’r

  You skip them in me, and with them, fair coz,

  I’ll maintain my proceedings. Pray be pleas’d

  To show in generous terms your griefs, since that

  Your question’s with your equal, who professes

  To clear his own way with the mind and sword

  Of a true gentleman.

  As I can't find

  anything within me so bad that makes

  me fit your description, I'm obliged

  to give you a polite answer: it's your passion

  that's making you mistaken, it's an enemy to you,

  so can't be kind to me. I love and cherish

  honour and honesty, however much you

  say I am missing them, and I will carry on

  using them, fair cousin. Please show your

  grief in well mannered terms, since you

  are arguing with your equal, who says

  that he makes his own way with the mind and swor
d

  of a true gentleman.

  PALAMON

  That thou durst, Arcite!

  How dare you do this, Arcite!

  ARCITE

  My coz, my coz, you have been well advertis’d

  How much I dare; y’ave seen me use my sword

  Against th’ advice of fear. Sure, of another

  You would not hear me doubted, but your silence

  Should break out, though i’ th’ sanctuary.

  My cousin, my cousin, you have seen perfectly well

  how much I dare; you have seen me using my sword

  without thought of fear. You would never hear

  anyone else doubting me, even if you

  shouted out your doubts in church.

  PALAMON

  Sir,

  I have seen you move in such a place which well

  Might justify your manhood; you were call’d

  A good knight and a bold. But the whole week’s not fair

  If any day it rain. Their valiant temper

  Men lose when they incline to treachery,

  And then they fight like compell’d bears, would fly

  Were they not tied.

  Sir,

  I have seen you behave in such a way which

  was indeed very manly; you were called

  a good knight and a brave one. But you can't say a whole week was fine

  if it rained on any day. Men lose their bravery

  when they turn to treachery,

  and then they fight like bears who are forced to, they would run

  if they weren't tied up.

  ARCITE

  Kinsman, you might as well

  Speak this and act it in your glass, as to

  His ear which now disdains you.

  Kinsman, you might as well

  say these words to your mirror, as saying

  them to the person who now rejects you.

  PALAMON

  Come up to me,

  Quit me of these cold gyves, give me a sword

  Though it be rusty, and the charity

  Of one meal lend me; come before me then,

  A good sword in thy hand, and do but say

  That Emily is thine, I will forgive

  The trespass thou hast done me, yea, my life

  If then thou carry’t, and brave souls in shades