The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 426
a large one, I can promise you.
JAILER
Ye are a good man
And ever bring good news.
You are a good man,
always bringing good news.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
How was it ended?
How did it finish?
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Why, as it should be: they that nev’r begg’d
But they prevail’d, had their suits fairly granted:
The prisoners have their lives.
Why, as it should: those who've never begged
without success had their pleas granted:
the prisoners keep their lives.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
I knew ’twould be so.
I knew that would happen.
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
But there be new conditions, which you’ll hear of
At better time.
But there are new conditions, which you'll hear of
nearer the time.
JAILER
I hope they are good.
I hope they are good.
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
They are honorable,
How good they’ll prove, I know not.
They are honourable,
how good they'll prove to be, I don't know.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
’Twill be known.
We shall see.
Enter Wooer.
WOOER
Alas, sir, where’s your daughter?
Alas, sir, where is your daughter?
JAILER
Why do you ask?
Why do you ask?
WOOER
O sir, when did you see her?
Oh sir, when did you last see her?
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
How he looks!
What does he look like!
JAILER
This morning.
This morning.
WOOER
Was she well? Was she in health?
Sir, when did she sleep?
What she well? Was she healthy?
Sir, had she slept?
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
These are strange questions.
These are strange questions.
JAILER
I do not think she was very well, for, now
You make me mind her, but this very day
I ask’d her questions, and she answered me
So far from what she was, so childishly,
So sillily, as if she were a fool,
An innocent, and I was very angry.
But what of her, sir?
I don't think she is very well, for, now
you make me think of her, just today
I asked her questions, and she answered me
so differently from normal, so childishly,
so stupidly, as if she were a fool,
a baby, and I was very angry.
But what about her, sir?
WOOER
Nothing but my pity.
But you must know it, and as good by me
As by another that less loves her.
Nothing except for my pity.
But you must know about it, and it's just as well coming from me
as from someone else who loves her less.
JAILER
Well, sir?
Well, sir?
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Not right?
Is she not right?
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Not well?
Not well?
WOOER
No, sir, not well:
’Tis too true, she is mad.
No, sir, not well:
sorry to say, she is mad.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
It cannot be.
She can't be.
WOOER
Believe. You’ll find it so.
Believe it, you will find she is.
JAILER
I half suspected
What you told me. The gods comfort her!
Either this was her love to Palamon,
Or fear of my miscarrying on his scape,
Or both.
I half suspected
what you told me. May the good gods bring her comfort!
This was caused by her love for Palamon,
or the thought of my being punished for his escape,
or both.
WOOER
’Tis likely.
That seems likely.
JAILER
But why all this haste, sir?
But why are you in such a hurry, sir?
WOOER
I’ll tell you quickly. As I late was angling
In the great lake that lies behind the palace,
From the far shore, thick set with reeds and sedges,
As patiently I was attending sport,
I heard a voice, a shrill one; and attentive
I gave my ear, when I might well perceive
’Twas one that sung, and by the smallness of it,
A boy or woman. I then left my angle
To his own skill, came near, but yet perceiv’d not
Who made the sound, the rushes and the reeds
Had so encompass’d it. I laid me down
And list’ned to the words she sung, for then
Through a small glade cut by the fishermen,
I saw it was your daughter.
I'll tell you quickly. As I was fishing recently
in the great lake that lies behind the palace,
I was patiently waiting for a catch
on the far shore, which is thickly covered with reeds and grass,
I heard a voice, a shrill one; and I listened
carefully, and I realised that it was obviously,
from the littleness of it, sung by
a boy or a woman. So I left my hook
to its own devices and went closer, but I couldn't see
who was making the noise, the rushes and the reeds
were so thick around. I laid down
and listen to the words she was singing, for then
I saw it was your daughter through a small clearing
cut by the fishermen.
JAILER
Pray go on, sir.
Please go on, sir.
WOOER
She sung much, but no sense; only I heard her
Repeat this often, “Palamon is gone,
Is gone to th’ wood to gather mulberries.
I’ll find him out tomorrow.”
She sang a lot, but made no sense; but I heard her
repeat this often; “Palamon is gone,
he's gone into the woods to gather mulberries.
I'll find him tomorrow."
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Pretty soul!
Sweet soul!
WOOER
“His shackles will betray him, he’ll be taken,
And what shall I do then? I’ll bring a bevy,
A hundred black-ey’d maids that love as I do,
With chaplets on their heads of daffadillies,
With cherry lips and cheeks of damask roses,
And all we’ll dance an antic ’fore the Duke,
And beg his pardon.” Then she talk’d of you, sir:
That you must lose your head tomorrow morning,
And she must gather flowers to bury you,
And see the house made handsome. Then she sung
Nothing but “Willow, willow, willow,” and between
Ever was “Palamon, fair Palamon,”
And “Palamon was a tall young man.” The place
Was knee-deep where she sat; her careless tresses
A wreath of bulrush rounded; about her stuck
Thousand fresh water-flowers of several colors,
That methought she appear’d like the fair nymph
That feeds the lake with waters, or as
Iris
Newly dropp’d down from heaven. Rings she made
Of rushes that grew by, and to ’em spoke
The prettiest posies—“Thus our true love’s tied,”
“This you may loose, not me,” and many a one;
And then she wept, and sung again, and sigh’d,
And with the same breath smil’d, and kiss’d her hand.
“His shackles will give him away, he'll be captured,
and what shall I do then? I'll bring a group of
a hundred black eyed girls that love as I do,
with crowns of daffodils on their heads,
with cherry lips and cheeks blushing pink,
and we'll all dance a mad dance before the Duke,
and beg for his pardon." Then she spoke of you, sir:
that you would lose your head tomorrow morning,
and that she must gather flowers for your funeral,
and see that the house was tidy. Then she sang
nothing but “Willow, Willow, Willow," and in between
it was always “Palamon, fair Palamon,"
and “Palamon was a tall young man." The place
she was sitting was knee deep; her careless hair
was trailing in the bulrushes; all around her there were
a thousand fresh water flowers of different colours,
so I thought that she looked like the beautiful nymph
that runs the waters into the lake, or like Iris
just come down from heaven. She made circlets
out of the nearby rushes, and said the
sweetest little poems to them–“This is how our true love is tied,"
“you can unite this, not me," and many others;
and then she wept, and sang again, and sighed,
and at the same time smiled, and kissed her hand.
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Alas, what pity it is!
Alas, what a shame it is!
WOOER
I made in to her.
She saw me, and straight sought the flood. I sav’d her,
And set her safe to land; when presently
She slipp’d away, and to the city made
With such a cry and swiftness that, believe me,
She left me far behind her. Three or four
I saw from far off cross her—one of ’em
I knew to be your brother; where she stay’d,
And fell, scarce to be got away. I left them with her,
And hither came to tell you.
Enter Jailer’s Brother, Daughter, and others.
Here they are.
I went in after her.
She saw me, and tried at once to get to the deep parts. I saved her,
and got her safely on land; then shortly
she slipped away, and made off for the city
with such noise and speed that, believe me,
she left me far behind. I saw three or four
people accost her from a distance–one of them
I knew was your brother; she stayed with him,
she fell down, they could hardly carry her away. I left them with her,
and came here to tell you.
Here they are.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
Sings.
“May you never more enjoy the light,” etc.
Is not this a fine song?
“May you never enjoy the light again,”
isn't that a fine song?
JAILER BROTHER
O, a very fine one!
Oh, a very fine one!
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
I can sing twenty more.
I can sing twenty more.
JAILER BROTHER
I think you can.
I think you can.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
Yes, truly, can I. I can sing “The Broom,”
And “Bonny Robin.” Are not you a tailor?
Yes, certainly I can. I can sing, “The Broom,"
and “Bonny Robin." Aren't you a tailor?
JAILER BROTHER
Yes.
I am.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
Where’s my wedding gown?
Where’s my wedding gown?
JAILER BROTHER
I’ll bring it tomorrow.
I'll bring it tomorrow.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
Do, very early, I must be abroad else,
To call the maids and pay the minstrels,
For I must lose my maidenhead by cocklight,
’Twill never thrive else.
Sings.
“O fair, O sweet,” etc.
Do, very early, I have to go out
to summon the bridesmaids and pay the musicians,
for I must lose my virginity before dawn,
nothing else will do.
“Oh fair, oh sweet,”
JAILER BROTHER
You must ev’n take it patiently.
You must suffer this patiently.
JAILER
’Tis true.
That's true.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
Good ev’n, good men. Pray did you ever hear
Of one young Palamon?
Good evening, good man. Tell me, did you ever hear
of one young Palamon?
JAILER
Yes, wench, we know him.
Yes, girl, we know him.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
Is’t not a fine young gentleman?
Isn't he a fine young gentleman?
JAILER
’Tis, love.
He is, love.
JAILER BROTHER
By no mean cross her, she is then distemper’d
Far worse than now she shows.
On no account disagree with her, or she'll be
much madder than she looks now.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Yes, he’s a fine man.
Yes, he's a fine man.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
O, is he so? You have a sister?
Is he indeed? Have you a sister?
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Yes.
Yes.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
But she shall never have him, tell her so,
For a trick that I know. Y’ had best look to her,
For if she see him once, she’s gone—she’s done,
And undone in an hour. All the young maids
Of our town are in love with him, but I laugh at ’em
And let ’em all alone. Is’t not a wise course?
But she will never have him, tell her so,
I have the skills. You'd best watch out for her,
for if she sees him one time, she's lost–she's lost,
an done within an hour. All young maids
in our town are in love with him, but I laugh at them
and don't let that bother me. Isn't that sensible?
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Yes.
Yes.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
There is at least two hundred now with child by him—
There must be four. Yet I keep close for all this,
Close as a cockle. And all these must be boys,
He has the trick on’t; and at ten years old
They must be all gelt for musicians,
And sing the wars of Theseus.
There are at least two hundred now who are pregnant by him–
there must be four. But despite that I keep it secret,
closed up like a clam. And they must all be boys,
he knows how to do it; and at ten years old
they must all be castrated to make musicians
who will sing about the wars of Theseus.
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
This is strange.
This is strange.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
As ever you heard, but say nothing.
The strangest thing you ever heard
, but don't say anything.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
No.
No.
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
They come from all parts of the dukedom to him.
I’ll warrant ye he had not so few last night
As twenty to dispatch. He’ll tickle’t up
In two hours, if his hand be in.
They'll come from all over the country to him.
I promise you he didn't have fewer than
twenty to deal with last night. He'll do the business
in two hours, if he's in good form.
JAILER
She’s lost
Past all cure.
She's gone
past curing.
JAILER BROTHER
Heaven forbid, man!
Heaven forbid, man!
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
To the Jailer.
Come hither, you are a wise man.
Come here, you are wise man.
FIRST FRIEND OF THE JAILER
Does she know him?
Does she recognise him?
SECOND FRIEND OF THE JAILER
No, would she did!
No, I wish she did!
JAILER’S DAUGHTER
You are master of a ship?