The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 453
As she had no match in life,
I certainly believe that her dead image
is greater than anything you have ever seen
or that man has ever created; so I keep it
apart in isolation. But here it is: prepare
to see life imitated as well
as sleep ever imitated death: look, and say it is good.
I like your silence, it demonstrates
your amazement: but now speak; first you, my lord,
isn't it pretty lifelike?
LEONTES
Her natural posture!
Chide me, dear stone, that I may say indeed
Thou art Hermione; or rather, thou art she
In thy not chiding, for she was as tender
As infancy and grace. But yet, Paulina,
Hermione was not so much wrinkled, nothing
So aged as this seems.
That's just how she was!
Scold me, dear stone, so that I can truly say
you are Hermione; though actually you are
like her in not scolding, for she was as kind
as a child, as a god. But yet, Paulina,
Hermione did not have as many wrinkles, she was not
as old as this seems to be.
POLIXENES
O, not by much.
Certainly not.
PAULINA
So much the more our carver's excellence;
Which lets go by some sixteen years and makes her
As she lived now.
This just shows how excellent the sculptor is;
he has let sixteen years go by and makes her
as if she were alive today.
LEONTES
As now she might have done,
So much to my good comfort, as it is
Now piercing to my soul. O, thus she stood,
Even with such life of majesty, warm life,
As now it coldly stands, when first I woo'd her!
I am ashamed: does not the stone rebuke me
For being more stone than it? O royal piece,
There's magic in thy majesty, which has
My evils conjured to remembrance and
From thy admiring daughter took the spirits,
Standing like stone with thee.
As she could have been,
which would have been so good for me
that it is now stabbing at my soul. Oh, this is how she stood,
with such a queenly life in her, warm life,
that now stands cold, when I first wooed her!
I am ashamed: isn't the stone rebuking me
for being more stone than it? Oh royal sculpture,
there's magic in your majesty, which has
reminded me of my sins and
taken all the spirit out of your admiring daughter,
who stands like stone like you.
PERDITA
And give me leave,
And do not say 'tis superstition, that
I kneel and then implore her blessing. Lady,
Dear queen, that ended when I but began,
Give me that hand of yours to kiss.
And give me permission,
and don't say that it is superstitious, to
kneel and beg for her blessing. Lady,
dear queen, who died when I was born,
give me that hand of yours to kiss.
PAULINA
O, patience!
The statue is but newly fix'd, the colour's not dry.
Oh, be careful!
The statue has just been painted, the colour's not dry.
CAMILLO
My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on,
Which sixteen winters cannot blow away,
So many summers dry; scarce any joy
Did ever so long live; no sorrow
But kill'd itself much sooner.
My lord, the sorrow you had was too great,
sixteen winters could not blow it away,
the same number of summers could not dry it; there's hardly any joy
that ever lived for so long; no sorrow
that didn't die earlier.
POLIXENES
Dear my brother,
Let him that was the cause of this have power
To take off so much grief from you as he
Will piece up in himself.
My dear brother,
let the one who was the cause of this
take as much of the burden of grief from you as he
can take upon himself.
PAULINA
Indeed, my lord,
If I had thought the sight of my poor image
Would thus have wrought you,--for the stone is mine--
I'ld not have show'd it.
Indeed, my lord,
if I'd thought the sight of my poor sculpture
would have had this effect on you–for the stone is mine–
I wouldn't have showed it to you.
LEONTES
Do not draw the curtain.
Don't draw the curtain.
PAULINA
No longer shall you gaze on't, lest your fancy
May think anon it moves.
You shall look at it any more, in case your imagination
starts to think that it's moving.
LEONTES
Let be, let be.
Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already--
What was he that did make it? See, my lord,
Would you not deem it breathed? and that those veins
Did verily bear blood?
Let it be, let it be.
I wish I were dead, except that, I think, already–
who was the person who made this? See, my lord,
wouldn't you think that it's breathing? And that those veins
are really full of blood?
POLIXENES
Masterly done:
The very life seems warm upon her lip.
Masterfully done:
her lips look as though they actually had the warmth of life in them.
LEONTES
The fixture of her eye has motion in't,
As we are mock'd with art.
Her eyeballs seem to move,
as we are tricked by art.
PAULINA
I'll draw the curtain:
My lord's almost so far transported that
He'll think anon it lives.
I'll draw the curtain:
my lord is so carried away that
he'll soon be thinking it's alive.
LEONTES
O sweet Paulina,
Make me to think so twenty years together!
No settled senses of the world can match
The pleasure of that madness. Let 't alone.
Oh sweet Paulina,
let me think that for twenty years at a stretch!
No sensible pleasures of the world can match
the pleasure of that madness. Leave it be.
PAULINA
I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you: but
I could afflict you farther.
I'm sorry, sir, to have agitated you so much: but
I could do more.
LEONTES
Do, Paulina;
For this affliction has a taste as sweet
As any cordial comfort. Still, methinks,
There is an air comes from her: what fine chisel
Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me,
For I will kiss her.
Do, Paulina;
for this illness tastes as sweet
as any health giving cordial. Still, I think
that air is coming from her: what fine chisel
has ever been able to sculpt breath? Nobody should mock me,
I am going to kiss her.
PAULINA
Good my lord, forbear:
The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;
You'll mar it if you kiss it, stain your own
With oily pain
ting. Shall I draw the curtain?
My good lord, don't do it:
the red on her lips is wet;
you'll spoil it if you kiss it, and stain your own
with oil paint. Shall I draw the curtain?
LEONTES
No, not these twenty years.
No, not for twenty years.
PERDITA
So long could I
Stand by, a looker on.
That's how long I could
stand by, watching.
PAULINA
Either forbear,
Quit presently the chapel, or resolve you
For more amazement. If you can behold it,
I'll make the statue move indeed, descend
And take you by the hand; but then you'll think--
Which I protest against--I am assisted
By wicked powers.
Either stop,
and leave the chapel at once, or prepare
for more amazement. If you can bear it,
I will indeed make the statue move, climb down
and take you by the hand; but then you'll think–
which I tell you I'm not–that I am assisted
by wicked powers.
LEONTES
What you can make her do,
I am content to look on: what to speak,
I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy
To make her speak as move.
Whatever you can make her do,
I am happy to see: whatever you can make her say,
I am happy to hear; for it would be as easy
to make her speak as to make her move.
PAULINA
It is required
You do awake your faith. Then all stand still;
Or- those that think it is unlawful business
I am about, let them depart.
You must
have faith. You must all stand still;
anyone who thinks that I am about
to do something sinful, let them leave.
LEONTES
Proceed:
No foot shall stir.
Carry on:
no one will move an inch.
PAULINA
Music, awake her; strike!
Music
'Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach;
Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come,
I'll fill your grave up: stir, nay, come away,
Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him
Dear life redeems you. You perceive she stirs:
HERMIONE comes down
Start not; her actions shall be holy as
You hear my spell is lawful: do not shun her
Until you see her die again; for then
You kill her double. Nay, present your hand:
When she was young you woo'd her; now in age
Is she become the suitor?
Music, wake her up; now!
It's time; come down; no longer be stone; come to us;
astonish everyone who is watching. Come,
I'll fill up your grave: move, no, come away:
give your numbness back to death; for
dear life saves you from him. You see she's moving:
don't flinch; her actions will be as holy as
my spell is lawful, which you will hear.
Do not reject her
until you see her die again; if you do
you will kill her twice. No, give her your hand:
when she was young you wooed her; now, when she is old,
has she become the wooer?
LEONTES
O, she's warm!
If this be magic, let it be an art
Lawful as eating.
Oh, she's warm!
If this is magic, let it be an art
as lawful as eating.
POLIXENES
She embraces him.
She is embracing him.
CAMILLO
She hangs about his neck:
If she pertain to life let her speak too.
She has thrown her arms around his neck:
if she is alive let her speak too.
POLIXENES
Ay, and make't manifest where she has lived,
Or how stolen from the dead.
Yes, and explain where she has been living,
or how she has come back from the dead.
PAULINA
That she is living,
Were it but told you, should be hooted at
Like an old tale: but it appears she lives,
Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.
Please you to interpose, fair madam: kneel
And pray your mother's blessing. Turn, good lady;
Our Perdita is found.
That she is alive,
if you were only told it, you would mock it
like an old story: but you can see she lives,
although she has not yet spoken. Wait a little while.
Please put yourself forward, fair madam: kneel
and beg for your mother's blessing. Turn, good lady;
our Perdita is found.
HERMIONE
You gods, look down
And from your sacred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head! Tell me, mine own.
Where hast thou been preserved? where lived? how found
Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear that I,
Knowing by Paulina that the oracle
Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved
Myself to see the issue.
You gods, look down
and from your sacred urns pour your blessings
upon my daughter's head! Tell me, my own,
where have you been kept? Where have you lived? How did you
come back to your father's court? For as you shall hear I,
knowing from Paulina that the Oracle
gave hope that you were alive, have saved
myself to see the result.
PAULINA
There's time enough for that;
Lest they desire upon this push to trouble
Your joys with like relation. Go together,
You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,
Will wing me to some wither'd bough and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament till I am lost.
There is time enough for that;
we don't want them at this happy moment
to start telling their own stories. Go together,
all you precious winners; share your happiness
with everyone. I, an old turtledove,
will fly to some dead branch and there
I will sing sad songs for my mate,
who will never be found again,
until I am dead.
LEONTES
O, peace, Paulina!
Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine a wife: this is a match,
And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine;
But how, is to be question'd; for I saw her,
As I thought, dead, and have in vain said many
A prayer upon her grave. I'll not seek far--
For him, I partly know his mind--to find thee
An honourable husband. Come, Camillo,
And take her by the hand, whose worth and honesty
Is richly noted and here justified
By us, a pair of kings. Let's from this place.
What! look upon my brother: both your pardons,
That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion. This is your son-in-law,
And son unto the king, who, heavens directing,
Is troth-plight to your daughter. Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence, where we may leisurely
Each one demand an answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time since fi
rst
We were dissever'd: hastily lead away.
Exeunt
Oh, peace, Paulina!
You will take a husband with my permission,
as I take a wife with yours: this is a bargain
that we have sworn between us. You have found mine;
but how, I don't know; for I saw her,
as I thought, dead, and have in vain said many
prayers at her grave. I'll not look far–
I partly know what he's thinking–to find you
an honourable husband. Come, Camillo,
and take her by the hand; your worth and honesty
is fully appreciated and vouched for
by us, a pair of kings. Let's go from this place.
What! Look at my brother: both of you
forgive me,
for ever regarding your holy looks
with my foul suspicions. This is your son-in-law,
the son of the king, who, directed by the gods,
is engaged to your daughter. Good Paulina,
take us from here, where we can at leisure
question each other, and say what has happened
in this great stretch of time, since we
were first separated: quickly take us away.
In Plain and Simple English
M.ANTONY, Triumvir
OCTAVIUS CAESAR, Triumvir
M. AEMIL. LEPIDUS, Triumvir
SEXTUS POMPEIUS Triumvir
DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, friend to Antony
VENTIDIUS, friend to Antony
EROS, friend to Antony
SCARUS, friend to Antony
DERCETAS, friend to Antony
DEMETRIUS, friend to Antony
PHILO, friend to Antony
MAECENAS, friend to Caesar
AGRIPPA, friend to Caesar
DOLABELLA, friend to Caesar
PROCULEIUS, friend to Caesar
THYREUS, friend to Caesar
GALLUS, friend to Caesar