The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 456
MARK ANTONY
The gods best know,--
The gods know best,--
CLEOPATRA
O, never was there queen
Oh, there was never a queen
So mightily betray'd! yet at the first
Betrayed so much! Yet from the beginning
I saw the treasons planted.
I saw the betrayal begun.
MARK ANTONY
Cleopatra,--
Cleopatra,--
CLEOPATRA
Why should I think you can be mine and true,
Why should I think you can be mine and faithful,
Though you in swearing shake the throned gods,
Even if you swear by all the gods,
Who have been false to Fulvia? Riotous madness,
You who have betrayed Fulvia? Chaotic madness,
To be entangled with those mouth-made vows,
To be mixed up with those promises spoken,
Which break themselves in swearing!
Which break themselves as they are being sworn!
MARK ANTONY
Most sweet queen,--
Sweetest queen,--
CLEOPATRA
Nay, pray you, seek no colour for your going,
No, please, don't look for permission to leave,
But bid farewell, and go: when you sued staying,
But say goodbye, and go: when you begged to stay,
Then was the time for words: no going then;
That was the time for words: you wouldn't go then;
Eternity was in our lips and eyes,
Our lips and eyes saw forever,Bliss in our brows' bent; none our parts so poor,
Perfect happiness in our faces; none of our parts, however unimportant
But was a race of heaven: they are so still,
Were less than heavenly: they are still that way, Or thou, the greatest soldier of the world,
Or you, the greatest soldier in the world,
Art turn'd the greatest liar.
Have become the biggest liar.
MARK ANTONY
How now, lady!
What, lady!
CLEOPATRA
I would I had thy inches; thou shouldst know
I wish I were as tall and strong as you; you would know
There were a heart in Egypt.
There is a heart in Egypt.
MARK ANTONY
Hear me, queen:
Listen to me, queen:
The strong necessity of time commands
The importance of quick action will take up
Our services awhile; but my full heart
Our time and energy for a while; but my whole heart
Remains in use with you. Our Italy
Stays with you. Our Italy
Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius
Is struck with civil war: Sextus Pompeius
Makes his approaches to the port of Rome:
Is coming to the port of Rome:
Equality of two domestic powers
The equality of two domestic powers
Breed scrupulous faction: the hated, grown to strength,
Have had new results: the hated, now stronger,
Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey,
Are now allies: the condemned Pompey,
Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace,
Rich in his father's honor, is creeping
Into the hearts of such as have not thrived
Into the hearts of those who have not done well
Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten;
Under the current situation, whose numbers are threatening;
And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge
And tired of the peace, would start violence
By any desperate change: my more particular,
For any desperate change: and my most important reason,
And that which most with you should safe my going,
And the most important one for you sending me on my way,
Is Fulvia's death.
Is Fulvia dying.
CLEOPATRA
Though age from folly could not give me freedom,
Though getting older could not save me from foolishness,
It does from childishness: can Fulvia die?
It does from childishness: is it possible for Fulvia to die?
MARK ANTONY
She's dead, my queen:
She is dead, my queen:Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read
Look here, and when you have time read
The garboils she awaked; at the last, best:
The troubles she awakened; especially at the end:
See when and where she died.
See where and when she died.
CLEOPATRA
O most false love!
Oh most unfaithful love!
Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill
Where are your tears?
With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see,
Where is your sadness? Now I see, I see,
In Fulvia's death, how mine received shall be.
How you would treat my death, through Fulvia's.
MARK ANTONY
Quarrel no more, but be prepared to know
Don't argue any longer, but be prepared to know
The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,
The intentions I have; which will continue, or stop,
As you shall give the advice. By the fire
Depending on the advice you give. By the energy
That quickens Nilus' slime, I go from hence
That moves the Nile, I go from here
Thy soldier, servant; making peace or war
Your soldier, servant; making peace or war
As thou affect'st.
As you wish.
CLEOPATRA
Cut my lace, Charmian, come;
Help me with my clothes, Charmian, come
But let it be: I am quickly ill, and well,
But leave it alone: I am quickly ill, and well,
So Antony loves.
That is how Antony loves.
MARK ANTONY
My precious queen, forbear;
My precious queen, please hang on;
And give true evidence to his love, which stands
And give accurate evidence to his love, when it stands
An honourable trial.
An honorable trial.
CLEOPATRA
So Fulvia told me.
That is what Fulvia told me.
I prithee, turn aside and weep for her,
Please, go, and cry for her,
Then bid adieu to me, and say the tears
Then say goodbye to me, and say the tears
Belong to Egypt: good now, play one scene
Belong to Egypt: be good now, play one scene
Of excellent dissembling; and let it look
Of excellent lying; and let it look
Life perfect honour.
Perfectly lifelike honor.
MARK ANTONY
You'll heat my blood: no more.
You'll upset me: stop.
CLEOPATRA
You can do better yet; but this is meetly.
You can do better yet; but this is appropriate.
MARK ANTONY
Now, by my sword,--
Now, I swear,--
CLEOPATRA
And target. Still he mends;
And target. Still he tries to fix;
But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Charmian,
But this is not the best. Look, please, Charmian,
How this Herculean Roman does become
How this Roman so much like Hercules becomes
The carriage of his chafe.
The vehicle of his own troubles.
MARK ANTONY
I'll leave you, lady.
I'll leave you here, lady.
CLEOPATRA
Courteous lor
d, one word.
Polite lord, just one word.
Sir, you and I must part, but that's not it:
Sir, you and I must separate, but that's not it:
Sir, you and I have loved, but there's not it;
Sir, you and I have loved, but that's not it;
That you know well: something it is I would,
You know that well: it is something I want,
O, my oblivion is a very Antony,
Oh, my doom is all Antony,
And I am all forgotten.
And I am completely forgotten.
MARK ANTONY
But that your royalty
Except for your royalty
Holds idleness your subject, I should take you
Makes not doing anything your subject, I would take you
For idleness itself.
For inaction itself.
CLEOPATRA
'Tis sweating labour
It is sweating labor
To bear such idleness so near the heart
To bring such inaction so near the heart
As Cleopatra this. But, sir, forgive me;
As this does to Cleopatra. But, sir, forgive me;
Since my becomings kill me, when they do not
Since my good qualities kill me, when they do not
Eye well to you: your honour calls you hence;
Seem good to you: your honor calls you from here;
Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly.
Therefore do not listen to my foolishness no one pities.
And all the gods go with you! upon your sword
And may all the gods go with you! May your sword
Sit laurel victory! and smooth success
Have victory! And may smooth success
Be strew'd before your feet!
Be spread under your feet!
MARK ANTONY
Let us go. Come;
Let's go. Come on;
Our separation so abides, and flies,
Are separation will be like this,
That thou, residing here, go'st yet with me,
That you, staying here, still go with me,
And I, hence fleeting, here remain with thee. Away!
And I, running from here, am still here with you. Away!
Exeunt
Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, reading a letter, LEPIDUS, and their Train
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know,
You may see, Lepidus, and know from now on,
It is not Caesar's natural vice to hate
That it is not Caesar's natural sin to hate
Our great competitor: from Alexandria
Our enemy: from Alexandria
This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes
This is the news: he messes around, drinks, and wastes
The lamps of night in revel; is not more man-like
The oil in lamps in his late-night parties; he is not more a man
Than Cleopatra; nor the queen of Ptolemy
Than Cleopatra; and the queen of PtolemyMore womanly than he; hardly gave audience, or
Isn't any more like a woman than him; he hardly paid attention, or
Vouchsafed to think he had partners: you shall find there
Volunteered the information that he had allies: you will find there
A man who is the abstract of all faults
A man who is the example of all flaws
That all men follow.
That all people have.
LEPIDUS
I must not think there are
I must not believe there areEvils enow to darken all his goodness:
Enough evil things to spoil all his goodness:
His faults in him seem as the spots of heaven,
His faults in him are like the stars in the sky,
More fiery by night's blackness; hereditary,
More bright in the darkness of nighttime; inherited,
Rather than purchased; what he cannot change,
Instead of bought; what he cannot change,
Than what he chooses.
Not what he chooses.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
You are too indulgent. Let us grant, it is not
You are too generous. Let us allow that it is not
Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy;
A problem to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy;
To give a kingdom for a mirth; to sit
To give away a kingdom for some fun; to sit
And keep the turn of tippling with a slave;
And chat with a slave;
To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet
To wander the streets at noon, and spend your time
With knaves that smell of sweat: say this
With villains who smell of sweat; say this
becomes him,--
is a suitable thing for him, --
As his composure must be rare indeed
Since his dignity must be unusually good indeed
Whom these things cannot blemish,--yet must Antony
If it cannot be reduced by these things, -- yet Antony
No way excuse his soils, when we do bear
Does not excuse himself at all, when we do carry
So great weight in his lightness. If he fill'd
Such a big weight when his is so light. If he filled
His vacancy with his voluptuousness,
The things he lacks with the things he has,
Full surfeits, and the dryness of his bones,
Full amounts, and the dryness of his bones,
Call on him for't: but to confound such time,
Call on him for it: but to use up such time,
That drums him from his sport, and speaks as loud
That takes him from his fun, and speaks as loud
As his own state and ours,--'tis to be chid
As his own situation and ours, -- it is to be scolded
As we rate boys, who, being mature in knowledge,
The way we consider boys, who, being mature in knowledge,
Pawn their experience to their present pleasure,
Trade their experience for their current pleasure,
And so rebel to judgment.
And in that way rebel against better judgment.
Enter a Messenger
LEPIDUS
Here's more news.
Here's some more news.
Messenger
Thy biddings have been done; and every hour,
Your commands have been done; and once every hour,
Most noble Caesar, shalt thou have report
Noblest Caesar, you shall have a report
How 'tis abroad. Pompey is strong at sea;
Of how things are abroad. Pompey's forces are strong at sea'
And it appears he is beloved of those
And it appears that he is loved by those
That only have fear'd Caesar: to the ports
That have only feared [rather than loved] Caesar: to the ports
The discontents repair, and men's reports
The people who are not content go, and the reports of him
Give him much wrong'd.
Say he has been much wronged.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
I should have known no less.
I should have known it.
It hath been taught us from the primal state,
It has been taught to us from the very beginning,
That he which is was wish'd until he were;
That he who is in power was wanted until he made it;
And the ebb'd man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love,
And the man in a bad situation, never loved until he was never worth love
Comes dear'd by being lack'd. This common body,
Becomes loved by being gone. The common people,
Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream,
Is like a torn flag floating on the stream,
Goes t
o and back, lackeying the varying tide,
Going to and fro, traveling with the changing tine,
To rot itself with motion.
Rotting with its motion.
Messenger
Caesar, I bring thee word,
Caesar, I bring you news,
Menecrates and Menas, famous pirates,
Menecrates and Menas, well-known pirates,Make the sea serve them, which they ear and wound
Are ruling the sea, where they cut people's ears off and wound
With keels of every kind: many hot inroads
On all sorts of ships: a lot of progress
They make in Italy; the borders maritime
They make in Italy; those on the coasts
Lack blood to think on't, and flush youth revolt:
Do not have the courage to deal with it, and protest:
No vessel can peep forth, but 'tis as soon
No ship can go out without immediately being
Taken as seen; for Pompey's name strikes more
Spotted, for Pompey's name means more
Than could his war resisted.
Than his war can be reisisted.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Antony,
Mark Antony,Leave thy lascivious wassails. When thou once
Leave your immoral games. When you once
Wast beaten from Modena, where thou slew'st
Were chased from Modena, when you killed
Hirtius and Pansa, consuls, at thy heel
Hirtius and Pansa, officials, after you
Did famine follow; whom thou fought'st against,
Famine followed; which you fought against,
Though daintily brought up, with patience more
Though raised in comfort, with more patience
Than savages could suffer: thou didst drink
Than savages could endure: you drank
The stale of horses, and the gilded puddle
Horse urine, and dirty puddles
Which beasts would cough at: thy palate then did deign
Which animals would refuse: your appetite was humble enough
The roughest berry on the rudest hedge;
To eat tough berries from tougher bushes;
Yea, like the stag, when snow the pasture sheets,
Yes, like the stag deer, when the pastures are covered in snow,
The barks of trees thou browsed'st; on the Alps
You ate the bark of trees; on the Alps
It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh,
Rumor has it you ate strange meat,Which some did die to look on: and all this--