The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 457
Which some died to see: and all this --
It wounds thine honour that I speak it now--
It injures your honor that I say it now --
Was borne so like a soldier, that thy cheek
Was tolerated so much like a soldier, that your face
So much as lank'd not.
Never lost strength.
LEPIDUS
'Tis pity of him.
It is a real shame.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Let his shames quickly
May his shames quickly
Drive him to Rome: 'tis time we twain
Push him to Rome: it is time the two of us
Did show ourselves i' the field; and to that end
Showed ourselves in the field; and to that purpose
Assemble we immediate council: Pompey
We will immediately gather together: Pompey
Thrives in our idleness.
Becomes stronger as we do nothing.
LEPIDUS
To-morrow, Caesar,
Tomorrow, Caesar,
I shall be furnish'd to inform you rightly
I will have the ability to tell you correctly
Both what by sea and land I can be able
What by sea and land I will be able
To front this present time.
To manage at this time.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Till which encounter,
Until that meeting,
It is my business too. Farewell.
It is my work too. Farewell.
LEPIDUS
Farewell, my lord: what you shall know meantime
Farewell, my lord: whatever you find out in the meantime
Of stirs abroad, I shall beseech you, sir,
About foreign issues, please, sir,
To let me be partaker.
Fill me in as well.
OCTAVIUS CAESAR
Doubt not, sir;
Do not doubt it, sir;
I knew it for my bond.
I knew it as part of my promise.
Exeunt
Enter CLEOPATRA, CHARMIAN, IRAS, and MARDIAN
CLEOPATRA
Charmian!
Charmian!
CHARMIAN
Madam?
Madam?
CLEOPATRA
Ha, ha!
Ha ha!Give me to drink mandragora.
Give me a sleeping potion to drink.
CHARMIAN
Why, madam?
Why, madam?
CLEOPATRA
That I might sleep out this great gap of time
So I may sleep away the huge length of time
My Antony is away.
My Mark Antony is away.
CHARMIAN
You think of him too much.
You think about him too much.
CLEOPATRA
O, 'tis treason!
Oh, that is treason!
CHARMIAN
Madam, I trust, not so.
Madam, I'm sure it isn't.
CLEOPATRA
Thou, eunuch Mardian!
Hey you, Mardian the eunuch!
MARDIAN
What's your highness' pleasure?
What does your highness wish?
CLEOPATRA
Not now to hear thee sing; I take no pleasure
Not to hear you sing right now; I have no enjoyment
In aught an eunuch has: 'tis well for thee,
In anything a eunuch has: it is good for you,
That, being unseminar'd, thy freer thoughts
That, not having an education, your freer thoughts
May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections?
Will not go away from Egypt. Do you have romantic feelings?
MARDIAN
Yes, gracious madam.
Yes, kind lady.
CLEOPATRA
Indeed!
You do?
MARDIAN
Not in deed, madam; for I can do nothing
I have not acted on them, madam; for I can do nothing
But what indeed is honest to be done:
Except for what can be honestly done:
Yet have I fierce affections, and think
Yet I have have passionate feelings, and think
What Venus did with Mars.
About how Venus did to Mars.
CLEOPATRA
O Charmian,
Oh, Charmian,
Where think'st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he?
Where do you think he is now? Is he standing or sitting?
Or does he walk? or is he on his horse?
Or is he walking? Or is he on his horse?
O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony!
Oh, lucky horse, to carry the weight of Antony!
Do bravely, horse! for wot'st thou whom thou movest?
Be brave, horse! For do you know whom you are moving?
The demi-Atlas of this earth, the arm
The holder-up of this earth, the arm
And burgonet of men. He's speaking now,
And ruler of men. He's speaking now,
Or murmuring 'Where's my serpent of old Nile?'
Or murmuring, "Where is my snake of the old Nile?"
For so he calls me: now I feed myself
Because he calls me that: now I feed myself
With most delicious poison. Think on me,
With delicious poison. Think about me,
That am with Phoebus' amorous pinches black,
That am bruised with the pinches of love,
And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar,
And struggling with time? Wide and strong Caesar,
When thou wast here above the ground, I was
When you were here above the ground, I was
A morsel for a monarch: and great Pompey
A small mouthful for a ruler: and great Pompey
Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow;
Would stand and watch me;
There would he anchor his aspect and die
There he would fasten himself and die
With looking on his life.
From looking at his life.
Enter ALEXAS, from OCTAVIUS CAESAR
ALEXAS
Sovereign of Egypt, hail!
Leader of Egypt, greetings!
CLEOPATRA
How much unlike art thou Mark Antony!
You are so different from Mark Antony!
Yet, coming from him, that great medicine hath
Yet, since you have come from him, you
With his tinct gilded thee.
Are blessed with his essence.
How goes it with my brave Mark Antony?
How is my brave Mark Antony doing?
ALEXAS
Last thing he did, dear queen,
The last thing he did, dear queen,
He kiss'd,--the last of many doubled kisses,--
He kissed, -- the last of many repeated kisses, --
This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
This Asian pearl. His speech sticks in my heart.
CLEOPATRA
Mine ear must pluck it thence.
My ear must pull it from there.
ALEXAS
'Good friend,' quoth he,
'Good friend,' he says,
'Say, the firm Roman to great Egypt sends
'The steady Roman to great Egypt sends
This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot,
This treasure from an oyster; in front of which,
To mend the petty present, I will piece
To make up for that small present, I will surround
Her opulent throne with kingdoms; all the east,
Her wealthy throne with kingdoms; all the east,
Say thou, shall call her mistress.' So he nodded,
Shall call her their ruler.' So he nodded,
And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed,
And
in a serious manner climbed up on an armored horse,
Who neigh'd so high, that what I would have spoke
Who neighed so loud, that what I would have spoken
Was beastly dumb'd by him.
Was drowned out by him.
CLEOPATRA
What, was he sad or merry?
What, was he sad, or cheerful?
ALEXAS
Like to the time o' the year between the extremes
Like the time of year between the extremes
Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry.
Of hot and cold, he was neither sad or cheerful.
CLEOPATRA
O well-divided disposition! Note him,
Oh, calm and sensible personality! Notice him,
Note him good Charmian, 'tis the man; but note him:
Notice him good Charmian, it is the man; but notice him;
He was not sad, for he would shine on those
He was not sad, because he wanted to inspire those
That make their looks by his; he was not merry,
That take their example from him; he was not cheerful,
Which seem'd to tell them his remembrance lay
Which would seem to tell them his heart lay
In Egypt with his joy; but between both:
In Egypt with his joy; but kept his mood between both:
O heavenly mingle! Be'st thou sad or merry,
Oh wonderful mixture! Whether you are sad or cheerful,
The violence of either thee becomes,
You become either extreme,
So does it no man else. Met'st thou my posts?
No other man does like him. Did you meet my messengers?
ALEXAS
Ay, madam, twenty several messengers:
Yes, madam, twenty different messengers:
Why do you send so thick?
Why do you send so many at once?
CLEOPATRA
Who's born that day
Whoever is born the day
When I forget to send to Antony,
When I forget to write to Antony,
Shall die a beggar. Ink and paper, Charmian.
Shall die a beggar. Bring me ink and paper, Charmian,
Welcome, my good Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
Welcome, my dear Alexas. Did I, Charmian,
Ever love Caesar so?
Ever love that Caesar so much?
CHARMIAN
O that brave Caesar!
Oh, that brave Caesar!
CLEOPATRA
Be choked with such another emphasis!
Be choked if you say something like that again!
Say, the brave Antony.
Say instead, the brave Antony.
CHARMIAN
The valiant Caesar!
The courageous Caesar!
CLEOPATRA
By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth,
By Isis, I will give you bloody teeth,
If thou with Caesar paragon again
If you compare with Caesar again,
My man of men.
My ultimate man.
CHARMIAN
By your most gracious pardon,
Please kindly forgive me,
I sing but after you.
I am only following you in praises.
CLEOPATRA
My salad days,
My younger days,
When I was green in judgment: cold in blood,
When I was inexperienced in judgement: cold in blood,
To say as I said then! But, come, away;
To say what I said then! But, come on, let's go:
Get me ink and paper:
Fetch me ink and paper:
He shall have every day a several greeting,
I will send him a different greeting each day,
Or I'll unpeople Egypt.
Or I'll make Egypt have no people.
Exeunt
Enter POMPEY, MENECRATES, and MENAS, in warlike manner
POMPEY
If the great gods be just, they shall assist
If the great gods are fair, they will help
The deeds of justest men.
The actions of fair men.
MENECRATES
Know, worthy Pompey,
You should know, worthy Pompey,
That what they do delay, they not deny.
That the things they delay, they don't deny.
POMPEY
Whiles we are suitors to their throne, decays
While we are contenders to their throne, it slowly ruins
The thing we sue for.
The thing we are trying to get.
MENECRATES
We, ignorant of ourselves,
We, unaware of ourselves,
Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers
Often ask for things that will harm us, which wise powers
Deny us for our good; so find we profit
Keep away from us for our own good; so we find out we benefit
By losing of our prayers.
By not getting our prayers.
POMPEY
I shall do well:
I will succeed:
The people love me, and the sea is mine;
The people love me, and my navy rules the sea:
My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope
My powers are growing, and my hopeful prediction
Says it will come to the full. Mark Antony
Says they will become full. Mark Antony
In Egypt sits at dinner, and will make
Sits at dinner in Egypt, and will make
No wars without doors: Caesar gets money where
No wars without opportunities: Caesar gets money where
He loses hearts: Lepidus flatters both,
He loses loyalty: Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flatter'd; but he neither loves,
And is flattered by both, but he loves neither,
Nor either cares for him.
And neither of them cares for him.
MENAS
Caesar and Lepidus
Caesar and LepidusAre in the field: a mighty strength they carry.
Are on the battlefield: they have strong armies.
POMPEY
Where have you this? 'tis false.
Where did you hear this? It's false.
MENAS
From Silvius, sir.
POMPEY
He dreams: I know they are in Rome together,
He is imagining it: I know they are in Rome together,
Looking for Antony. But all the charms of love,
Looking for Antony. But all the attractive things about love,
Salt Cleopatra, soften thy waned lip!
Salty Cleopatra, soften your lips!
Let witchcraft join with beauty, lust with both!
Let witchcraft combine with beauty, and lust with both!
Tie up the libertine in a field of feasts,
Tie up the immoral man in a field of feasts,
Keep his brain fuming; Epicurean cooks
Keep his brain confused; gourmet cooks
Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite;
Sharpen his appetite with delicious sauces;
That sleep and feeding may prorogue his honour
So that sleeping and eating may reduce his honor
Even till a Lethe'd dulness!
To a forgetful dullness!
Enter VARRIUS
How now, Varrius!
What's going on, Varrius?
VARRIUS
This is most certain that I shall deliver:
I certainly will deliver this news:
Mark Antony is every hour in Rome
Mark Antony is, at any time now,
Expected: since he went from Egypt 'tis
Expected in Rome: since he left Egypt there is
A space for further travel.
A space for even more travel.
POMPEY
> I could have given less matter
I could have given a shorter message
A better ear. Menas, I did not think
A more thorough listen. Menas, I did not think
This amorous surfeiter would have donn'd his helm
This lover-boy would have put on his helmet
For such a petty war: his soldiership
For such a little, unimportant war: his soldier's skills
Is twice the other twain: but let us rear
Are twice the other two: but let us raise
The higher our opinion, that our stirring
Our opinion of ourselves even higher, that our causing trouble
Can from the lap of Egypt's widow pluck
Can separate from Egypt's queen
The ne'er-lust-wearied Antony.
Antony, who never tires of lust.
MENAS
I cannot hope
I don't dare hope
Caesar and Antony shall well greet together:
That Caesar and Antony will get along well:
His wife that's dead did trespasses to Caesar;
His dead wife did cause trouble to Caesar;
His brother warr'd upon him; although, I think,
His brother fought him; although, I think,
Not moved by Antony.
Not encouraged by Antony.
POMPEY
I know not, Menas,
I don't know, Menas,
How lesser enmities may give way to greater.
How smaller hatreds may be pushed aside for larger.
Were't not that we stand up against them all,
If we weren't standing up against all of them,
'Twere pregnant they should square betweenthemselves;
It is likely they would attack each other;
For they have entertained cause enough
Because they have given enough reasons
To draw their swords: but how the fear of us
To pull out their swords: but how the fear of us
May cement their divisions and bind up
May bring them together and close up
The petty difference, we yet not know.
The small differences, we don't know yet.
Be't as our gods will have't! It only stands
May it be according to the gods! It only makes sense