The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 562
Which even but now, demanding after you,
Denied me to come in--return, and force
Their scanted courtesy.
Dear me, bare headed!
My gracious lord, there is a shack nearby;
it will give you some protection against the storm:
you rest there, while I go to this hard house–
even harder than the stones it is made of;
even just now, when I asked after you,
they would not let me in–again and force them to
show us some courtesy.
KING LEAR
My wits begin to turn.
Come on, my boy: how dost, my boy? art cold?
I am cold myself. Where is this straw, my fellow?
The art of our necessities is strange,
That can make vile things precious. Come,
your hovel.
Poor fool and knave, I have one part in my heart
That's sorry yet for thee.
I'm beginning to go mad.
Come on, my boy: how are you, my boy? Are you cold?
I am cold myself. Where is this place, my friend?
Necessity is a strange master,
which makes vile things valuable. Come on,
show me your shack.
Poor fool and knave, one part of my heart
is still sorry for you.
Fool
[Singing]
He that has and a little tiny wit--
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,--
Must make content with his fortunes fit,
For the rain it raineth every day.
The one who has a tiny mind–
sing hey, ho, the wind and the rain–
must be happy with whatever he gets,
for the rain comes down every day.
KING LEAR
True, my good boy. Come, bring us to this hovel.
Exeunt KING LEAR and KENT
That's true, my good lad. Come on, bring us to this shack.
Fool
This is a brave night to cool a courtezan.
I'll speak a prophecy ere I go:
When priests are more in word than matter;
When brewers mar their malt with water;
When nobles are their tailors' tutors;
No heretics burn'd, but wenches' suitors;
When every case in law is right;
No squire in debt, nor no poor knight;
When slanders do not live in tongues;
Nor cutpurses come not to throngs;
When usurers tell their gold i' the field;
And bawds and whores do churches build;
Then shall the realm of Albion
Come to great confusion:
Then comes the time, who lives to see't,
That going shall be used with feet.
This prophecy Merlin shall make; for I live before his time.
Exit
This night would cool a harlot's ardour.
I'll make a prediction before I go:
when priests are more about speech than substance,
when brewers water down their beer,
when noblemen start teaching tailors,
when heretics aren't burned but boyfriends are,
when every legal case is just,
when no squires or poor knights are in debt,
when nobody tells lies,
and pickpockets don't come to crowds,
when moneylenders count their gold in fields,
and pimps and whores build churches,
then the Kingdom of England
will be in great turmoil:
for those who live to see that time,
they'll find all men will have to walk.
Merlin will make this prophecy
because I was born before him.
Enter GLOUCESTER and EDMUND
GLOUCESTER
Alack, alack, Edmund, I like not this unnatural
dealing. When I desire their leave that I might
pity him, they took from me the use of mine own
house; charged me, on pain of their perpetual
displeasure, neither to speak of him, entreat for
him, nor any way sustain him.
Alas, alas, Edmund, I don't like this unnatural
behaviour. When I asked their permission
to pity him, they took away the use of my own
house; they ordered me, on pain of their permanent
hatred, not to speak of him, plead for him,
nor in any way to help him.
EDMUND
Most savage and unnatural!
This is most savage and unnatural!
GLOUCESTER
Go to; say you nothing. There's a division betwixt
the dukes; and a worse matter than that: I have
received a letter this night; 'tis dangerous to be
spoken; I have locked the letter in my closet:
these injuries the king now bears will be revenged
home; there's part of a power already footed: we
must incline to the king. I will seek him, and
privily relieve him: go you and maintain talk with
the duke, that my charity be not of him perceived:
if he ask for me. I am ill, and gone to bed.
Though I die for it, as no less is threatened me,
the king my old master must be relieved. There is
some strange thing toward, Edmund; pray you, be careful.
Exit
And that's not the half of it. There is a split between
the Dukes, and there's something worse going on. I have
received a letter tonight; it is dangerous
to speak of; I have locked the letter in my room. These
injuries done to the King will come home to roost;
part of an army has already landed; we must
support the King. I will find him and secretly
help him; you go and talk to the Duke,
so that he does not discover my charity. If he asks for me
say that I am ill and have gone to bed. Even if I die for it, as they
threaten I will, I must still help the King, my old master.
There are strange things going on, Edmund;
please, be careful.
EDMUND
This courtesy, forbid thee, shall the duke
Instantly know; and of that letter too:
This seems a fair deserving, and must draw me
That which my father loses; no less than all:
The younger rises when the old doth fall.
Exit
The Duke shall instantly know of this charity,
which you were forbidden to do; he'll know about that letter too:
that would seem to deserve a reward, and must give me a chance
of getting the things taken from my father; I want it all:
the young one rises as the old one falls.
Enter KING LEAR, KENT, and Fool
KENT
Here is the place, my lord; good my lord, enter:
The tyranny of the open night's too rough
For nature to endure.
Storm still
This is the place, my lord; come in my good lord:
the night is too rough
to stay in the open.
KING LEAR
Let me alone.
Leave me alone.
KENT
Good my lord, enter here.
My good lord, come in.
KING LEAR
Wilt break my heart?
Do you want to break my heart?
KENT
I had rather break mine own. Good my lord, enter.
I would rather break my own. My good lord, come in.
KING LEAR
Thou think'st 'tis much that this contentious storm
Invades us to the skin: so 'tis to thee;
But where the greater malady is fix'd,
The lesser is scarce felt. Thou'
ldst shun a bear;
But if thy flight lay toward the raging sea,
Thou'ldst meet the bear i' the mouth. When the
mind's free,
The body's delicate: the tempest in my mind
Doth from my senses take all feeling else
Save what beats there. Filial ingratitude!
Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand
For lifting food to't? But I will punish home:
No, I will weep no more. In such a night
To shut me out! Pour on; I will endure.
In such a night as this! O Regan, Goneril!
Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all,--
O, that way madness lies; let me shun that;
No more of that.
It bothers you that this terrible storm
soaks us to the skin: it bothers you;
but when there is a greater illness,
one hardly feels the lesser one. You would run from a bear;
but if your escape route took you into the raging sea,
you would fight that bear face-to-face. When your mind is at ease
the body is sensitive; the storm in my mind
takes away all other feelings
except what is in there–the ingratitude of my daughters!
Should the mouth bite the hand that feeds it?
But I will have my revenge:
no, I will not cry any more. To lock me out
on such a night? Carry on raining, I will endure it.
On a night like this? O Regan, Goneril!
Your kind old father, whose open heart gave you everything–
oh! Thinking like that leads to madness; I reject that;
no more of that.
KENT
Good my lord, enter here.
My good lord, please come in.
KING LEAR
Prithee, go in thyself: seek thine own ease:
This tempest will not give me leave to ponder
On things would hurt me more. But I'll go in.
To the Fool
In, boy; go first. You houseless poverty,--
Nay, get thee in. I'll pray, and then I'll sleep.
Fool goes in
Poor naked wretches, whereso'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
Your loop'd and window'd raggedness, defend you
From seasons such as these? O, I have ta'en
Too little care of this! Take physic, pomp;
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel,
That thou mayst shake the superflux to them,
And show the heavens more just.
Please, go in yourself: make yourself comfortable:
this storm stops me from thinking
about other things which are more painful. But I'll go in.
You go in first, boy. You poor homeless–
no, go inside. I'll pray, and then I'll sleep.
Poor naked wretches, wherever you are,
that suffer the pelting of this pitiless storm,
how will your roofless heads and hungry sides,
with your clothes full of holes, defend you
against this sort of weather? Oh! I have paid
too little attention to this. It would do you good, rich ones;
exposing yourself to what poor men feel,
you might then give them some of your surplus
to show that heaven is more fair.
EDGAR
[Within] Fathom and half, fathom and half! Poor Tom!
The Fool runs out from the hovel
Fathom and half, fathom and half! Poor Tom!
Fool
Come not in here, nuncle, here's a spirit.
Help me, help me!
Don't come in here, nuncle, there's a ghost.
Help me, help me!
KENT
Give me thy hand. Who's there?
Give me your hand. Who's there?
Fool
A spirit, a spirit: he says his name's poor Tom.
A ghost, a ghost: he says his name is poor Tom.
KENT
What art thou that dost grumble there i' the straw?
Come forth.
Enter EDGAR disguised as a mad man
Who are you, muttering there in the straw?
Come out.
EDGAR
Away! the foul fiend follows me!
Through the sharp hawthorn blows the cold wind.
Hum! go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.
Go away! The devil is chasing me!
The cold wind blows through the sharp hawthorn bushes.
Hum! Go to your cold bed and warm up.
KING LEAR
Hast thou given all to thy two daughters?
And art thou come to this?
Have you given everything to your two daughters?
And has it brought you to this?
EDGAR
Who gives any thing to poor Tom? whom the foul
fiend hath led through fire and through flame, and
through ford and whirlipool e'er bog and quagmire;
that hath laid knives under his pillow, and halters
in his pew; set ratsbane by his porridge; made him
proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting-horse over
four-inched bridges, to course his own shadow for a
traitor. Bless thy five wits! Tom's a-cold,--O, do
de, do de, do de. Bless thee from whirlwinds,
star-blasting, and taking! Do poor Tom some
charity, whom the foul fiend vexes: there could I
have him now,--and there,--and there again, and there.
Storm still
Who gives anything to poor Tom? The one the
Devil has led through the fire and the flame,
through the ford and the whirlpool, bog and swamp;
he has put knives under his pillow, nooses
outside his bedroom window; put rat poison by his porridge,
made him so cocky that he would ride his trotting horse
over four inch bridges, hunting his own shadow as a traitor.
Bless your five wits! Tom's cold. Oh! La di
da di da. Save you from whirlwinds, lightning
and illness! Be nice to poor Tom,
whom the devil tortures. I could get him
now, there, there again, there.
KING LEAR
What, have his daughters brought him to this pass?
Couldst thou save nothing? Didst thou give them all?
What, have his daughters reduced him to this state?
Couldn't you save anything? Did you give them the lot?
Fool
Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all shamed.
No, he's saved a blanket, otherwise we'd all be embarrassed.
KING LEAR
Now, all the plagues that in the pendulous air
Hang fated o'er men's faults light on thy daughters!
Now, may all the plagues that hang in the air
waiting to punish men's faults crash down on your daughters!
KENT
He hath no daughters, sir.
He has no daughters, sir.
KING LEAR
Death, traitor! nothing could have subdued nature
To such a lowness but his unkind daughters.
Is it the fashion, that discarded fathers
Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
Judicious punishment! 'twas this flesh begot
Those pelican daughters.
Death to you, traitor! Nothing could have brought someone
so low except for unkind daughters.
Is this the fashion, for rejected fathers
to punish their flesh like this?
An appropriate punishment! It was the flesh that created
those cannibal daughters.
EDGAR
Pillicock sat
on Pillicock-hill:
Halloo, halloo, loo, loo!
Pillicock sat on Pillicock-hill:
Halloo, halloo, loo, loo!
Fool
This cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen.
This cold night will turn us all into fools and madmen.
EDGAR
Take heed o' the foul fiend: obey thy parents;
keep thy word justly; swear not; commit not with
man's sworn spouse; set not thy sweet heart on proud
array. Tom's a-cold.
Listen to the devil: obey your parents;
always keep your word; do not swear; don't
commit adultery; don't yearn for flashy
clothes. Tom's cold.
KING LEAR
What hast thou been?
What were you?
EDGAR
A serving-man, proud in heart and mind; that curled
my hair; wore gloves in my cap; served the lust of
my mistress' heart, and did the act of darkness with
her; swore as many oaths as I spake words, and
broke them in the sweet face of heaven: one that
slept in the contriving of lust, and waked to do it:
wine loved I deeply, dice dearly: and in woman
out-paramoured the Turk: false of heart, light of
ear, bloody of hand; hog in sloth, fox in stealth,
wolf in greediness, dog in madness, lion in prey.
Let not the creaking of shoes nor the rustling of
silks betray thy poor heart to woman: keep thy foot
out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy pen
from lenders' books, and defy the foul fiend.
Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind:
Says suum, mun, ha, no, nonny.
Dolphin my boy, my boy, sessa! let him trot by.