The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 563
Storm still
A suitor, proud in heart and mind; I curled
my hair, wore gloves in my cap, satisfied
the lust in my mistress' heart, and did the forbidden
act with her; I swore as many oaths as I spoke words
and broke them right in front of God. I would plot
my seductions in my sleep, then carry them out when I woke. I loved
wine deeply, dice dearly, and as for women I had more
than a sultan: I had a false heart, I listened to all gossip, I had blood on my hands;
I was a pig for laziness, a fox for cunning, a wolf for greed, a dog
for madness, a lion for hunting. Don't let women trap your poor heart
with their creaking shoes and their rustling silks:
keep your foot out of brothels, your hand out
of petticoats, your pen out of moneylenders' ledgers,
and defy the devil. The cold wind still blows
through the hawthorn,
says suum, mun, ha, no, nonny.
Dolphin my boy, my boy, sessa! let him trot by.
KING LEAR
Why, thou wert better in thy grave than to answer
with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies.
Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou
owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep
no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha! here's three on
's are sophisticated! Thou art the thing itself:
unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor bare,
forked animal as thou art. Off, off, you lendings!
come unbutton here.
Tearing off his clothes
You would be better off in the grave than exposing
your uncovered body to the extremes of the weather.
Is this all that man is? Look at him carefully. You
don't owe the worm any silk, the animal no skin, the sheep
no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha! We three
have been corrupted! You are the genuine article:
natural man is nothing more than such a poor
bare two legged creature like you. Off, off, you borrowed things!
Let's undo these buttons.
Fool
Prithee, nuncle, be contented; 'tis a naughty night
to swim in. Now a little fire in a wild field were
like an old lecher's heart; a small spark, all the
rest on's body cold. Look, here comes a walking fire.
Enter GLOUCESTER, with a torch
Please, nuncle, be easy; this is a bad night
for swimming. A little fire in a big field is
like an old lecher's heart; a little spark
in a great coldness. Look, here comes a walking flame.
EDGAR
This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet: he begins
at curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives
the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the
hare-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the
poor creature of earth.
S. Withold footed thrice the old;
He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold;
Bid her alight,
And her troth plight,
And, aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!
This is the foul devil Flibbertigibbet: he starts
at the curfew and walks until midnight; he gives people
cataracts, squints and hare lips;
he puts mildew in the young wheat, and hurts
all poor creatures.
St Withold subdued the demon three times;
he met the demon and her nine offspring;
he told her to get down
and make a promise
and then he banished the witch.
KENT
How fares your grace?
How is your Grace?
KING LEAR
What's he?
Who's that?
KENT
Who's there? What is't you seek?
Who's there? What you want?
GLOUCESTER
What are you there? Your names?
Who are you? What are your names?
EDGAR
Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad,
the tadpole, the wall-newt and the water; that in
the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages,
eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and
the ditch-dog; drinks the green mantle of the
standing pool; who is whipped from tithing to
tithing, and stock- punished, and imprisoned; who
hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to his
body, horse to ride, and weapon to wear;
But mice and rats, and such small deer,
Have been Tom's food for seven long year.
Beware my follower. Peace, Smulkin; peace, thou fiend!
Poor Tom; the one who eats the swimming frog, the toad,
the tadpole, the water newt and the lizard; who
in his madness, when the devil rages,
eats cow-dung instead of salad; he swallows the old rat
and dead dogs; he drinks the scum off the
standing pool; he is whipped from parish to
parish, put in the stocks and imprisoned; he
once had three suits and six shirts to wear,
a horse to ride and a weapon to carry;
but mice and rats and such small game
have been Tom's food for seven long years.
Watch out for the devil. Peace, Smulkin,
peace you devil!
GLOUCESTER
What, hath your grace no better company?
Is this the best company your Grace can get?
EDGAR
The prince of darkness is a gentleman:
Modo he's call'd, and Mahu.
The devil is a gentleman:
he's called Modo, and Mahu.
GLOUCESTER
Our flesh and blood is grown so vile, my lord,
That it doth hate what gets it.
Our own flesh and blood has become so vile, my lord,
that it despises its parents.
EDGAR
Poor Tom's a-cold.
Poor Tom's cold.
GLOUCESTER
Go in with me: my duty cannot suffer
To obey in all your daughters' hard commands:
Though their injunction be to bar my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventured to come seek you out,
And bring you where both fire and food is ready.
Come in to my house: my loyalty will not allow
me to obey all your daughters' harsh orders:
though they have commanded me to lock my doors,
and let this terrible night descend on you,
I have decided to come and find you
and bring you to where there is both food and a fire.
KING LEAR
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Let me first talk with this philosopher.
What causes thunder?
KENT
Good my lord, take his offer; go into the house.
My good lord, take him up on his offer; go into the house.
KING LEAR
I'll talk a word with this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
I'll have a word with this clever chap.
What's your speciality?
EDGAR
How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.
How to block the devil, and to kill vermin.
KING LEAR
Let me ask you one word in private.
Let me have a word with you in private.
KENT
Importune him once more to go, my lord;
His wits begin to unsettle.
&
nbsp; Plead with him again to go in, my lord;
he's beginning to go mad.
GLOUCESTER
Canst thou blame him?
Storm still
His daughters seek his death: ah, that good Kent!
He said it would be thus, poor banish'd man!
Thou say'st the king grows mad; I'll tell thee, friend,
I am almost mad myself: I had a son,
Now outlaw'd from my blood; he sought my life,
But lately, very late: I loved him, friend;
No father his son dearer: truth to tell thee,
The grief hath crazed my wits. What a night's this!
I do beseech your grace,--
Can you blame him?
His daughters want him dead: ah, Kent was a good man!
He said this would happen, the poor exile!
You say the King is going mad; I'll tell you my friend,
I am almost mad myself: I had a son,
whom I have now disowned; he wanted to kill me,
very recently: I loved him, my friend;
no father loved his son more dearly: to tell you the truth,
the grief has made me mad. What a night this is!
I beg your grace–
KING LEAR
O, cry your mercy, sir.
Noble philosopher, your company.
Oh, excuse me sir.
Noble philosopher, come to me.
EDGAR
Tom's a-cold.
Tom's cold.
GLOUCESTER
In, fellow, there, into the hovel: keep thee warm.
Go in, fellow, in there, into the shack: keep yourself warm.
KING LEAR
Come let's in all.
Come on, let's all go in.
KENT
This way, my lord.
This way, my lord.
KING LEAR
With him;
I will keep still with my philosopher.
You go with him;
I'll stay with this philosopher.
KENT
Good my lord, soothe him; let him take the fellow.
Humor him my good lord, let him bring the fellow.
GLOUCESTER
Take him you on.
You lead him in.
KENT
Sirrah, come on; go along with us.
Come on, sir, come with us.
KING LEAR
Come, good Athenian.
Come on, you clever fellow.
GLOUCESTER
No words, no words: hush.
Say nothing, say nothing: hush
EDGAR
Child Rowland to the dark tower came,
His word was still,--Fie, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.
Exeunt
Child Roland to the dark tower came,
His motto remained: Fee fie fo fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.
Enter CORNWALL and EDMUND
CORNWALL
I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.
I will have my revenge before I leave his house.
EDMUND
How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus
gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think
of.
I worry, my lord, how I may be punished, for
allowing loyalty to get the better of my natural instincts.
CORNWALL
I now perceive, it was not altogether your
brother's evil disposition made him seek his death;
but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reprovable
badness in himself.
I can now see that it was not just your
brother's evil nature that made him want to kill your father;
there was a good reason, though it was spurred on
by his own wickedness.
EDMUND
How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to
be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which
approves him an intelligent party to the advantages
of France: O heavens! that this treason were not,
or not I the detector!
How unhappy my fortune is, that I must feel bad about
doing the right thing! This is the letter he spoke of, which
proves him to be a spy for France:
Oh heavens! I wish this treason did not exist,
or that I was not the one who discovered it.
CORNWALL
Go with me to the duchess.
We'll both go to the Duchess.
EDMUND
If the matter of this paper be certain, you have
mighty business in hand.
If what's in this paper is definitely right,
you have great things to do.
CORNWALL
True or false, it hath made thee earl of
Gloucester. Seek out where thy father is, that he
may be ready for our apprehension.
True or false, it has made you Earl of
Gloucester. Find out where your father is, so we
can have him arrested.
EDMUND
[Aside] If I find him comforting the king, it will
stuff his suspicion more fully.--[Aloud] I will persevere in
my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore
between that and my blood.
If I find him assisting the King, it will
make him even more suspicious–I will continue
my loyal efforts, even though it is almost
tearing me apart.
CORNWALL
I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a
dearer father in my love.
Exeunt
I will put my trust in you; and you will find a
better father in me.
Enter GLOUCESTER, KING LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR
GLOUCESTER
Here is better than the open air; take it
thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what
addition I can: I will not be long from you.
You're better off in here than in the open air; be
grateful for it. I will bring what I can to make it
more comfortable: I shan't be away for long.
KENT
All the power of his wits have given way to his
impatience: the gods reward your kindness!
Exit GLOUCESTER
All his sense has given way to his impatience;
may the gods reward you for your kindness!
EDGAR
Frateretto calls me; and tells me
Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness.
Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.
Frateretto calls me, and tells me that Nero fishes
in the lake of hell. Pray, you innocent, and beware
of the devil.
Fool
Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a
gentleman or a yeoman?
Please, nuncle, can you tell me whether a madman is a
gentleman or a commoner?
KING LEAR
A king, a king!
A King, a King!
Fool
No, he's a yeoman that has a gentleman to his son;
for he's a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman
before him.
No, he's a commoner that has a gentleman as his son;
a commoner would have to be mad to let his son become a gentleman
before him.
KING LEAR
To have a thousand with red burning spits
Come hissing in upon 'em,--
To have a thousand with red burning weapons
hissing down on them–
EDGAR
The foul fiend bites my back.
The devil is biting my back.
Fool
He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a
horse's health, a
boy's love, or a whore's oath.
A madman is one who trusts in the tameness of a wolf, the
health of a horse, the love of a boy, or the promise of a whore.
KING LEAR
It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.
To EDGAR
Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer;
To the Fool
Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she foxes!
It shall be done; I will put them on trial at once.
Come, you sit here, you learned judge.
You, you wise man, sit here. Now, you vixens!
EDGAR
Look, where he stands and glares!
Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?
Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me,--
Look how the devil stands and glares!
Do you want witnesses to your trial, madam?
Come over the stream to me, Bessie–
Fool
Her boat hath a leak,
And she must not speak
Why she dares not come over to thee.
Her boat has a leak,
and she must not say
why she doesn't dare come over to you.
EDGAR
The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a