The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 570
I can feel this pinprick. If only I could be sure
of my condition!
CORDELIA
O, look upon me, sir,
And hold your hands in benediction o'er me:
No, sir, you must not kneel.
Oh, look at me, sir,
and hold your hands over me in blessing:
no, sir, you must not kneel.
KING LEAR
Pray, do not mock me:
I am a very foolish fond old man,
Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;
And, to deal plainly,
I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Methinks I should know you, and know this man;
Yet I am doubtful for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is; and all the skill I have
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;
For, as I am a man, I think this lady
To be my child Cordelia.
Please, do not mock me:
I am a very stupid senile old man,
eighty and more, not an hour more or less;
and, to speak plainly,
I fear I am not entirely sane.
I feel as if I should know you, and know this man;
But I am unsure because I am completely ignorant
of where I am; for the life of me I cannot
remember these clothes; and I don't know
where I stayed last night. Do not laugh at me; but
I would swear on my life that this lady
is my child Cordelia.
CORDELIA
And so I am, I am.
And I am, I am.
KING LEAR
Be your tears wet? yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not:
If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
I know you do not love me; for your sisters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:
You have some cause, they have not.
Are your tears wet? Yes, indeed they are. Please, don't cry:
if you have brought poison for me, I will drink it.
I know you do not love me; I remember now
that your sisters have done me wrong,
and they had no cause, which you have.
CORDELIA
No cause, no cause.
There's no cause, no cause.
KING LEAR
Am I in France?
Am I in France?
KENT
In your own kingdom, sir.
You are in your own kingdom, sir.
KING LEAR
Do not abuse me.
Don't mock me.
Doctor
Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,
You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger
To make him even o'er the time he has lost.
Desire him to go in; trouble him no more
Till further settling.
Be reassured, good madam: the great anger,
as you can see, has died: but it is dangerous
to try and go over the time he has lost.
Ask him to come inside; don't bother him further
until he is more settled.
CORDELIA
Will't please your highness walk?
Would your Highness come this way?
KING LEAR
You must bear with me:
Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.
Exeunt all but KENT and Gentleman
You must support me:
I pray that you can forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.
Gentleman
Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so slain?
Is it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall has been killed?
KENT
Most certain, sir.
Absolutely definite, sir.
Gentleman
Who is conductor of his people?
Who is leading his people now?
KENT
As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.
Rumour has it, the bastard son of Gloucester.
Gentleman
They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl
of Kent in Germany.
They say Edgar, his exiled son, is with the Earl
of Kent in Germany.
KENT
Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the
powers of the kingdom approach apace.
There are different rumours. It's time to prepare;
the armies of the kingdom are coming on fast.
Gentleman
The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you
well, sir.
Exit
The outcome is likely to be bloody. Farewell, sir.
KENT
My point and period will be throughly wrought,
Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought.
Exit
This could be full stop at the end of my life,
for better or for worse, depending how this battle goes.
Enter, with drum and colours, EDMUND, REGAN, Gentlemen, and Soldiers.
EDMUND (To a Gentleman, who goes out)
Know of the duke if his last purpose hold,
Or whether since he is advised by aught
To change the course: he's full of alteration
And self-reproving: bring his constant pleasure.
Find out from the Duke if his last order stands,
or whether anything has happened since to make him
change his mind: he's full of changes
and self-reproach: bring back a firm order.
REGAN
Our sister's man is certainly miscarried.
Our sister's man has certainly come to harm.
EDMUND
'Tis to be doubted, madam.
I fear so, madam.
REGAN
Now, sweet lord,
You know the goodness I intend upon you:
Tell me--but truly--but then speak the truth,
Do you not love my sister?
Now, sweet lord,
you know the good things I have planned for you:
tell me–truthfully–even if I won't like it,
do you or don't you love my sister?
EDMUND
In honour'd love.
I have an honourable love for her.
REGAN
But have you never found my brother's way
To the forfended place?
But you have never followed my brother
into her bed?
EDMUND
That thought abuses you.
The thought is unworthy of you.
REGAN
I am doubtful that you have been conjunct
And bosom'd with her, as far as we call hers.
I fear that you have been joined with her
and close to her bosom, in every sense of the phrase.
EDMUND
No, by mine honour, madam.
No, I swear it, madam.
REGAN
I never shall endure her: dear my lord,
Be not familiar with her.
I will not tolerate her: my dear lord,
don't be friendly with her.
EDMUND
Fear me not:
She and the duke her husband!
Enter, with drum and colours, ALBANY, GONERIL, and Soldiers
Don't worry about me:
here she is and the Duke her husband!
GONERIL
[Aside] I had rather lose the battle than that sister
Should loosen him and me.
I would rather lose the battle than have my sister
come between us.
ALBANY
Our very loving sister, well be-met.
Sir, this I hear; the king is come to his daughter,
With others whom the rigor of our state
Forced to cry out.
Where I could not be honest,
I never yet was valiant: for this business,
It toucheth us, as France invades our land,
Not bolds the king, with others, whom, I fear,
Most just and heavy causes make oppose.
Our very loving sister, it is good to see you.
Sir, I have heard this; the King has come to his daughter,
with others who complained about the harshness
of our rule. I was never brave
when I could not be honest: this business
affects us as France is invading our land,
not out of arrogance but to support the King and others whom
I'm afraid have very just and heavy grievances.
EDMUND
Sir, you speak nobly.
Sir, you speak nobly.
REGAN
Why is this reason'd?
Why are you wasting your time arguing this out?
GONERIL
Combine together 'gainst the enemy;
For these domestic and particular broils
Are not the question here.
Let's join together against the enemy;
these domestic and specific quarrels
are not the issue here.
ALBANY
Let's then determine
With the ancient of war on our proceedings.
Then let's confer
with our senior officers as to how to proceed.
EDMUND
I shall attend you presently at your tent.
I will come to your tent shortly.
REGAN
Sister, you'll go with us?
Sister, you'll come with us?
GONERIL
No.
No.
REGAN
'Tis most convenient; pray you, go with us.
It would be for the best; please, come with us.
GONERIL
[Aside] O, ho, I know the riddle.--I will go.
As they are going out, enter EDGAR disguised
Aha, I know what you're up to–I will come.
EDGAR
If e'er your grace had speech with man so poor,
Hear me one word.
If your Grace ever speaks to such poor men,
let me have a word.
ALBANY
I'll overtake you. Speak.
Exeunt all but ALBANY and EDGAR
I'll catch up with you. Speak.
EDGAR
Before you fight the battle, ope this letter.
If you have victory, let the trumpet sound
For him that brought it: wretched though I seem,
I can produce a champion that will prove
What is avouched there. If you miscarry,
Your business of the world hath so an end,
And machination ceases. Fortune love you.
Before you fight the battle, open this letter.
If you win, then call the one who brought it
with a fanfare: although I seem wretched,
I can produce a champion who will confirm
everything written there. If you fail,
your time on earth would have come to an end,
and all your plans will stop. Good luck to you.
ALBANY
Stay till I have read the letter.
Wait until I have read the letter.
EDGAR
I was forbid it.
When time shall serve, let but the herald cry,
And I'll appear again.
I was forbidden to do so.
When the time is right, let the herald call,
and I'll be back.
ALBANY
Why, fare thee well: I will o'erlook thy paper.
Exit EDGAR
Re-enter EDMUND
Why, good luck to you: I will read your paper.
EDMUND
The enemy's in view; draw up your powers.
Here is the guess of their true strength and forces
By diligent discovery; but your haste
Is now urged on you.
The enemy's in view; gather up your army.
Here is the estimate of their true strength and forces
through careful reconnoitring; but you must now
make haste.
ALBANY
We will greet the time.
Exit
I shall face the emergency.
EDMUND
To both these sisters have I sworn my love;
Each jealous of the other, as the stung
Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take?
Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: to take the widow
Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril;
And hardly shall I carry out my side,
Her husband being alive. Now then we'll use
His countenance for the battle; which being done,
Let her who would be rid of him devise
His speedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon; for my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate.
Exit
I have sworn my love to both these sisters;
each one is suspicious of the other, as the person who's been stung
watches the adder. Which of them should I have?
Both? One? Or neither? I won't be able to enjoy either of them
if both of them remain alive: if I take the widow
that will exasperate and make mad her sister Goneril;
and I can hardly succeed with her,
while her husband is alive. For now we'll use
his authority for the battle; once that's over
if she wants to get rid of him let her arrange
for him to be quickly killed. As for the mercy
which he intends to show to Lear and to Cordelia,
once the battle is over, and we have them in our power,
they will never get his pardon; my position
requires me to act, not to think.
Alarum within. Enter, with drum and colours, KING LEAR, CORDELIA, and Soldiers, over the stage; and exeunt
Enter EDGAR and GLOUCESTER
EDGAR
Here, father, take the shadow of this tree
For your good host; pray that the right may thrive:
If ever I return to you again,
I'll bring you comfort.
Here, father, sit in the shadow of this tree
for your shelter; pray that right will triumph:
if I ever come back to again,
I will look after you.
GLOUCESTER
Grace go with you, sir!
Exit EDGAR
May God go with you, sir!
Alarum and retreat within. Re-enter EDGAR
EDGAR
Away, old man; give me thy hand; away!
King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta'en:
Give me thy hand; come on.
Run, old man; give me your hand; run!
King Lear has lost, he and his daughter are captured:
give me your hand; come on.
GLOUCESTER
No farther, sir; a man may rot even here.
I will go no farther, sir; a man can stop here to rot.
EDGAR
What, in ill thoughts again? Men must endure
Their going hence, even as their coming hither;
Ripeness is all: come on.
What, having bad thoughts again? Men must suffer
their going, just as they suffered their coming here;
being ready for it is what's important: come on.
GLOUCESTER
And that's true too.
Exeunt
And that's true too.
Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, EDMUND, KING LEAR and CORDELIA, prisoners; Captain, Soldiers, & c
EDMUND
Some officers take them away: good guard,
Until their greater pleasures first be known
That are to censure them.
Let some of the officers take them away: guard them well,
until we know the wishes of the higher ones
who will pass judgement on them.
CORDELIA
We are not the first
Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the worst.
For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down;
Myself could else out-frown false fortune's frown.
Shall we not see these daughters and these sisters?
We're not the first people
to have meant the best and got the worst.
I am distraught for you, oppressed king;
otherwise, for myself, I could face down this ill fortune.
Will we not see these daughters and these sisters?
KING LEAR
No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison:
We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage:
When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down,