The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 585
Why are you not saying anything?
MACDUFF
Such welcome and unwelcome things at once
'Tis hard to reconcile.
Such welcome and unwelcome things at once
is hard to come to terms with.
Enter a Doctor
MALCOLM
Well; more anon.--Comes the king forth, I pray you?
We’ll speak more soon.
Is King Edward coming out?
Doctor
Ay, sir; there are a crew of wretched souls
That stay his cure: their malady convinces
The great assay of art; but at his touch—
Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand--
They presently amend.
Yes, sir. There are a lot of sick people in
need of his cure. Their illness puzzles
modern medicine, but when he lays
his hands on them, the power invested
in him by heaven cures them.
MALCOLM
I thank you, doctor.
Thank you, doctor.
Exit Doctor
MACDUFF
What's the disease he means?
What disease does he mean?
MALCOLM
'Tis call'd the evil:
A most miraculous work in this good king;
Which often, since my here-remain in England,
I have seen him do. How he solicits heaven,
Himself best knows: but strangely-visited people,
All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,
The mere despair of surgery, he cures,
Hanging a golden stamp about their necks,
Put on with holy prayers: and 'tis spoken,
To the succeeding royalty he leaves
The healing benediction. With this strange virtue,
He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy,
And sundry blessings hang about his throne,
That speak him full of grace.
It’s called ‘the evil.’
I’ve seen him do miraculous acts since I’ve been
in England. How he obtains help from heaven,
only he knows. But people with all sorts of symptoms—
swollen and full of ulcers, pitiful to look at,
beyond the help of surgery—he cures.
He hangs a golden stamp around their neck
and says holy prayers. It’s said that this ability
to heal will be passed along the royal lineage.
Along with this, he has the gift of being able
to see the future, and other sorts of gifts, as well.
He seems a king graced by God.
Enter ROSS
MACDUFF
See, who comes here?
Who is that coming here?
MALCOLM
My countryman; but yet I know him not.
He’s from Scotland, but I don’t know him yet.
MACDUFF
My ever-gentle cousin, welcome hither.
My gentle cousin, welcome here.
MALCOLM
I know him now. Good God, betimes remove
The means that makes us strangers!
I recognize him now. Good God, it’s time
to remove the interventions that make us strangers!
ROSS
Sir, amen.
So be it, sir.
MACDUFF
Stands Scotland where it did?
Is Scotland still as it was?
ROSS
Alas, poor country!
Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot
Be call'd our mother, but our grave; where nothing,
But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile;
Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air
Are made, not mark'd; where violent sorrow seems
A modern ecstasy; the dead man's knell
Is there scarce ask'd for who; and good men's lives
Expire before the flowers in their caps,
Dying or ere they sicken.
Poor country! It’s almost afraid to know itself.
It cannot be called our mother any longer; it is our grave.
Where nobody smiles except those who know nothing.
Where sighs and groans and shrieks are made with
no notice. Where violent sorrow seems like ectasy.
When the bells ring for the funeral, people rarely
ask who it is. Good men die before the flowers
in their caps wilt. They die before they sicken.
MACDUFF
O, relation
Too nice, and yet too true!
Oh, my relative. Your report is nicely delivered, and too true.
MALCOLM
What's the newest grief?
What’s the latest news?
ROSS
That of an hour's age doth hiss the speaker:
Each minute teems a new one.
News an hour old disproves the speaker.
Every minute brings new news.
MACDUFF
How does my wife?
How is my wife?
ROSS
Why, well.
She is well.
MACDUFF
And all my children?
And all of my children?
ROSS
Well too.
They are also well.
MACDUFF
The tyrant has not batter'd at their peace?
The tyrant has not disturbed their peace?
ROSS
No; they were well at peace when I did leave 'em.
No, they were well and at peace when I left them.
MACDUFF
But not a niggard of your speech: how goes't?
Don’t be stingy with your speech. How are things?
ROSS
When I came hither to transport the tidings,
Which I have heavily borne, there ran a rumor
Of many worthy fellows that were out;
Which was to my belief witness'd the rather,
For that I saw the tyrant's power a-foot:
Now is the time of help; your eye in Scotland
Would create soldiers, make our women fight,
To doff their dire distresses.
When I came here to deliver my news,
which I have carried sadly, there was a rumor
that many good fellows were turning against Macbeth.
I saw Macbeth’s troops moving. Now is the time
we need help. Your presence in Scotland
would cause men to become soldiers, and even women
would fight to end the current distress.
MALCOLM
Be't their comfort
We are coming thither: gracious England hath
Lent us good Siward and ten thousand men;
An older and a better soldier none
That Christendom gives out.
They will be comforted. I am coming to Scotland.
The gracious king of England has lent us
good Siward and ten thousand men.
An older and better solider than Siward
does not exist in the Christian world.
ROSS
Would I could answer
This comfort with the like! But I have words
That would be howl'd out in the desert air,
Where hearing should not latch them.
I wish I could answer with news that would
comfort in the same way. But I have words
that should only be howled in the desert air
where nobody can hear them.
MACDUFF
What concern they?
The general cause? or is it a fee-grief
Due to some single breast?
Who do they concern?
Is it for the general cause? Or will the grief
affect one person alone?
ROSS
No mind that's honest
But in it shares some woe; though
the main part
Pertains to you alone.
No mind that’s honest will be able to not
share in the grief. But it mostly concerns
you alone.
MACDUFF
If it be mine,
Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it.
If it is mine, don’t keep it from me.
Tell it to me quickly.
ROSS
Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever,
Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound
That ever yet they heard.
Don’t let your ears hate my tongue forever,
when they hear the most sorrowful thing
they have ever heard.
MACDUFF
Hum! I guess at it.
Hmm. I think I can guess what you are going to say.
ROSS
Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes
Savagely slaughter'd: to relate the manner,
Were, on the quarry of these murder'd deer,
To add the death of you.
Your castle was attacked. Your wife and children
are dead. To tell you how it was done would only
add to the death of you.
MALCOLM
Merciful heaven!
What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows;
Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak
Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break.
Merciful heaven!
Listen, man! Don’t keep your grief inside.
Speak your sorrow. Grief that is not expressed
will whisper in your heart until it breaks.
MACDUFF
My children too?
They killed my children, too?
ROSS
Wife, children, servants, all
That could be found.
They killed your wife, your children, your servants—
they killed everyone that could be found.
MACDUFF
And I must be from thence!
My wife kill'd too?
And I had to be away from there!
They killed my wife, too?
ROSS
I have said.
I said they did.
MALCOLM
Be comforted:
Let's make us medicines of our great revenge,
To cure this deadly grief.
Let us find comfort in revenge to cure this awful grief.
MACDUFF
He has no children. All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
Macbeth has no children. All of my pretty ones?
Did you say all of them? Oh, hellish bird! All?
All of my pretty children and their mother
in one fell swoop?
MALCOLM
Dispute it like a man.
Challenge it like a man.
MACDUFF
I shall do so;
But I must also feel it as a man:
I cannot but remember such things were,
That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on,
And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,
They were all struck for thee! naught that I am,
Not for their own demerits, but for mine,
Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!
I will do so. But I also must feel it like a man.
I cannot help but remember those who were so precious
to me. Did heaven look on, and not take their side?
I am full of sin. They were all killed because of me!
Not for their own sins, but for mine they were killed.
May they rest in heaven now!
MALCOLM
Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief
Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.
Let this sharpen your sword. Let grief change to anger.
Instead of dulling the heart, let grief inflame it.
MACDUFF
O, I could play the woman with mine eyes
And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,
Heaven forgive him too!
Oh, I could cry like a woman and brag of what
I will do. But, gentle heavens, let’s cut it short.
Bring me face to face with this fiend of Scotland.
Put him within my sword’s length. If he escapes,
Heaven forgive him!
MALCOLM
This tune goes manly.
Come, go we to the king; our power is ready;
Our lack is nothing but our leave; Macbeth
Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above
Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may:
The night is long that never finds the day.
Now you are sounding like a man.
Come, let’s go to the king. Our armies are ready.
We lack nothing at this point but departure.
Macbeth is ripe for picking, and may the powers
above give us aid. Find what cheer you can.
It’s a long night that never finds the day.
Exeunt
Dunsinane. Ante-Room in the Castle.
Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman
Doctor
I have two nights watched with you, but can perceive
no truth in your report. When was it she last walked?
I have watched with you for two nights, but can find
no truth in your report. When did she last sleep walk?
Gentlewoman
Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen
her rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon
her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it,
write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again
return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.
Since his majesty went into battle, I have seen
her rise from bed, throw on her nightgown,
unlock her closet, take out paper, fold it,
write on it, read it, seal it up, and return to bed
again. She did all of this while fast asleep.
Doctor
A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once
the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of
watching! In this slumbery agitation, besides her
walking and other actual performances, what, at any
time, have you heard her say?
It’s a great disturbance, to seem as if you are asleep,
and do the things you do when awake. In this state—
besides her walking and the things she does—have your
heard her say anything?
Gentlewoman
That, sir, which I will not report after her.
Yes, sir, but I will not say what it is.
Doctor
You may to me: and 'tis most meet you should.
You should say it to me, and it would be helpful if you did.
Gentlewoman
Neither to you nor any one; having no witness to
confirm my speech.
I won’t say it to you or anyone else.
I was the only one to witness it.
Enter LADY MACBETH, with a taper
Lo you, here she comes! This is her very guise;
and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her; stand close.
Look, here she comes! This is how she is awake, but—upon
my life—she is sound asleep. Watch her. Stay near.
Doctor
How came she by that light?
How did she get that candle?
Gentlewoman
Why, it stood by her: she h
as light by her
continually; 'tis her command.
It was by her bedside. She has light by her all the time.
She requests it.
Doctor
You see, her eyes are open.
You see, her eyes are open.
Gentlewoman
Ay, but their sense is shut.
Yes, but they don’t see anything.
Doctor
What is it she does now? Look, how she rubs her hands.
What is she doing now? Look at how she rubs her hands together.
Gentlewoman
It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus
washing her hands: I have known her continue in
this a quarter of an hour.
It’s a common action with her. She seems to be
washing her hands. I have witnessed her doing this
for at least fifteen minutes.
LADY MACBETH
Yet here's a spot.
There’s still a spot.
Doctor
Hark! she speaks: I will set down what comes from
her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.
Listen! She speaks! I will write down what she says
to help me remember it better.
LADY MACBETH