The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  First Senator

  O, forget

  What we are sorry for ourselves in thee.

  The senators with one consent of love

  Entreat thee back to Athens; who have thought

  On special dignities, which vacant lie

  For thy best use and wearing.

  Oh, forget

  the wrongs we have done you, which we regret.

  The senators are unanimous in their love,

  asking you to come back to Athens; they have invented

  special honours, which are waiting for you

  to assume them.

  Second Senator

  They confess

  Toward thee forgetfulness too general gross:

  Which now the public body, which doth seldom

  Play the recanter, feeling in itself

  A lack of Timon's aid, hath sense withal

  Of its own fail, restraining aid to Timon;

  And send forth us, to make their sorrow'd render,

  Together with a recompense more fruitful

  Than their offence can weigh down by the dram;

  Ay, even such heaps and sums of love and wealth

  As shall to thee blot out what wrongs were theirs

  And write in thee the figures of their love,

  Ever to read them thine.

  They admit

  that they horribly neglected you:

  now the governing body, which doesn't often

  take anything back, realises it is missing

  Timon's help, and at the same time feeling

  its own wrong, in declining to help Timon,

  have sent us out to offer their apology,

  together with compensation which will

  outweigh the wrong they have done to you–

  yes, such great amounts of love and wealth

  that they will wipe out their offences,

  and show you the great love they have for you,

  which is yours forever.

  TIMON

  You witch me in it;

  Surprise me to the very brink of tears:

  Lend me a fool's heart and a woman's eyes,

  And I'll beweep these comforts, worthy senators.

  You cast your spell over me;

  you've almost made me cry:

  give me the heart of a fool and a woman's eyes,

  and I will weep for joy, good senators.

  First Senator

  Therefore, so please thee to return with us

  And of our Athens, thine and ours, to take

  The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks,

  Allow'd with absolute power and thy good name

  Live with authority: so soon we shall drive back

  Of Alcibiades the approaches wild,

  Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up

  His country's peace.

  So, please agree to come back with us

  and take on the leadership of Athens,

  you will be thanked for it, and

  given absolute power, and your good name will be

  restored: that way we will soon defeat

  the vicious attacks of Alcibiades, who,

  like a wild boar, is rooting up

  the peace of his country.

  Second Senator

  And shakes his threatening sword

  Against the walls of Athens.

  And he's threatening the walls of Athens

  with his sword.

  First Senator

  Therefore, Timon,--

  So, Timon–

  TIMON

  Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; thus:

  If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,

  Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,

  That Timon cares not. But if he sack fair Athens,

  And take our goodly aged men by the beards,

  Giving our holy virgins to the stain

  Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain'd war,

  Then let him know, and tell him Timon speaks it,

  In pity of our aged and our youth,

  I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not,

  And let him take't at worst; for their knives care not,

  While you have throats to answer: for myself,

  There's not a whittle in the unruly camp

  But I do prize it at my love before

  The reverend'st throat in Athens. So I leave you

  To the protection of the prosperous gods,

  As thieves to keepers.

  Well, sir, I shall tell you what I want:

  if Alcibiades kills my countrymen,

  tell Alcibiades this from Timon,

  that Timon doesn't care. But if he sacks lovely Athens,

  and takes our good old men by the beards,

  sacrifices our holy virgins to the stain of

  arrogant, beastly, insane war,

  then let him know, and tell him Timon says it,

  out of pity for our old people and youths,

  that's all I can tell him, is that I don't care,

  and let him interpret that whichever way he likes; don't worry about their knives

  while you still have throats to give them. For myself,

  there's not a single soldier in the rebel camp

  that I don't value more

  than the most exalted person in Athens. So I leave you

  in the protection of the favourable gods,

  as I would leave thieves with their jailers.

  FLAVIUS

  Stay not, all's in vain.

  Don't stay here, you're wasting your time.

  TIMON

  Why, I was writing of my epitaph;

  it will be seen to-morrow: my long sickness

  Of health and living now begins to mend,

  And nothing brings me all things. Go, live still;

  Be Alcibiades your plague, you his,

  And last so long enough!

  Why, I was writing my epitaph;

  you will see it tomorrow: my long illness

  of being healthy and alive is beginning to be cured,

  and oblivion is bringing me everything. Go, stay alive;

  May Alcibiades torture you, you him,

  and both of you live long in suffering.

  First Senator

  We speak in vain.

  Our speech was useless.

  TIMON

  But yet I love my country, and am not

  One that rejoices in the common wreck,

  As common bruit doth put it.

  But I still love my country, and I'm not

  one of those who rejoices at its downfall,

  as rumour has it.

  First Senator

  That's well spoke.

  That's well said.

  TIMON

  Commend me to my loving countrymen,--

  Give my loving countrymen my best wishes–

  First Senator

  These words become your lips as they pass

  thorough them.

  These words glorify your lips as they

  pass through them.

  Second Senator

  And enter in our ears like great triumphers

  In their applauding gates.

  And they sound as sweet to us as the applause

  the crowd gives to triumphant generals.

  TIMON

  Commend me to them,

  And tell them that, to ease them of their griefs,

  Their fears of hostile strokes, their aches, losses,

  Their pangs of love, with other incident throes

  That nature's fragile vessel doth sustain

  In life's uncertain voyage, I will some kindness do them:

  I'll teach them to prevent wild Alcibiades' wrath.

  Give them my greetings,

  and tell them that, to alleviate their worries,

  their fear of hostile blows, their aches, losses,

  their pangs of love, and the other incidental blows

  that nature's fragi
le ship suffers

  in the uncertain voyage of life, I will do them a favour:

  I'll tell them how to escape the anger of wild Alcibiades.

  First Senator

  I like this well; he will return again.

  I like this; he will come back.

  TIMON

  I have a tree, which grows here in my close,

  That mine own use invites me to cut down,

  And shortly must I fell it: tell my friends,

  Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree

  From high to low throughout, that whoso please

  To stop affliction, let him take his haste,

  Come hither, ere my tree hath felt the axe,

  And hang himself. I pray you, do my greeting.

  I have a tree which grows close by here,

  which I must cut down for my own needs,

  I will do it shortly: tell my friends,

  Tel Athens, all of them from the

  highest to the lowest, that whoever wants

  to end the horror, let him hurry here,

  before I've cut down the tree,

  and hang himself from it. Please pass this on.

  FLAVIUS

  Trouble him no further; thus you still shall find him.

  Don't bother him any more; he'll always be like this.

  TIMON

  Come not to me again: but say to Athens,

  Timon hath made his everlasting mansion

  Upon the beached verge of the salt flood;

  Who once a day with his embossed froth

  The turbulent surge shall cover: thither come,

  And let my grave-stone be your oracle.

  Lips, let sour words go by and language end:

  What is amiss plague and infection mend!

  Graves only be men's works and death their gain!

  Sun, hide thy beams! Timon hath done his reign.

  Don't come back to me: but say to Athens,

  Timon has made his eternal home

  on the sandy edge of the sea;

  once a day he shall be covered

  by the foaming tide: come there,

  visit my gravestone for advice.

  Lips, speak these sour words and then let talking finish:

  let plague and infection cure what is wrong!

  Let graves be the only works men make, and death their profit!

  Sun, hide your beams! Timon has finished.

  Retires to his cave

  First Senator

  His discontents are unremoveably

  Coupled to nature.

  His anger is irrevocably

  ingrained in his nature.

  Second Senator

  Our hope in him is dead: let us return,

  And strain what other means is left unto us

  In our dear peril.

  We have no more hope in him: let's go back,

  and do whatever other things we have left

  to save us from our danger.

  First Senator

  It requires swift foot.

  We shall have to hurry.

  Exeunt

  Enter two Senators and a Messenger

  First Senator

  Thou hast painfully discover'd: are his files

  As full as thy report?

  This news of yours is painful: are his forces

  as large as you say?

  Messenger

  I have spoke the least:

  Besides, his expedition promises

  Present approach.

  That's the lowest estimate:

  besides, he's coming so quickly

  that he will be here almost immediately.

  Second Senator

  We stand much hazard, if they bring not Timon.

  We are in great danger, if they don't bring Timon back.

  Messenger

  I met a courier, one mine ancient friend;

  Whom, though in general part we were opposed,

  Yet our old love made a particular force,

  And made us speak like friends: this man was riding

  From Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

  With letters of entreaty, which imported

  His fellowship i' the cause against your city,

  In part for his sake moved.

  I met a messenger, an old friend of mine;

  although we are fighting on different sides

  our old liking for each other was strong,

  and we spoke like friends: this man was riding

  from Alcibiades to Timon's cave,

  with letters asking him

  to join forces against your city,

  as the expedition was begun partly for his sake.

  First Senator

  Here come our brothers.

  Here come our brothers.

  Enter the Senators from TIMON

  Third Senator

  No talk of Timon, nothing of him expect.

  The enemies' drum is heard, and fearful scouring

  Doth choke the air with dust: in, and prepare:

  Ours is the fall, I fear; our foes the snare.

  Don't talk about Timon, don't expect anything from him.

  The drums of the enemy have been heard, and the terrifying preparations

  are filling the air with dust: go in, and prepare:

  I fear we are going to succumb to our enemy's plans.

  Exeunt

  Enter a Soldier, seeking TIMON

  Soldier

  By all description this should be the place.

  Who's here? speak, ho! No answer! What is this?

  "Timon is dead, who hath outstretch'd his span:

  Some beast read this; there does not live a man."

  Dead, sure; and this his grave. What's on this tomb

  I cannot read; the character I'll take with wax:

  Our captain hath in every figure skill,

  An aged interpreter, though young in days:

  Before proud Athens he's set down by this,

  Whose fall the mark of his ambition is.

  From everything I was told this should be the place.

  Who's here? Hello! No answer! What is this?

  “Timon is dead, having outlived his time:

  some animal can read this; no man lives here.”

  He's dead, for certain; this is his grave. I can't read

  what's on this tomb; I'll take an impression of the inscription with wax:

  our captain knows all languages,

  an experienced interpreter, even though he's young:

  he's already pitched his tents in front of proud Athens,

  the fall of which is his goal.

  Exit

  Trumpets sound. Enter ALCIBIADES with his powers

  ALCIBIADES

  Sound to this coward and lascivious town

  Our terrible approach.

  A parley sounded

  Enter Senators on the walls

  Till now you have gone on and fill'd the time

  With all licentious measure, making your wills

  The scope of justice; till now myself and such

  As slept within the shadow of your power

  Hav e wander'd with our traversed arms and breathed

  Our sufferance vainly: now the time is flush,

  When crouching marrow in the bearer strong

  Cries of itself 'No more:' now breathless wrong

  Shall sit and pant in your great chairs of ease,

  And pursy insolence shall break his wind

  With fear and horrid flight.

  Notify this cowardly and lustful town

  of our terrifying approach.

  Until now you have carried on and filled your time

  with every sort of depraved behaviour, making justice

  the servant of your desires; until now myself

  and those who dwelt in the shadow of your power

  have wandered with our swords sheathed and

  complained in vain: now the time is ripe,

  when the courag
e rises inside a man

  and cries out, ‘No more’: now the breathless wronged ones

  shall sit and rest in your great luxurious thrones,

  while you burst your lungs

  with fear and flight.

  First Senator

  Noble and young,

  When thy first griefs were but a mere conceit,

  Ere thou hadst power or we had cause of fear,

  We sent to thee, to give thy rages balm,

  To wipe out our ingratitude with loves

  Above their quantity.

  Noble young man,

  when you had only thoughts of these actions,

  before you had power or we had reason to be afraid,

  we sent you messages to address your grievances,

  offering to compensate you for our ingratitude with honours

  greater than the harm we had done you.

  Second Senator

  So did we woo

  Transformed Timon to our city's love

  By humble message and by promised means:

  We were not all unkind, nor all deserve

  The common stroke of war.

  In the same way we tried

  to bring Timon back into the fold,

  with humble messages and promised rewards:

  not all of us were unkind, and not all of us deserve

  to suffer the indiscriminate blows of war.

  First Senator

  These walls of ours

  Were not erected by their hands from whom

  You have received your griefs; nor are they such

  That these great towers, trophies and schools

  should fall

  For private faults in them.

  These walls of ours

  were not built by the hands of those who

  have harmed you; nor should all

  these great towers, monuments and public buildings