The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 674
Here is Sir Diomedes. Go, gentle knight,
stand next to our Ajax. As you and Lord Aeneas
agree on the procedure for their fight,
that's how it will be; either to the death,
or else just for exercise. The combatants being related
cuts short their fight before they even start.
[AJAX and HECTOR enter the lists]
ULYSSES.
They are oppos'd already.
They are already squaring up.
AGAMEMNON.
What Troyan is that same that looks so heavy?
Who's that Trojan who looks so depressed?
ULYSSES.
The youngest son of Priam, a true knight;
Not yet mature, yet matchless; firm of word;
Speaking in deeds and deedless in his tongue;
Not soon provok'd, nor being provok'd soon calm'd;
His heart and hand both open and both free;
For what he has he gives, what thinks he shows,
Yet gives he not till judgment guide his bounty,
Nor dignifies an impair thought with breath;
Manly as Hector, but more dangerous;
For Hector in his blaze of wrath subscribes
To tender objects, but he in heat of action
Is more vindicative than jealous love.
They call him Troilus, and on him erect
A second hope as fairly built as Hector.
Thus says Aeneas, one that knows the youth
Even to his inches, and, with private soul,
Did in great Ilion thus translate him to me.
The youngest son of Priam, a true knight;
not fully grown, but matchless; true to his word;
speaking through his deeds but never boastful;
not quick to anger, but not quick to calm down when angry;
he's generous with money and with his love;
what he has he gives, what he thinks he shows,
though he gives sensibly,
and never speaks an impure thought;
he's as manly as Hector, but more dangerous;
for Hector will give mercy to the defenceless
even in the heat of his anger, but he in the heat of action
is more vindictive than a jealous lover.
They call him Troilus, and they pin their hopes on him,
second only to Hector, and just as well built.
That's what Aeneas has said, someone who knows
every inch of the lad, and he privately and from the heart
described him to me in these terms when we were in Troy.
[Alarum. HECTOR and AJAX fight]
AGAMEMNON.
They are in action.
They have begun.
NESTOR.
Now, Ajax, hold thine own!
Now, Ajax, stand your ground!
TROILUS.
Hector, thou sleep'st;
Awake thee.
Hector, you're asleep;
wake up.
AGAMEMNON.
His blows are well dispos'd. There, Ajax!
His blows are well placed. Well done, Ajax!
[Trumpets cease]
DIOMEDES.
You must no more.
You mustn't carry on.
AENEAS.
Princes, enough, so please you.
Princes, that's enough, please.
AJAX.
I am not warm yet; let us fight again.
I haven't broken sweat; let's fight again.
DIOMEDES.
As Hector pleases.
It's up to Hector.
HECTOR.
Why, then will I no more.
Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son,
A cousin-german to great Priam's seed;
The obligation of our blood forbids
A gory emulation 'twixt us twain:
Were thy commixtion Greek and Troyan so
That thou could'st say 'This hand is Grecian all,
And this is Troyan; the sinews of this leg
All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother's blood
Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister
Bounds in my father's'; by Jove multipotent,
Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member
Wherein my sword had not impressure made
Of our rank feud; but the just gods gainsay
That any drop thou borrow'dst from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
Be drained! Let me embrace thee, Ajax.
By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms;
Hector would have them fall upon him thus.
Cousin, all honour to thee!
Well, then I won't fight any more.
You, great lord, are my father's sister's son,
first cousin to the family of great Priam;
the ties of our blood forbid us
to participate in bloody rivalry:
if your mixture of Greek and Trojan was such
that one could say, ‘This hand is all Greek,
and this is Trojan; the muscles of this leg
are all Greek, and this is all Trojan; my mother's blood
runs in the right cheek, and the left
is full of my father's’; by omnipotent Jove,
you wouldn't walk away with any Greek limbs
which didn't have the mark of my sword on them;
but the just gods forbid
that any blood which you had from your mother,
my sacred aunt, should be spilt by my sword.
Let me embrace you, Ajax.
By Jove, you have strong arms;
Hector wants them to fall upon him this way.
Cousin, all honour to you!
AJAX.
I thank thee, Hector.
Thou art too gentle and too free a man.
I came to kill thee, cousin, and bear hence
A great addition earned in thy death.
I thank you, Hector.
You are too tender and too generous a man.
I came to kill you, cousin, and carry away
a great title earned by your death.
HECTOR.
Not Neoptolemus so mirable,
On whose bright crest Fame with her loud'st Oyes
Cries 'This is he' could promise to himself
A thought of added honour torn from Hector.
Not even great Achilles,
on whose bright shield fame cries out loudly
‘This is the one‘ could be confident of
getting honour by tearing it away from Hector.
AENEAS.
There is expectance here from both the sides
What further you will do.
Everyone here on both sides
wants to know what you will do next.
HECTOR.
We'll answer it:
The issue is embracement. Ajax, farewell.
We'll tell them:
what we shall do is embrace. Ajax, farewell.
AJAX.
If I might in entreaties find success,
As seld I have the chance, I would desire
My famous cousin to our Grecian tents.
If my pleading might be answered,
since I rarely get the chance, I should like
my famous cousin to visit our Greek tents.
DIOMEDES.
'Tis Agamemnon's wish; and great Achilles
Doth long to see unarm'd the valiant Hector.
That's what Agamemnon wants; and great Achilles
longs to see the valiant Hector away from the battlefield.
HECTOR.
Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,
And signify this loving interview
To the expecters of our Troyan part;
Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my cousin;
I will go eat with thee, and see your knights.
Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,
and t
ell those Trojans waiting for news
about this friendly conversation;
tell them to go home. Give me your hand, my cousin;
I will go and eat with you, and see your knights.
AGAMEMNON and the rest of the Greeks come forward
AJAX.
Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.
Great Agamemnon has come to meet us.
HECTOR.
The worthiest of them tell me name by name;
But for Achilles, my own searching eyes
Shall find him by his large and portly size.
Name all the best of them to me;
but as for Achilles, my own eyes
shall recognise him due to his size and dignity.
AGAMEMNON.
Worthy all arms! as welcome as to one
That would be rid of such an enemy.
But that's no welcome. Understand more clear,
What's past and what's to come is strew'd with husks
And formless ruin of oblivion;
But in this extant moment, faith and troth,
Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing,
Bids thee with most divine integrity,
From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome.
You deserve your arms! You are as welcome as it's possible to be
to someone who is fighting as your enemy.
But that's no welcome. Let me make it more clear,
the past and the future are full of the remains
of great achievements, now in ruins;
but at this very moment, trustworthiness and honesty,
free of any cunning or strategy,
says to you with godlike integrity,
from the very bottom of my heart, great Hector, welcome.
HECTOR.
I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.
I thank you, most imperial Agamemnon.
AGAMEMNON.
[To Troilus] My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you.
You famous lord of Troy, no less to you.
MENELAUS.
Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting.
You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.
Let me second the greetings of my princely brother.
You pair of warlike brothers, you are welcome here.
HECTOR.
Who must we answer?
Who is this?
AENEAS.
The noble Menelaus.
The noble Menelaus.
HECTOR.
O you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!
Mock not that I affect the untraded oath;
Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove.
She's well, but bade me not commend her to you.
Oh it's you, my lord? Thank you, by the armoured glove of Mars!
Don't mock me for inventing new oaths;
your former wife still swears by the glove of Venus.
She's well, but she didn't ask me to remember her to you.
MENELAUS.
Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme.
Don't speak of her now, sir; she's a miserable subject.
HECTOR.
O, pardon; I offend.
I'm sorry; I've upset you.
NESTOR.
I have, thou gallant Troyan, seen thee oft,
Labouring for destiny, make cruel way
Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen thee,
As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed,
Despising many forfeits and subduements,
When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' th' air,
Not letting it decline on the declined;
That I have said to some my standers-by
'Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!'
And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath,
When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in,
Like an Olympian wrestling. This have I seen;
But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel,
I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire,
And once fought with him. He was a soldier good,
But, by great Mars, the captain of us all,
Never like thee. O, let an old man embrace thee;
And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.
I have often seen you, gallant Trojan,
working for fate, cutting your way
through the ranks of young Greeks; and I have seen you,
as eager as Perseus, spur on your Trojan horse,
refusing to take advantage of those at your mercy,
checking the swing of your raised sword,
not letting it fall on the fallen;
so I have said to some of my hangers on,
‘Look, there is Jupiter, giving out life!’
And I have seen you pause and catch your breath,
when a ring of Greeks have surrounded you,
like a wrestler in the Olympic Games. I have seen this;
but your face was always covered with your helmet,
I never saw it until now. I knew your grandfather,
and once fought with him. He was a good soldier,
but, I swear by great Mars, the captain of us all,
he was never like you. O, let an old man embrace you;
and, worthy warrior, welcome to our camp.
AENEAS.
'Tis the old Nestor.
This is old Nestor.
HECTOR.
Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle,
That hast so long walk'd hand in hand with time.
Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee.
Let me embrace you, good old memory house,
who has lived so long.
Most respected Nestor, I am glad to embrace you.
NESTOR.
I would my arms could match thee in contention
As they contend with thee in courtesy.
I wish my arms could match you in battle
as they are matched with you in politeness.
HECTOR.
I would they could.
I wish they could.
NESTOR.
Ha!
By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow.
Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time.
Ha!
If it wasn't for this white beard, I'd fight with you tomorrow.
Well, welcome, welcome! There was a time when I would have taken you on.
ULYSSES.
I wonder now how yonder city stands,
When we have here her base and pillar by us.
I wonder how that city is still standing,
when we have her foundations and support with us.
HECTOR.
I know your favour, Lord Ulysses, well.
Ah, sir, there's many a Greek and Troyan dead,
Since first I saw yourself and Diomed
In Ilion on your Greekish embassy.
I know your face, Lord Ulysses, well.
Ah, sir, there have been many Greeks and Trojans killed,
since I first saw you and Diomedes
in Troy on your Greek embassy.
ULYSSES.
Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue.
My prophecy is but half his journey yet;
For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,
Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,
Must kiss their own feet.
Sir, I predicted to you then what would happen.
my prophecy is only half fulfilled;
for those walls, which bravely surround your town,
those towers, whose insolent tops kiss the clouds,
will come down.
HECTOR.
I must not believe you.
There they stand yet; and modestly I think
The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost
A drop of Grecian blood. The end crowns all;
And that old common arbitr
ator, Time,
Will one day end it.
I will not believe you.
They are still standing there; and without exaggeration
I think that every Trojan stone which falls will cost
a drop of Greek blood. We'll see what happens in the end;
and the old common umpire, Time,
will end it one day.
ULYSSES.
So to him we leave it.
Most gentle and most valiant Hector, welcome.
After the General, I beseech you next
To feast with me and see me at my tent.
So we'll leave it to him.
Most noble and most valiant Hector, welcome.
After you've seen the general, I beg you
to come and feast with me at my tent.
ACHILLES.
I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou!
Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee;
I have with exact view perus'd thee, Hector,
And quoted joint by joint.
I shall get in ahead of you, Lord Ulysses!
Now, Hector, I have looked closely at you;
I have carefully looked over
every inch of you, Hector.
HECTOR.
Is this Achilles?
Is this Achilles?
ACHILLES.
I am Achilles.
I am Achilles.
HECTOR.
Stand fair, I pray thee; let me look on thee.
Stand in plain view, I beg you; let me look at you.
ACHILLES.
Behold thy fill.
Look all you want.
HECTOR.
Nay, I have done already.