The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (584 page)

Please, wake up, sir: if you love the young lady,

Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her.

Come up with some way to achieve her.

Thus it stands: Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd,

This is the situation: Her elder sister is so cursed and like a shrew,

That till the father rid his hands of her,

That until his father gets rid of her,

Master, your love must live a maid at home;

Master, your love must live a virgin at home;

And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,

And therefore he has closely hidden her away,

Because she will not be annoy'd with suitors.

Because she must not be annoyed with suitors.

LUCENTIO. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!

Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father he is!

But art thou not advis'd he took some care

But did you not get something out of how he took some care

To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?

To find her talented teachers to instruct her?

TRANIO. Ay, marry, am I, sir, and now 'tis plotted.

And, indeed, I am sir, and now it is planned.

LUCENTIO. I have it, Tranio.

TRANIO. Master, for my hand,

Master, by my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Both our imaginations meet and jump as one.

LUCENTIO. Tell me thine first.

Tell me yours first.

TRANIO. You will be schoolmaster,

You will be a teacher,

And undertake the teaching of the maid:

And go about the teaching of the young lady:

That's your device.

That's your plan.

LUCENTIO. It is: may it be done?

TRANIO. Not possible; for who shall bear your part

It is not possible; for who shall take your role

And be in Padua here Vincentio's son;

And be Vincentio's son here in Padua;

Keep house and ply his book, welcome his friends;

Take care of his affairs, welcome his friends;

Visit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Visit his relatives, and dine with them?

LUCENTIO. Basta; content thee, for I have it full.

Enough; calm yourself, for I have the full plan.

We have not yet been seen in any house,

Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces

Nor is it obvious which of us is which

For man or master: then it follows thus:

The servant and the master: so it follows this way:

Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,

You shall be master, Tranio, instead of me,

Keep house and port and servants, as I should;

Keep house and harbor and servants, as I should;

I will some other be; some Florentine,

I will be someone else; some man from Florence,

Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.

Some man from Naples, or a poorer man of Pisa.

'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so: Tranio, at once

It is planned, and it shall happen: Tranio, at once

Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak.

Undress; take my colored hat and cloak.

When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;

When Biondello comes, he will serve you;

But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.

But I will trick him first to stay silent.

[They exchange habits]

TRANIO. So had you need.

As you had need.

In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is,

Briefly sir, since it is your pleasure,

And I am tied to be obedient;

And I am commanded to be obedient;

For so your father charg'd me at our parting,

For your father told be so at our separation,

'Be serviceable to my son,' quoth he,

'Be useful to my son,' he said,

Although I think 'twas in another sense:

Although I think it was in another sense:

I am content to be Lucentio,

Because so well I love Lucentio.

Because I love Lucentio so well.

LUCENTIO. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves;

Tranio, do that, because Lucentio loves you too;

And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid

And let me be a servant, to achieve that young lady

Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Whose sudden sight has captured my wounded eye.

Here comes the rogue.

[Enter BIONDELLO.]

Sirrah, where have you been?

Where have you been, man?

BIONDELLO. Where have I been! Nay, how now! where are you? Master, has my fellow Tranio stol'n your clothes? Or you stol'n his? or both? Pray, what's the news?

Where have I been? What's going on? Master, has my fellow servant Tranio stolen your clothes? Or have you stolen his, or both? Please, what's the news?

LUCENTIO. Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jest,

Come here, man: this is no time to joke,

And therefore frame your manners to the time.

And therefore act appropriately for the situation.

Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life,

Your fellow servant Tranio here, to save my life,

Puts my apparel and my count'nance on,

Puts on my clothes and expression,

And I for my escape have put on his;

And I have put on his in order to escape;

For in a quarrel since I came ashore

I kill'd a man, and fear I was descried.

I killed a man, and I'm afraid I was recognized.

Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,

Serve him, I command you, as is correct,

While I make way from hence to save my life.

While I run away from here to save my life.

You understand me?

BIONDELLO. I, sir! Ne'er a whit.

I, sir! Not one bit.

LUCENTIO. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth: Tranio is changed to Lucentio.

And not one word of "Tranio" in your mouth: Tranio has been changed to Lucentio.

BIONDELLO. The better for him: would I were so too!

The better for him: if only I were too!

TRANIO. So could I, faith, boy, to have the next wish after,

So could I, by my faith, boy, to have the next wish after,

That Lucentio indeed had Baptista's youngest daughter.

But, sirrah, not for my sake but your master's, I advise

But, man, not for my sake but your master's, I advise

You use your manners discreetly in all kind of companies:

You use your manners discreetly when we have all kinds of company:

When I am alone, why, then I am Tranio;

But in all places else your master, Lucentio.

But in all other places your master, Lucentio.

LUCENTIO. Tranio, let's go. One thing more rests, that thyself execute, to make one among these wooers: if thou ask me why, sufficeth my reasons are both good and weighty.

Tranio, let's go. There is one more thing for you to do yourself, to go among these wooers: if you ask me why, let it be enough for me to say I have good and strong reasons.

[Exeunt.]

[The Presenters above speak.]

FIRST SERVANT. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the play.

My lord, you are falling asleep; you are not paying attention to the play.

SLY. Yes, by Saint Anne, I do. A good matter, surely: comes there any more of it?

Yes, by Saint Anne, I am paying attention. A good story, surely: is there more to it?

PAGE. My lord, 'tis but begun.

My lord, it has only begun.

SLY. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady: would 'twere done!

It is a very excellent piece of work, madam lady: if only it were finished!

[They sit and mark.]

[They sit and watch.]

Padua. Before HORTENSIO'S house

[Enter PETRUCHIO and his man GRUMIO.]

PETRUCHIO. Verona, for a while I take my leave,

I leave Verona for a while,

To see my friends in Padua; but of all

To see my friends in Padua; but most of all

My best beloved and approved friend,

My best friend,

Hortensio; and I trow this is his house.

Hortensio; and I believe this is his house.

Here, sirrah Grumio, knock, I say.

Here, Grumio, man, knock, I say.

GRUMIO. Knock, sir! Whom should I knock? Is there any man has rebused your worship?

Knock, sir! [He's misunderstood and thinks he's supposed to hit someone.] Whom should I knock? Is there any man who has [he means to say 'abused'] your worship?

PETRUCHIO. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly.

Villain, I say, knock me here solidly.

GRUMIO. Knock you here, sir! Why, sir, what am I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir?

PETRUCHIO. Villain, I say, knock me at this gate;

And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.

And hit it well, or I'll hit you.

GRUMIO. My master is grown quarrelsome.

My master is getting ready for a fight.