The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (634 page)

 

VIOLA

To answer by the method, in the first of his heart.

To continue the metaphor, in the first part of his heart.

 

OLIVIA

O, I have read it: it is heresy. Have you no more to say?

Oh, I have read it: it is blasphemy. Do you have nothing else to say?

 

VIOLA

Good madam, let me see your face.

Good madam, please show me your face.

 

OLIVIA

Have you any commission from your lord to negotiate

Has your lord commanded you to be able to

with my face? You are now out of your text: but

see my face? You are now out of messages, but

we will draw the curtain and show you the picture.

we will pull back the curtain and show you the picture.

Look you, sir, such a one I was this present: is't

Look, sir, this is the face I was given, is it

not well done?

Unveiling

 

VIOLA

Excellently done, if God did all.

Very well done, if God did it all.

 

OLIVIA

'Tis in grain, sir; 'twill endure wind and weather.

It was made well, sir; it will endure wind and weather.

 

VIOLA

'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white

It is a beauty truly made, whose red and white

Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on:

Nature's own sweet and clever hand laid on:

Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive,

Lady, you are the cruellest woman alive,

If you will lead these graces to the grave

If you will take these wonderful qualities to the grave

And leave the world no copy.

And have no child to carry on the looks.

 

OLIVIA

O, sir, I will not be so hard-hearted; I will give

Oh, sir, I will not be so cruel; I will give

 

out divers schedules of my beauty: it shall be

out several descriptions of my beauty: it shall be

inventoried, and every particle and utensil

inventoried, and every part and item

labelled to my will: as, item, two lips,

labeled in my will: as, item, two lips

indifferent red; item, two grey eyes, with lids to

basically red; item, two grey eyes, with lids on

them; item, one neck, one chin, and so forth. Were

them; item, one neck, on chin, and so on. Were

you sent hither to praise me?

you sent here to praise me?

 

VIOLA

I see you what you are, you are too proud;

I see your problem is that you are too proud;

But, if you were the devil, you are fair.

But, even if you were the devil, you are beautiful.

My lord and master loves you: O, such love

The Duke Orsino loves you; Oh, such love

Could be but recompensed, though you were crown'd

Could simply be repaid, even if you were crowed

The nonpareil of beauty!

The absolute perfection of beauty!

 

OLIVIA

How does he love me?

How much does he love me?

 

VIOLA

With adorations, fertile tears,

With promises, many fat tears,

With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire.

With groans of love like thunder, with sighs of fire.

 

OLIVIA

Your lord does know my mind; I cannot love him:

Your lord does know my decision; I cannot love him:

Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble,

Even though I consider him virtuous, know he is noble,

Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth;

Wealthy, young;

In voices well divulged, free, learn'd and valiant;

Pleasantly voiced, free, full of learning and courage;

And in dimension and the shape of nature

And in physical appearance

A gracious person: but yet I cannot love him;

An attractive person: but yet I cannot love him;

He might have took his answer long ago.

He might have known my answer long ago.

 

VIOLA

If I did love you in my master's flame,

If I did love you the way my master does,

With such a suffering, such a deadly life,

Suffering so much because of it,

In your denial I would find no sense;

Your denial would make no sense;

I would not understand it.

I would not understand it.

 

OLIVIA

Why, what would you?

Why, what would you do?

 

VIOLA

Make me a willow cabin at your gate,

Make myself a cabin out of willow wood at your gate,

And call upon my soul within the house;

And keep my soul inside the house;

Write loyal cantons of contemned love

Write loyal poems of condemned love

And sing them loud even in the dead of night;

And sing them loudly even in the middle of the night;

Halloo your name to the reverberate hills

Yell your name to the echoing hills

And make the babbling gossip of the air

And make the air itself

Cry out 'Olivia!' O, You should not rest

Shout out, "Olivia!" Oh, you should not rest

Between the elements of air and earth,

Anywhere between the air and the earth,

But you should pity me!

Without pitying me!

 

OLIVIA

You might do much.

You might manage a lot.

What is your parentage?

What is your family?

 

VIOLA

Above my fortunes, yet my state is well:

More than my fortune, yet I am doing all right:

I am a gentleman.

I am a nobleman.

 

OLIVIA

Get you to your lord;

Go back to your master;

I cannot love him: let him send no more;

I cannot love him: tell him to send no one else;

Unless, perchance, you come to me again,

Unless, maybe, you come to me again,

To tell me how he takes it. Fare you well:

To tell me how he takes it. Farewell:

I thank you for your pains: spend this for me.

Thank you for your trouble: here is some money.

 

VIOLA

I am no fee'd post, lady; keep your purse:

I am not a mercenary, lady; keep your coins:

My master, not myself, lacks recompense.

My master, not myself, is not getting paid back.

Love make his heart of flint that you shall love;

May love turn anyone you love's heart into a stone;

And let your fervor, like my master's, be

And may your passion, like my master's, be

Placed in contempt! Farewell, fair cruelty.

Completely rejected! Farewell, beautiful cruelty.

 

Exit

 

OLIVIA

'What is your parentage?'

'What is your family?'

'Above my fortunes, yet my state is well:

'More than my money, though I am doing all right:

I am a gentleman.' I'll be sworn thou art;

I am a a gentleman.' I could swear you are;

Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit,

Your words, you face, your limbs, action and spirit,

Do give thee five-fold blazon: not too fast:

Give you five reasons to be liked: not too fast:

soft, soft!

quiet, quiet!

Unless the master were the man. How now!

Unless that actually was Orsino. What now!

Even so quickly may one catch the plague?

Is it possible to fall in love so quickly?

Methinks I feel this youth's perfections

I believe I feel this youth's perfections

With an invisible and subtle stealth

Stealthily, invisibly, and subtly

To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be.

To creep into my eyes. Well, let it be.

What ho, Malvolio!

Hey, Malvolio!

 

Re-enter MALVOLIO

 

MALVOLIO

Here, madam, at your service.

Here, madam, I am at your service.

 

OLIVIA

Run after that same peevish messenger,

Run after that same badly behaved messenger,

The county's man: he left this ring behind him,

The duke's man: he left this ring behind him,

Would I or not: tell him I'll none of it.

Whether I would give in or not: tell him I don't want any of it.

Desire him not to flatter with his lord,

I do not want him to flatter his lord,

Nor hold him up with hopes; I am not for him:

Or give him false hopes; I am not for him:

If that the youth will come this way to-morrow,

If that young man will come back here tomorrow,

 

I'll give him reasons for't: hie thee, Malvolio.

I'll give him reasons for it: off you go, Malvolio.

 

MALVOLIO

Madam, I will.

 

Exit

 

OLIVIA

I do I know not what, and fear to find

I don't know what I'll do, and I'm afraid to find

Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind.

My eye too much a flatterer for my mind.

Fate, show thy force: ourselves we do not owe;

Fate; show your force: we do not own ourselves;

 

What is decreed must be, and be this so.

What must be done is what must be done.

 

Exit

 

Enter ANTONIO and SEBASTIAN

 

ANTONIO

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