The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (687 page)

Indeed you must, my lord.

You have to, my lord.

PALAMON

May I see the garden?

May I see the garden?

JAILER

No.

No.

PALAMON

Then I am resolv’d, I will not go.

Then I have decided, I won't go.

JAILER

I must

Constrain you then; and for you are dangerous

I’ll clap more irons on you.

I shall

how to force you then; and as you are dangerous,

I will put more chains on you.

PALAMON

Do, good keeper.

I’ll shake ’em so, ye shall not sleep,

I’ll make ye a new morris. Must I go?

Do so, good jailer.

I'll rattle them so much, you won't get any sleep,

I'll be like a Morris dancer. Must I go?

JAILER

There is no remedy.

There's nothing for it.

PALAMON

Aside.

Farewell, kind window.

May rude wind never hurt thee! O my lady,

If ever thou hast felt what sorrow was,

Dream how I suffer!—Come; now bury me.

Goodbye, kind window.

May the rough winds never hurt you! Oh my lady,

if you ever felt what sorrow was,

dream of how I suffer!–Come; bury me.

Exeunt Palamon and Jailer.

The country near Athens.

(Arcite, Four Country People)

Enter Arcite.

ARCITE

Banish’d the kingdom? ’Tis a benefit,

A mercy I must thank ’em for; but banish’d

The free enjoying of that face I die for—

O, ’twas a studied punishment, a death

Beyond imagination! Such a vengeance

That were I old and wicked, all my sins

Could never pluck upon me. Palamon!

Thou hast the start now; thou shalt stay and see

Her bright eyes break each morning ’gainst thy window,

And let in life into thee; thou shalt feed

Upon the sweetness of a noble beauty,

That nature nev’r exceeded, nor nev’r shall.

Good gods! What happiness has Palamon!

Twenty to one, he’ll come to speak to her,

And if she be as gentle as she’s fair,

I know she’s his; he has a tongue will tame tempests,

And make the wild rocks wanton. Come what can come,

The worst is death: I will not leave the kingdom.

I know mine own is but a heap of ruins,

And no redress there. If I go, he has her.

I am resolv’d another shape shall make me,

Or end my fortunes. Either way, I am happy:

I’ll see her, and be near her, or no more.

Banished from the kingdom? It's a good thing,

a mercy I must thank them for; but I have been banished

from freely enjoying the face that I would die for–

oh, it was a clever punishment, a fate worse

than death! If I were old and wicked,

all my sins could never bring down

such a punishment upon me. Palamon!

You have got a head start; you can stay and see

her bright eyes every morning through your window,

giving life to you; you will feed

on the sweetness of her noble beauty,

the greatest work of nature there will ever be.

Good gods! What happiness Palamon has!

twenty to one that he will get to speak to her,

and if she is as kind as she is beautiful,

I know he'll win her; he has a tongue which can calm storms,

and make the wild rocks lustful. Bring on whatever will happen,

death is the worst thing I have to fear: I will not leave the kingdom.

I know my kingdom is just a heap of ruins,

there's nothing for me there. If I leave, he will have her.

I have decided that things will have to go differently

or I will end my life. Either way, I will be happy:

I will see her, and be near her, or I won't be alive.

Retires.

Enter four Country People, and one with a garland before them.

FIRST COUNTRY FOLK

My masters, I’ll be there, that’s certain.

My masters, I'll be there, I promise.

SECOND COUNTRY FOLK

And I’ll be there.

I'll be there too.

THIRD COUNTRY FOLK

And I.

And me.

FOURTH COUNTRY FOLK

Why then have with ye, boys! ’Tis but a chiding.

Let the plough play today, I’ll tickle’t out

Of the jades’ tails tomorrow.

Well then I'll come with you, boys! I'll only get a telling off.

I'll leave the plough idle today, I'll whip the nags

unmercifully tomorrow.

FIRST COUNTRY FOLK

I am sure

To have my wife as jealous as a turkey.

But that’s all one, I’ll go through, let her mumble.

I am sure

my wife will be as jealous as a turkey.

But that doesn't matter, I'll do it, let her grumble.

SECOND COUNTRY FOLK

Clap her aboard tomorrow night, and stow her,

And all’s made up again.

Jump on board her tomorrow night, fill her up,

and everything will be all right again.

THIRD COUNTRY FOLK

Ay, do but put

A fescue in her fist, and you shall see her

Take a new lesson out, and be a good wench.

Do we all hold against the Maying?

Yes, just put

a rod in her fist, and you will see her

learn a new lesson, and behave herself.

Are we all determined to go to the May Day Festival?

FOURTH COUNTRY FOLK

Hold?

What should ail us?

Determined?

What is there to stop us?

THIRD COUNTRY FOLK

Arcas will be there.

Arcas will be there.

SECOND COUNTRY FOLK

And Sennois,

And Rycas, and three better lads nev’r danc’d

Under green tree; and ye know what wenches, ha?

But will the dainty domine, the schoolmaster,

Keep touch, do you think? For he does all, ye know.

And Sennois,

and Rycas, and three better lads never danced

under the maypole; and you know what girls there will be, eh?

But will that refined schoolmaster, come up

to scratch, do you think? For he organises everything, you know.

THIRD COUNTRY FOLK

He’ll eat a horn-book ere he fail. Go to!

The matter’s too far driven between him

And the tanner’s daughter to let slip now;

And she must see the Duke, and she must dance too.

He'd eat a textbook before he let us down. Come on!

The business between him and the tanner's

daughter is too far gone for him to back out now;

and she must see the Duke, and she must dance.

FOURTH COUNTRY FOLK

Shall we be lusty?

Shall we be lusty?

SECOND COUNTRY FOLK

All the boys in Athens

Blow wind i’ th’ breech on ’s, and here I’ll be,

And there I’ll be, for our town, and here again,

And there again. Ha, boys, heigh for the weavers!

We'll leave all the boys in Athens

puffing in our wake, and I'll be here,

then I'll be there, for our town, and here again,

and there again. Come on boys, hurray for the weavers!

FIRST COUNTRY FOLK

This must be done i’ th’ woods.

We must do this in the woods.

FOURTH COUNTRY FOLK

O, pardon me!

Oh, excuse me!

SECOND COUNTRY FOLK

By any means; our thing of learning says so—

Where he himself will edify the Duke

Most parlously in our behalfs. He’s excellent i’ th’ woods,

Bring him to th’ plains, his learning makes no cry.

This is the way; our educated man says so–

he himself will instruct the Duke energetically on our behalf.

He is excellent in the woods,

bring him to the open country and he doesn't make a sound.

THIRD COUNTRY FOLK

We’ll see the sports, then every man to ’s tackle!

And, sweet companions, let’s rehearse by any means

Before the ladies see us, and do sweetly,

And God knows what may come on’t.

We'll watch the games, then every man should look to his equipment!

And, sweet friends, let's find any way we can rehearse

before the ladies see us, and if we do it well,

God knows what good it might do us.

FOURTH COUNTRY FOLK

Content. The sports

Once ended, we’ll perform. Away, boys, and hold!

I agree. Once the sports

are over, we'll do our bit. Off we go, boys, and stick together!

ARCITE

Comes forward.

By your leaves, honest friends: pray you, whither go you?

If you'll excuse me, honest friends: may I ask where you are going?

FOURTH COUNTRY FOLK

Whither? Why, what a question’s that?

Where? Why, what sort of question is that?

ARCITE

Yes, ’tis a question

To me that know not.

Well, it's a question

asked by me who doesn't know the answer.

THIRD COUNTRY FOLK

To the games, my friend.

We're going to the games, my friend.

SECOND COUNTRY FOLK

Where were you bred you know it not?

Where were you born to not know that?

ARCITE

Not far, sir.

Are there such games today?

Not far away, sir.

Are they holding these games today?

FIRST COUNTRY FOLK

Yes, marry, are there;

And such as you never saw. The Duke himself

Will be in person there.