The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1093 page)

Thank goodness, lord, that you have a sweet nature.

I give thanks to your father and mother;

let your teacher be famous, and your natural talents

be three times more, beyond all intellect;

but the one who taught you how to fight-

let Mars split eternal fame in two

and give you half; as for your strength,

bull-carrying Milo will have to cede his title

to muscly Ajax.I will not praise your wisdom,

which is like a boundary, a fence, a shore, which

runs all round your great gifts.Here's Nestor,

who has learned from the ancients-

he must be, he is, he can't help but be wise;

but, if you'll pardon me, father Nestor, if you were as

young as Ajax, with the same mind you have,

you would not be greater than him,

you'd be equals.

AJAX.

Shall I call you father?

Shall I call you father?

ULYSSES.

Ay, my good son.

Yes, my good son.

DIOMEDES.

Be rul'd by him, Lord Ajax.

Follow his orders, lord Ajax.

ULYSSES.

There is no tarrying here; the hart Achilles

Keeps thicket. Please it our great general

To call together all his state of war;

Fresh kings are come to Troy. To-morrow

We must with all our main of power stand fast;

And here's a lord-come knights from east to west

And cull their flower, Ajax shall cope the best.

It's no use waiting here; Achilles won't

come out of hiding.If our great general agrees,

gather together all his forces;

Troy shall have new rulers.Tomorrow

we must put out our full strength;

and we have a lord - knights can come from all over,

wanting to show off their chivalry; Ajax will match the best.

AGAMEMNON.

Go we to council. Let Achilles sleep.

Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep.

Exeunt

Let's go to council.Let Achilles sleep.

Light boats can travel swiftly while great ones need deep water.

Music sounds within. Enter PANDARUS and a SERVANT

PANDARUS.

Friend, you-pray you, a word. Do you not follow the young

Lord Paris?

Friend - a word with you, please.Don't you follow young Lord Paris?

SERVANT.

Ay, sir, when he goes before me.

Yes sir, when he's in front of me.

PANDARUS.

You depend upon him, I mean?

I mean, you depend on him?

SERVANT.

Sir, I do depend upon the lord.

Sir, I depend on the Lord.

PANDARUS.

You depend upon a notable gentleman; I must needs praise

him.

You depend upon an important gentleman; I need to praise

him.

SERVANT.

The lord be praised!

Praise the Lord!

PANDARUS.

You know me, do you not?

You know who I am, don't you?

SERVANT.

Faith, sir, superficially.

Vaguely, sir.

PANDARUS.

Friend, know me better: I am the Lord Pandarus.

Friend, you should know me better: I am the Lord Pandarus.

SERVANT.

I hope I shall know your honour better.

I hope I shall know your honour better.

PANDARUS.

I do desire it.

That's what I want.

SERVANT.

You are in the state of grace?

You are in the state of grace?

PANDARUS.

Grace! Not so, friend; honour and lordship are my titles.

What music is this?

Grace!Not me, friend; I am called 'honour' and 'lordship'.

What's this music?

SERVANT.

I do but partly know, sir; it is music in parts.

I only know parts sir; it's made of parts.

PANDARUS.

Know you the musicians?

Do you know the musicians?

SERVANT.

Wholly, sir.

Completely, sir.

PANDARUS.

Who play they to?

Who are they playing to?

SERVANT.

To the hearers, sir.

To the people who are listening, sir.

PANDARUS.

At whose pleasure, friend?

Whose pleasure is it?

SERVANT.

At mine, sir, and theirs that love music.

Mine, sir, and anyone who loves music.

PANDARUS.

Command, I mean, friend.

I mean who commands it, friend.

SERVANT.

Who shall I command, sir?

Who shall I command, sir?

PANDARUS.

Friend, we understand not one another: I am too courtly,

and thou art too cunning. At whose request do these men play?

Friend, we don't understand each other: I'm too polite,

and you're too devious.Who asked these men to play?

SERVANT.

That's to't, indeed, sir. Marry, sir, at the request of

Paris my lord, who is there in person; with him the mortal Venus,

the heart-blood of beauty, love's invisible soul-

Now we've got to the point, sir.Well, sir, at the request of

my lord, Paris, who is there himself; with him is the living Venus,

the very heart and soul of beauty -

PANDARUS.

Who, my cousin, Cressida?

Who, my cousin Cressida?

SERVANT.

No, sir, Helen. Could not you find out that by her

attributes?

No sir, Helen.Couldn't you tell from the description?

PANDARUS.

It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the Lady

Cressida. I come to speak with Paris from the Prince Troilus; I

will make a complimental assault upon him, for my business

seethes.

It would appear, fellow, that you haven't seen Lady

Cressida.I've come from Prince Troilus to speak with Paris; I

will attack him with compliments, for my business is on the boil.

SERVANT.

Sodden business! There's a stew'd phrase indeed!

Boiling business?There's an overcooked phrase!

Enter PARIS and HELEN, attended

PANDARUS.

Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company!

Fair desires, in all fair measure, fairly guide them-especially

to you, fair queen! Fair thoughts be your fair pillow.

Fair wishes to you, my lord, and all this fair company!

May fair desires, in fair measures, fairly guide them–especially

you, fair Queen! May you havefair dreams.

HELEN.

Dear lord, you are full of fair words.

Dear lord, you are full of fair words.

PANDARUS.

You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen. Fair prince,

here is good broken music.

You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen. Fair Prince,

this is good broken music.

PARIS.

You have broke it, cousin; and by my life, you shall make it

whole again; you shall piece it out with a piece of your

performance.

You're the one who broke it, cousin; and I swear, you shall make it

whole again; you shall repair it with a bit of your own

singing.

HELEN.

He is full of harmony.

He looks full of harmony.

PANDARUS.

Truly, lady, no.

Truly, Lady, I'm not.

HELEN.

O, sir-

Oh, Sir–

PANDARUS.

Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude.

Rough, I swear; in all honesty, I'm very unpolished.

PARIS.

Well said, my lord. Well, you say so in fits.

I agree, my lord. Though you don't always say this.

PANDARUS.

I have business to my lord, dear queen. My lord, will you

vouchsafe me a word?

I have business with my lord, dear queen. My lord, will you

allow me to have a word?

HELEN.

Nay, this shall not hedge us out. We'll hear you sing,

certainly-

No, you won't fob us off that easily. We'll definitely hear you sing–

PANDARUS.

Well sweet queen, you are pleasant with me. But, marry,

thus, my lord: my dear lord and most esteemed friend, your

brother Troilus-

Well, sweet queen, you are kind to me. But, look here,

my lord: my dear lord and my great friend, your

brother Troilus–

HELEN.

My Lord Pandarus, honey-sweet lord-

My Lord Pandarus, honey–sweet lord–

PANDARUS.