The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1103 page)

Of all rejoindure, forcibly prevents

Our lock'd embrasures, strangles our dear vows

Even in the birth of our own labouring breath.

We two, that with so many thousand sighs

Did buy each other, must poorly sell ourselves

With the rude brevity and discharge of one.

Injurious time now with a robber's haste

Crams his rich thievery up, he knows not how.

As many farewells as be stars in heaven,

With distinct breath and consign'd kisses to them,

He fumbles up into a loose adieu,

And scants us with a single famish'd kiss,

Distasted with the salt of broken tears.

It is, and suddenly; where bad luck

prevents saying goodbye, pushes roughly through

any delay, rudely blocks the chance of our lips

ever meeting again, violently stops

our intertwined embraces, strangles our precious vows

even as we say them.

We two, who spent so many thousand sighs

on each other, must now split

with time for only one.

Harmful Time now shoves all his plunder in a bag

with the haste of a burglar, any old way.

As many goodbyes as there are stars in heaven,

each one with its own words and kisses,

he screws them all up into a careless farewell

and rations us to a single hungry kiss,

whose taste is ruined with the salt of sobbing tears.

AENEAS.

[Within] My lord, is the lady ready?

My lord, is the lady ready?

TROILUS.

Hark! you are call'd. Some say the Genius so

Cries 'Come' to him that instantly must die.

Bid them have patience; she shall come anon.

Listen! They are calling you. Some say your guardian angel

calls ‘come’ like that to someone who is about to die.

Tell them to be patient; she'll be coming soon.

PANDARUS.

Where are my tears? Rain, to lay this wind, or my heart

will be blown up by th' root.

Where are my tears? I need rain to calm this wind, or my heart

will be torn up by the roots.

Exit

CRESSIDA.

I must then to the Grecians?

So I must go to the Greeks?

TROILUS.

No remedy.

There's noalternative.

CRESSIDA.

A woeful Cressid 'mongst the merry Greeks!

When shall we see again?

What an unhappy Cressida amongst the merry Greeks!

When shall we meet again?

TROILUS.

Hear me, my love. Be thou but true of heart-

Listen to me, my love.If you just remain faithful -

CRESSIDA.

I true! how now! What wicked deem is this?

Me faithful!What's this?What wicked thoughts are you having?

TROILUS.

Nay, we must use expostulation kindly,

For it is parting from us.

I speak not 'Be thou true' as fearing thee,

For I will throw my glove to Death himself

That there's no maculation in thy heart;

But 'Be thou true' say I to fashion in

My sequent protestation: be thou true,

And I will see thee.

No, we must discuss this calmly,

as soon we won't have the chance.

I didn't say "be faithful" because I doubted you,

for I would take on Death himself

to prove you have no inconstancy;

I say, "Be faithful" to lead into

what I was going to say: be faithful

and I will see you.

CRESSIDA.

O, you shall be expos'd, my lord, to dangers

As infinite as imminent! But I'll be true.

Oh, my lord, you will be exposed to dangers

as great as they will be swift!But I will be faithful.

TROILUS.

And I'll grow friend with danger. Wear this sleeve.

And I'll welcome the danger.Wear this cuff.

CRESSIDA.

And you this glove. When shall I see you?

And you wear this glove.When will I see you?

TROILUS.

I will corrupt the Grecian sentinels

To give thee nightly visitation.

But yet be true.

I'll bribe the Greek sentries

to let me see you every night.

But still be faithful.

CRESSIDA.

O heavens! 'Be true' again!

Oh heavens, 'be faithful' again!

TROILUS.

Hear why I speak it, love.

The Grecian youths are full of quality;

They're loving, well compos'd with gifts of nature,

And flowing o'er with arts and exercise.

How novelties may move, and parts with person,

Alas, a kind of godly jealousy,

Which I beseech you call a virtuous sin,

Makes me afeard.

Listen to why I say it, love.

The Greek youths are full of good breeding;

they're loving, nice looking,

and full of well practised skills.

The way new things can interest one, combined

with personal attractiveness, starts a kind

of divine jealously in me, which

makes me worried;

I hope you'll call this a good sin.

CRESSIDA.

O heavens! you love me not.

Oh heavens!You don't love me.

TROILUS.

Die I a villain, then!

In this I do not call your faith in question

So mainly as my merit. I cannot sing,

Nor heel the high lavolt, nor sweeten talk,

Nor play at subtle games-fair virtues all,

To which the Grecians are most prompt and pregnant;

But I can tell that in each grace of these

There lurks a still and dumb-discoursive devil

That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted.

Then may I die as a villain!

I'm not calling your fidelity into question

as much as my virtues.I can't sing,

or dance fashionable dances, or talk sweetly,

nor play games which require skill - these are all good accomplishments,

which the Greeks are extremely good at;

and I know that in each of them

there is lurking a silent but persuasive devil

that tempts very cunningly.But don't be tempted.

CRESSIDA.

Do you think I will?

Do you think I will be?

TROILUS.

No.

But something may be done that we will not;

And sometimes we are devils to ourselves,

When we will tempt the frailty of our powers,

Presuming on their changeful potency.

No.

But sometimes things happen we don't want;

sometimes we are devils to ourselves,

when we rely to much on our own strength,

not realising we are all too unreliable.

AENEAS.

[Within] Nay, good my lord!

Enough, my good lord!

TROILUS.

Come, kiss; and let us part.

Come, kiss and let us part.

PARIS.

[Within] Brother Troilus!

Brother Troilus!

TROILUS.

Good brother, come you hither;

And bring Aeneas and the Grecian with you.

Good brother, come here;

and bring Aeneas and the Greek with you.

CRESSIDA.

My lord, will you be true?

My lord, will you be true?

TROILUS.

Who, I? Alas, it is my vice, my fault!

Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,

I with great truth catch mere simplicity;

Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,

With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.

Enter AENEAS, PARIS, ANTENOR, DEIPHOBUS, and DIOMEDES

Fear not my truth: the moral of my wit

Is 'plain and true'; there's all the reach of it.

Welcome, Sir Diomed! Here is the lady

Which for Antenor we deliver you;

At the port, lord, I'll give her to thy hand,

And by the way possess thee what she is.

Entreat her fair; and, by my soul, fair Greek,

If e'er thou stand at mercy of my sword,

Name Cressid, and thy life shall be as safe

As Priam is in Ilion.

Who, me? Alas, it is a vice, a fault of mine.

While others cunningly try to gain a great reputation,

I get a reputation for being plain and simple through truthfulness;

while some craftily cover their copper crowns with gold,

I wear mine ungilded in truth and plainness.

Don't worry about my fidelity. My character can be summed up

as ‘plain and true’; that's all there is to it–

Welcome, Sir Diomedes. Here is the lady

which we are exchanging with you for Antenor.

At the city gate, lord, I will hand her over to you,

and on the way I'll tell you about who she is.

Treat her well and I swear, fair Greek,

that if I ever have you at swordpoint.

just mention Cressida, and you'll be as safe

as Priam is in Ilium.

DIOMEDES.

Fair Lady Cressid,

So please you, save the thanks this prince expects.

The lustre in your eye, heaven in your cheek,

Pleads your fair usage; and to Diomed

You shall be mistress, and command him wholly.

Fair Lady Cressida,

if you please, you don't have to thank this prince.

Your shining eyes, your white cheek,

tell me to treat you well; you shall be

my mistress, I'm completely at your command.

TROILUS.

Grecian, thou dost not use me courteously

To shame the zeal of my petition to thee

In praising her. I tell thee, lord of Greece,

She is as far high-soaring o'er thy praises

As thou unworthy to be call'd her servant.

I charge thee use her well, even for my charge;

For, by the dreadful Pluto, if thou dost not,

Though the great bulk Achilles be thy guard,

I'll cut thy throat.

Greek, you're not being polite

by putting down the sincerity of my request

by praising her. I tell you, Lord of Greece,

she is as high above your praises

as you are unworthy to be called her servant.

I order you to treat her well, just because I tell you to;

for, I swear by dreadful Pluto, if you don't,

if the great body of Achilles was guarding you,

I'll cut your throat.

DIOMEDES.

O, be not mov'd, Prince Troilus.

Let me be privileg'd by my place and message

To be a speaker free: when I am hence

I'll answer to my lust. And know you, lord,

I'll nothing do on charge: to her own worth