The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (189 page)

We will, brother. Go with him, uncle Exeter, brother Clarence, brother Gloucester, Warwick and Huntingdon. You have free reign to accept or change the terms as you see fit. Will you, fair sister, go with the princes, or stay here with us?

Queen Isabel

Our gracious brother, I will go with them.


Haply a woman's voice may do some good,


When articles too nicely urg'd be stood on.

Our gracious brother, I will go with them. A woman’s voice may do some good when they disagree.

King

Yet leave our cousin Katharine here with us:


She is our capital demand, compris'd


Within the fore-rank of our articles.

Leave our cousin Katharine here with us. She is our main demand.

Queen Isabel

She hath good leave.

She may stay.

Exit all except Henry, Katharine, and Alice.

King

Fair Katharine, and most fair,


Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms


Such as will enter at a lady's ear


And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?

Fair Katharine, will you allow me to plead my love for you?

Katharine

Your Majesty shall mock me; I cannot speak your


England.

Your majesty, you mock me. I can’t speak English.

King

O fair Katharine, if you will love me soundly with your


French heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?

If you love me, I don’t care if you speak English. Do you like me?

Katharine

Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell wat is "like me."

Pardon me, I don’t know the words “like me.”

Henry

An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel.

You are like an angel.

Katharine

Que dit-il? Que je suis semblable a les anges?

What is he saying? I am an angel?

Alice

Oui, vraiment, sauf votre grace, ainsi dit-il.

Yes, your grace, that’s what he said.

King

I said so, dear Katharine; and I must not blush to affirm it.

I did, dear Katharine, and I am not ashamed to say it again.

Katharine

O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes sont pleines de tromperies.

Oh, Lord! Men are such liars.

King

What says she, fair one? That the tongues of men are full of deceits?

What did she say? Men are liars?

Alice

Oui, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits: dat is de Princess.

Yes, she said that the tongue of man is full of lies.

King

The Princess is the better Englishwoman. I' faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding: I am glad thou canst


speak no better English; for if thou couldst, thou wouldst


find me such a plain king that thou wouldst think I had sold my farm to buy my crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, "I love you"; then if you urge me farther than to say, "Do you in faith?" I wear out my suit. Give me your answer; i' faith, do; and so clap hands and a bargain. How say you, lady?

She sounds like an Englishwoman. I swear Kate, my love for you is not for you to understand. I am glad you can’t speak English better. If you could, you would see I’m just a plain king, and think I sold my farm to buy my crown. I am not educated in the ways of love. I am too direct in saying “I love you.” If I must I will swear it. Tell me what you think.

Katharine

Sauf votre honneur, me understand well.

I think I understand.

King

Marry, if you would put me to verses, or to dance for your


sake, Kate, why you undid me; for the one, I have neither


words nor measure, and for the other I have no strength in


measure, yet a reasonable measure in strength. If I could win a lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my saddle with my armour on my back, under the correction of bragging be it spoken, I should quickly leap into a wife. Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my horse for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher and sit like a jack-an-apes, never off. But, before God, Kate, I cannot look greenly, nor gasp out my eloquence, nor I have no cunning in protestation; only downright oaths, which I never use till urg'd, nor never break for urging. If thou canst love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth sunburning, that never looks in his glass for love of anything he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I speak to thee plain soldier. If thou canst love me for this, take me; if not, to say to thee that I shall die, is true; but for thy love, by the Lord, no; yet I love thee too. And while thou liv'st, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined constancy; for he perforce must do thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places; for these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves into ladies' favours, they do always reason themselves out again. What! a speaker is but a prater: a rhyme is but a ballad. A good leg will fall; a straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn white; a curl'd pate will grow bald; a fair face will wither; a full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon; or rather the sun and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have such a one, take me; and take me, take a soldier; take a soldier, take a king. And what say'st thou then to my love? Speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.

If you would like for me to write poetry or dance for you, then I am defeated. I am not a writer or a dancer, but I am strong. If I could win a lady at games or by jumping into my saddle in full armor, then I would do so for you. I am just an honest man. If you can love a man like me, look at me. Take me as I am, dear Kate, a plain fellow without any charm. I have a good heart which will remain true to you. If you would have a man like me, take me, take this soldier, take this king. What do you say? Tell me.

Katharine

Is it possible dat I should love de enemy of France?

Is it possible for me to love the enemy of France?

King

No; it is not possible you should love the enemy of France, Kate; but, in loving me, you should love the friend of France; for I love France so well that I will not part with a village of it, I will have it all mine; and, Kate, when France is mine and I am yours, then yours is France and you are mine.

No, it’s not possible, but in loving me you will love the friend of France. I love France so much I want it for myself, and when France is mine, France is yours.

Katharine

I cannot tell wat is dat.

I don’t understand.

King

No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; which I am sure will hang upon my tongue like a new-married wife about her husband's


neck, hardly to be shook off. Je quand sur le possession de France, et quand vous avez le possession de moi,--let me see, what then? Saint Denis be my speed!--donc votre est France


et vous etes mienne. It is as easy for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom as to speak so much more French. I shall never move thee in French, unless it be to laugh at me.

I will tell you in French. (In French.) When I own France and you have me…Let me see. Help me, Saint Denis! Then yours is France and you are mine. It would be easier for me to win France than to explain what I’m saying in French. You will laugh at me.

Katharine

Sauf votre honneur, le Francais que vous parlez, il est meilleur que l'Anglois lequel je parle.

Your French is better than my English, sir.

King

No, faith, is't not, Kate; but thy speaking of my tongue, and I thine, most truly-falsely, must needs be granted to be much at one. But, Kate, dost thou understand thus much English: canst thou love me?

No, not really, Kate. We are about the same. Can you understand this? Could you love me?

Katharine

I cannot tell.

I don’t know, yet.

King

Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll ask them. Come, I know thou lovest me; and at night, when you come into your


closet, you'll question this gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to her dispraise those parts in me that you love with your heart. But, good Kate, mock me mercifully; the


rather, gentle princess, because I love thee cruelly. If ever thou beest mine, Kate, as I have a saving faith within me tells me thou shalt, I get thee with scambling, and thou must therefore needs prove a good soldier-breeder. Shall not thou and I, between Saint Denis and Saint George, compound a boy, half French, half English, that shall go to Constantinople and take the Turk by the beard? Shall we not? What say'st thou, my fair flower-de-luce?

Do any of your neighbors know, Kate? I’ll ask them. You know they love me. At night, in your bedroom, you will tell this gentlewoman about me, what parts you love. Don’t mock me too much, because I love you. If you are ever mine, Kate, and I have feeling you will, we will have many sons. If not, I will go to Constantinople and take the Turk by the beard? what do you think, my flower?

Katharine

I do not know dat.

I don’t know.

King

No; 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promise. Do but now promise, Kate, you will endeavour for your French part of


such a boy; and for my English moiety, take the word of a king and a bachelor. How answer you, la plus belle Katherine du monde, mon tres cher et divin deesse?

Of course not. Promise me you will try to have a son. I will do my part. Believe me. What’s your answer, (In French.) my most precious and divine goddess?

Katharine

Your Majestee ave fausse French enough to deceive de most


sage damoiselle dat is en France.

Your majesty, your French is well enough to fool the wisest French lady.

King

Now, fie upon my false French! By mine honour, in true English, I love thee, Kate; by which honour I dare not swear thou lovest me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou dost,


notwithstanding the poor and untempering effect of my visage. Now, beshrew my father's ambition! he was thinking of civil wars when he got me; therefore was I created with a stubborn outside, with an aspect of iron, that, when I come to woo ladies, I fright them. But, in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I shall appear. My comfort is, that old age, that ill layer up of beauty, can do no more spoil upon my face. Thou hast me, if thou hast me, at the worst; and thou shalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better; and therefore tell me, most fair Katharine, will you have me? Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the thoughts of your heart with the looks of an empress; take me by the hand, and say, Harry of England, I am thine; which word thou shalt no sooner bless mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud, England is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine; who, though I speak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the best king, thou shalt find the best king of good fellows.


Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music and thy English broken; therefore, queen of all, Katharine, break thy mind to me in broken English. Wilt thou have me?

Now, damn my pathetic French and I swear in English, I love you, Kate. I would not swear you love me, but I feel it in my blood you do. Due to my father’s ambition, I was born with a stubborn streak and a look of iron so, when I woo ladies I frighten them. But I believe as I grow older, I will soften up. So, if you will have me at my worst, I swear I will get better. Most fair Katharine, will you have me? Don’t be embarrassed. Just tell me what is on your heart. Take my hand and say, “Harry of England, I am yours.” As soon as I hear it, I will tell you, “England, Ireland, France, and Harry Plantagenet yours.” Let me hear your musical voice in broken English tell me what you think. Will you have me?