The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (424 page)

Enter DUKE VINCENTIO and FRIAR THOMAS

DUKE VINCENTIO

No, holy father; throw away that thought;

No, holy father, get that thought out of your mind;
Believe not that the dribbling dart of love

Don’t believe that Cupid’s arrow
Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee

Can pierce a perfect heart. The reason I want you
To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose

To give me refuge here in secret, has a purpose behind it
More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends

More serious and mature that the goals and desires
Of burning youth.

Of burning youth.

FRIAR THOMAS

May your grace speak of it?

Will you tell me what it is?

DUKE VINCENTIO

My holy sir, none better knows than you

My holy sir, no one knows better than you
How I have ever loved the life removed

How I have always loved a secluded life
And held in idle price to haunt assemblies

And have not thought there was very much worth in going to assemblies
Where youth, and cost, and witless bravery keeps.

Where young and foolish bravado is to be found.
I have deliver'd to Lord Angelo,

I have delivered to Lord Angelo,
A man of stricture and firm abstinence,

A very severe and self-restricting man,
My absolute power and place here in Vienna,

All of the power and station here in Vienna,
And he supposes me travell'd to Poland;

And he thinks that I am traveling to Poland;
For so I have strew'd it in the common ear,

Since that what I have been spreading to the common people,
And so it is received. Now, pious sir,

So that’s where they think I am. Now, pious sir,
You will demand of me why I do this?

You will ask of me why I’m going this?

FRIAR THOMAS

Gladly, my lord.

Gladly, my lord.

DUKE VINCENTIO

We have strict statutes and most biting laws.

We have strict rules and laws
The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds,

That are necessary for controlling headstrong miscreants,
Which for this nineteen years we have let slip;

Which we have let slide these last nineteen years;
Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave,

Just like a lion grown fat and inactive in a cave,
That goes not out to prey. Now, as fond fathers,

That doesn’t go out to hunt. Now, as foolish fathers,
Having bound up the threatening twigs of birch,

Who bind up twigs for beating their children
Only to stick it in their children's sight

Only to let them see it and threaten them with
For terror, not to use, in time the rod

For terror, not to actually use it, in time will
Becomes more mock'd than fear'd; so our decrees,

Become more mocked than feared; that’s what has happened
Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead;

To our laws, not being enforced, have become redundant;
And liberty plucks justice by the nose;

And freedom contemptuously mocks the law;
The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart

The baby beats the nurse, and propriety and social order
Goes all decorum.

Goes the wrong direction.

FRIAR THOMAS

It rested in your grace

It was up to you, your grace,
To unloose this tied-up justice when you pleased:

To bring this justice down whenever you chose:
And it in you more dreadful would have seem'd

And by doing so, you would have seemed much more dreadful
Than in Lord Angelo.

Than Lord Angelo.

DUKE VINCENTIO

I do fear, too dreadful:

I’m afraid that would have made me too dreadful:
Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope,

Since it was my fault that I let things run amuck,
'Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them

I would seem a tyrant to punish and anger them
For what I bid them do: for we bid this be done,

For what I myself let them get away with: we virtually order this to be done,
When evil deeds have their permissive pass

When evil deeds are allowed to pass
And not the punishment. Therefore indeed, my father,

Without the punishment. And so, father,
I have on Angelo imposed the office;

I have imposed that duty onto Angelo;
Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home,

Who may, under cover of my name, strike home,
And yet my nature never in the fight

And yet my true nature will never have to be put in the fight
To do in slander. And to behold his sway,

And put in disrepute. And so that I may behold his effect,
I will, as 'twere a brother of your order,

I will, disguised as a brother of your monastery,
Visit both prince and people: therefore, I prithee,

Visit both the governor and people: therefore, I as you,
Supply me with the habit and instruct me

Give me the garb of a priest and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear me

How it is best to act in front of people
Like a true friar. More reasons for this action

As though I was a real friar. More reasons for this action
At our more leisure shall I render you;

I shall tell you when we have more time;
Only, this one: Lord Angelo is precise;

But I will tell you this: Lord Angelo is extremely strict;
Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses

He stands with a defensive posture with malice; Will scarcely
That his blood flows, or that his appetite

Confess that his blood flows, or that he has
Is more to bread than stone: hence shall we see,

And normal human appetites: so we shall see,
If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

If power changes purpose, what people really are.

Exeunt

Enter ISABELLA and FRANCISCA

ISABELLA

And have you nuns no farther privileges?

Do you have any other rooms?

FRANCISCA

Are not these large enough?

Are these not large enough?

ISABELLA

Yes, truly; I speak not as desiring more;

They are; I don’t mean to speak as if it’s not enough;
But rather wishing a more strict restraint

But rather wanting a more strict restraint
Upon the sisterhood, the votarists of Saint Clare.

Upon the sisterhood, the ones who are bound by vows to St. Clare.

LUCIO

[Within] Ho! Peace be in this place!

[Inside] Hello! Is anyone there!

ISABELLA

Who's that which calls?

Who is that calling?

FRANCISCA

It is a man's voice. Gentle Isabella,

It’s a man’s voice. Gentle Isabella,
Turn you the key, and know his business of him;

Turn the key and go see what he needs;
You may, I may not; you are yet unsworn.

You can, I am not allowed; you haven’t taken your vows yet,
When you have vow'd, you must not speak with men

When you have sworn, you cannot speak with men
But in the presence of the prioress:

Except in the presence of the head of the nunnery:
Then, if you speak, you must not show your face,

Then, if you speak to a man, you can’t show your face,
Or, if you show your face, you must not speak.

Or, if you show your face, you cannot speak.
He calls again; I pray you, answer him.

He just shouted again; please answer him.

Exit

ISABELLA

Peace and prosperity! Who is't that calls

Peace and good health to you! Who is it that is calling?

Enter LUCIO

LUCIO

Hail, virgin, if you be, as those cheek-roses

Hello, virgin, if you are one, as those rosy cheeks
Proclaim you are no less! Can you so stead me

Proclaim that you must be! Can you help me
As bring me to the sight of Isabella,

By bringing me to see a girl named Isabella,
A novice of this place and the fair sister

A student of this place and the lovely sister
To her unhappy brother Claudio?

To her unfortunate brother Claudio?

ISABELLA

Why 'her unhappy brother'? let me ask,

Why ‘her unfortunate brother’? let me ask
The rather for I now must make you know

Sooner rather than later because, as I now will tell you,
I am that Isabella and his sister.

I am his sister Isabella who you are looking for.

LUCIO

Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you:

Gentle and beautiful, your brother sends you kind greetings:
Not to be weary with you, he's in prison.

Not to distress you, but he’s in prison.

ISABELLA

Woe me! for what?

Oh no! for what?

LUCIO

For that which, if myself might be his judge,

The reason is one that if I were his judge
He should receive his punishment in thanks:

I would say his punishment should be gratitude:
He hath got his friend with child.

He has gotten his girl pregnant.

ISABELLA

Sir, make me not your story.

Sir, don’t turn me into a joke.

LUCIO

It is true.

It’s true
I would not--though 'tis my familiar sin
I would not—though it’s often a misdeed a commit

With maids to seem the lapwing and to jest,

With young ladies so I seem like a clever man and to joke around,
Tongue far from heart--play with all virgins so:

Tongue in cheek—I wouldn’t do this to every maiden:
I hold you as a thing ensky'd and sainted.

I see you as someone exalted and saintly.
By your renouncement an immortal spirit,

Because of your choice to become a nun, you are like an immortal spirit
And to be talk'd with in sincerity,

And must be spoken to with sincereity,
As with a saint.

As one would speak to a saint.

ISABELLA

You do blaspheme the good in mocking me.

You are speaking blasphemy in order to make fun of me.

LUCIO

Do not believe it. Fewness and truth, 'tis thus:

Don’t think that. To be brief and truthful, it’s this:
Your brother and his lover have embraced: