The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (565 page)

Here is all that is still alive of your queen,

a little daughter: for its sake,

be a man, and take this consolation.

PERICLES

O you gods!

Why do you make us love your goodly gifts,

And snatch them straight away? We here below

Recall not what we give, and therein may

Use honour with you.

Oh you gods!

Why do you make us love your wonderful gifts,

and then snatch them straight away? We here below

do not take back what we give, and then

use it against you.

LYCHORIDA

Patience, good sir,

Even for this charge.

Be calm, good sir,

if only for the sake of the baby.

PERICLES

Now, mild may be thy life!

For a more blustrous birth had never babe:

Quiet and gentle thy conditions! for

Thou art the rudeliest welcome to this world

That ever was prince's child. Happy what follows!

Thou hast as chiding a nativity

As fire, air, water, earth, and heaven can make,

To herald thee from the womb: even at the first

Thy loss is more than can thy portage quit,

With all thou canst find here. Now, the good gods

Throw their best eyes upon't!

Enter two Sailors

Now, may your life be quiet!

No baby ever had a more stormy birth:

may your life be calm and gentle! For

you had the roughest welcome into the world

a prince's child ever had. May what follows be happy!

You have had as noisy a birth

as fire, air, water, earth and heaven could make,

to announce you from the womb: right from the start

you have suffered a loss which nothing you find

on earth will make up for. Now, may  the good gods

do their best for you!

First Sailor

What courage, sir? God save you!

What hope is there, sir? May God save you!

PERICLES

Courage enough: I do not fear the flaw;

It hath done to me the worst. Yet, for the love

Of this poor infant, this fresh-new sea-farer,

I would it would be quiet.

There is hope enough: I do not fear the gales;

they have done the worst to me they can. But, out of love

for this poor child, this brand-new sailor,

I wish it would be calm.

First Sailor

Slack the bolins there! Thou wilt not, wilt thou?

Blow, and split thyself.

Slacken the bow lines there! Oh so you won't?

Then blow yourself out.

Second Sailor

But sea-room, an the brine and cloudy billow kiss

the moon, I care not.

As long as we have the open sea the waves and spray can kiss

the moon, I don't care.

First Sailor

Sir, your queen must overboard: the sea works high,

the wind is loud, and will not lie till the ship be

cleared of the dead.

Sir, your queen must go overboard: the sea's running high,

the wind is fierce, and it will not calm until the ship is

emptied of the dead.

PERICLES

That's your superstition.

That's your superstition.

First Sailor

Pardon us, sir; with us at sea it hath been still

observed: and we are strong in custom. Therefore

briefly yield her; for she must overboard straight.

Excuse us, sir; with those of us who sail it is still

believed, and we follow our traditions. Therefore

you must give her up at once; she must go straight overboard.

PERICLES

As you think meet. Most wretched queen!

Whatever you think best. Most wretched queen!

LYCHORIDA

Here she lies, sir.

She's lying here, sir.

PERICLES

A terrible childbed hast thou had, my dear;

No light, no fire: the unfriendly elements

Forgot thee utterly: nor have I time

To give thee hallow'd to thy grave, but straight

Must cast thee, scarcely coffin'd, in the ooze;

Where, for a monument upon thy bones,

And e'er-remaining lamps, the belching whale

And humming water must o'erwhelm thy corpse,

Lying with simple shells. O Lychorida,

Bid Nestor bring me spices, ink and paper,

My casket and my jewels; and bid Nicander

Bring me the satin coffer: lay the babe

Upon the pillow: hie thee, whiles I say

A priestly farewell to her: suddenly, woman.

Exit LYCHORIDA

A terrible maternity bed you had, my dear;

no light, no fire: the harsh elements

completely forgot about you: and I don't have the time

to hold a proper funeral, but  must throw you

straight over the side, without a proper coffin, into the sea;

the marker over your grave will have to be

the eternal stars, the belching whale,

and the turbulent water must cover your corpse,

lying with simple shells. Oh Lychordia,

Tell Nestor to bring the spices, ink and paper,

my valuables box and my jewels; tell Nicander

to  bring the satin chest; put the baby

on the pillow; do that, while I say

the burial service over her: quickly, woman.

Second Sailor

Sir, we have a chest beneath the hatches, caulked

and bitumed ready.

Sir, we have a chest beneath the hatches, all

ready and waterproofed.

PERICLES

I thank thee. Mariner, say what coast is this?

Thank you. Sailor, tell me what coast this is.

Second Sailor

We are near Tarsus.

We are near Tarsus.

PERICLES

Thither, gentle mariner,

Alter thy course for Tyre. When canst thou reach it?

Change your course from Tyre, good sailor,

and head for there. When can you reach it?

Second Sailor

By break of day, if the wind cease.

By morning, if the wind drops.

PERICLES

O, make for Tarsus!

There will I visit Cleon, for the babe

Cannot hold out to Tyrus: there I'll leave it

At careful nursing. Go thy ways, good mariner:

I'll bring the body presently.

Exeunt

Oh, head for Tarsus!

I will visit Cleon there, because the baby

will not survive until Tyre: I'll leave it there,

well looked after. Go about your business, good sailor:

I'll bring the body along shortly.

Enter CERIMON, with a Servant, and some Persons who have been shipwrecked

CERIMON

Philemon, ho!

Enter PHILEMON

Philemon, come here!

PHILEMON

Doth my lord call?

Did my Lord call?

CERIMON

Get fire and meat for these poor men:

'T has been a turbulent and stormy night.

Get a fire and meat for these poor men:

it has been a windy and stormy night.

Servant

I have been in many; but such a night as this,

Till now, I ne'er endured.

I have been in many; but until now I never saw

a night such as this.

CERIMON

Your master will be dead ere you return;

There's nothing can be minister'd to nature

That can recover him.

To PHILEMON

Give this to the 'pothecary,

And tell me how it works.

Exeunt all but CERIMON

Enter two Gentlemen

Your master will be dead before you return;

there's nothing that can be given to him

which can save him.

Give this to the chemist,

and tell me how it goes.

First Gentleman

Good morrow.

Good day.

Second Gentleman

Good morrow to your lordship.

Good day to your lordship.

CERIMON

Gentlemen,

Why do you stir so early?

Gentlemen,

why are you up so early?

First Gentleman

Sir,

Our lodgings, standing bleak upon the sea,

Shook as the earth did quake;

The very principals did seem to rend,

And all-to topple: pure surprise and fear

Made me to quit the house.

Sir,

our lodgings, standing right next to the sea,

shook as the earth shook;

the very foundations seemed to break,

and be about to fall: sheer surprise and fear

made me leave the house.

Second Gentleman

That is the cause we trouble you so early;

'Tis not our husbandry.

This is why we are here so early;

it's not an eagerness to work.

CERIMON

O, you say well.

Oh, you speak well.

First Gentleman

But I much marvel that your lordship, having

Rich tire about you, should at these early hours

Shake off the golden slumber of repose.

'Tis most strange,

Nature should be so conversant with pain,

Being thereto not compell'd.

But I'm astonished that your lordship, with

such strong buildings around you, should so early

Shake off the golden peace of sleep.

It's very strange,

that you should want to suffer this discomfort,

when you are not forced to.

CERIMON

I hold it ever,

Virtue and cunning were endowments greater

Than nobleness and riches: careless heirs