The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (697 page)

Whose twelve strong labors crown his memory,

Let ’s die together, at one instant, Duke.

Only a little let him fall before me,

That I may tell my soul he shall not have her.

You would be showing pity for both of us, O Theseus,

if you shown no mercy for either. If you are just

then block your noble ears against us;

as you are brave, for the memory of your cousin,

whose twelve great works are still remembered,

let us die together, Duke, instantaneously.

Just let him die a little before me,

so I can be certain he will not have her.

THESEUS

I grant your wish, for to say true, your cousin

Has ten times more offended, for I gave him

More mercy than you found, sir, your offenses

Being no more than his. None here speak for ’em,

For ere the sun set, both shall sleep forever.

I grant your wish, because truthfully your cousin

has offended ten times more than you, for I gave him

more mercy than you had, sir, when your crimes

were no worse than his. Nobody speak for them,

for before the sun sets they shall both be sleeping eternally.

HIPPOLYTA

Alas, the pity! Now or never, sister,

Speak, not to be denied. That face of yours

Will bear the curses else of after-ages

For these lost cousins.

Alas, how terrible! You must speak out fearlessly,

sister, now or never. Otherwise you will be

cursed by all those who come after us

for letting these cousins die.

EMILIA

In my face, dear sister,

I find no anger to ’em, nor no ruin:

The misadventure of their own eyes kill ’em;

Yet that I will be woman, and have pity,

My knees shall grow to th’ ground but I’ll get mercy.

Help me, dear sister, in a deed so virtuous

The powers of all women will be with us.

Most royal brother—

I don't have any anger for them, dear sister,

and I don't have any desire for them to die:

it's their own wandering eyes which will kill them;

but because I am a woman I will show pity,

I will go down on my knees to get mercy.

Help me, dear sister, do something so virtuous

that the power of all women will assist us.

Most royal brother–

They kneel.

HIPPOLYTA

Sir, by our tie of marriage—

Sir, by the bonds of our marriage–

EMILIA

By your own spotless honor—

Through your own spotless honour–

HIPPOLYTA

By that faith,

That fair hand, and that honest heart you gave me—

By the faith,

the fair hand, and the honest heart that you gave me–

EMILIA

By that you would have pity in another,

By your own virtues infinite—

As you would wished to be pitied by another,

by your own intimate virtue–

HIPPOLYTA

By valor,

By all the chaste nights I have ever pleas’d you—

Through your bravery,

for all the pleasure I have given you in the night–

THESEUS

These are strange conjurings.

These are strange demands.

PIRITHOUS

Nay then I’ll in too.

Kneels.

By all our friendship, sir, by all our dangers,

By all you love most—wars, and this sweet lady—

Well, I'll join in too.

For our friendship, sir, for all our dangers,

by all you love most–war, and this sweet lady–

EMILIA

By that you would have trembled to deny

A blushing maid—

For something that you would be afraid to deny

a blushing girl–

HIPPOLYTA

By your own eyes, by strength,

In which you swore I went beyond all women,

Almost all men, and yet I yielded, Theseus—

For the sake of your own eyes, and my strength,

which is always greater than that of any woman,

and almost all men, and yet I surrendered to you, Theseus–

PIRITHOUS

To crown all this, by your most noble soul,

Which cannot want due mercy, I beg first.

On top of everything, for your most noble soul,

which cannot be lacking in mercy, I beg you.

HIPPOLYTA

Next hear my prayers.

And hear my prayers next.

EMILIA

Last let me entreat, sir.

And let me beg you last of all, sir.

PIRITHOUS

For mercy.

For mercy.

HIPPOLYTA

Mercy.

Mercy.

EMILIA

Mercy on these princes.

Have mercy on these princes.

THESEUS

Ye make my faith reel. Say I felt

Compassion to ’em both, how would you place it?

You've put my mind in a whirl. What if I felt

sorry for them both, what should I do then?

EMILIA

Upon their lives; but with their banishments.

Save their lives, just exile them.

THESEUS

You are a right woman, sister, you have pity,

But want the understanding where to use it.

If you desire their lives, invent a way

Safer than banishment. Can these two live,

And have the agony of love about ’em,

And not kill one another? Every day

They’ld fight about you; hourly bring your honor

In public question with their swords. Be wise then

And here forget ’em; it concerns your credit

And my oath equally. I have said they die;

Better they fall by th’ law than one another.

Bow not my honor.

You are a good woman, sister, you have pity,

but you don't know how you should apply it.

If you want them to live, think of a way

safer than exile. Can these two live,

both suffering from the agony of love,

and not kill each other? Every day

they would fight over you; every hour they would

duel for your honour in public. So be sensible

and forget about them; it affects your reputation

and my oath equally. I have said they will die;

it's better for them to be executed by the law than each other.

Don't make me be dishonourable.

EMILIA

O my noble brother,

That oath was rashly made, and in your anger,

Your reason will not hold it. If such vows

Stand for express will, all the world must perish.

Beside, I have another oath ’gainst yours,

Of more authority, I am sure more love,

Not made in passion neither, but good heed.

O my noble brother,

you made that oath in the heat of the moment when you were angry,

you won't keep to it when you think of it. If such oaths

have to be maintained then the whole world would die.

Besides, I have another oath to put against yours,

which is more powerful, has more love in it,

and was made rationally, not out of passion.

THESEUS

What is it, sister?

What is it, sister?

PIRITHOUS

Urge it home, brave lady.

Drive it home, good lady.

EMILIA

That you would nev’r deny me any thing

Fit for my modest suit and your free granting.

I tie you to your word now; if ye fall in’t,

Think how you maim your honor

(For now I am set a-begging, sir, I am deaf

To all but your compassion), how their lives

Might breed the ruin of my name; opinion,

Shall any thing that loves me perish for me?

That were a cruel wisdom. Do men proin

The straight young boughs that blush with thousand blossoms,

Because they may be rotten? O Duke Theseus,

The goodly mothers that have groan’d for these,

And all the longing maids that ever lov’d,

If your vow stand, shall curse me and my beauty,

And in their funeral songs for these two cousins

Despise my cruelty, and cry woe worth me,

Till I am nothing but the scorn of women.

For heaven’s sake save their lives, and banish ’em.

That you would never deny me anything

within your power that was suitable for my modest position.

I hold you to your word now; if you don't keep it,

think what damage you do your honour

(now I have started begging, Sir, I can't hear

anything but your compassion), how their deaths

would ruin my reputation; what would people think,

if anyone who loved me should die for it?

That would be a cruel judgement. Do men prune

straight young branches that hold a thousand flowers,

because they might be rotten? Oh Duke Theseus,

if you stick to your word the good mothers

who suffered to give these men birth,

and all the longing girls that ever were in love,

shall curse me and my beauty,

and in their funeral songs for these two cousins

they will hate my cruelty, and call for me to suffer,

until I am hated by all women.

For the sake of heaven save their lives, and banish them.

THESEUS

On what conditions?

On what conditions?

EMILIA

Swear ’em never more

To make me their contention, or to know me,

To tread upon thy dukedom, and to be,

Where ever they shall travel, ever strangers

To one another.

Make them swear they will never

fight over me again, or try to find me,

or walk in your lands, and that

wherever they go they will never

see each other again.

PALAMON

I’ll be cut a-pieces

Before I take this oath. Forget I love her?

O all ye gods, despise me then. Thy banishment

I not mislike, so we may fairly carry

Our swords and cause along; else, never trifle,

But take our lives, Duke. I must love, and will,

And for that love must and dare kill this cousin,

On any piece the earth has.

I'll be cut to pieces

before I swear this. Forget I love her?

Then all the gods can despise me. I don't object

to being exiled, if we can take our swords

and continue our battle; otherwise, don't mess about,

but take our lives, Duke. I must love, and I will,

and for that love I must and there to kill this cousin,

wherever he is on Earth.