The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (770 page)

BOOK: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
10.07Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Before the sun shall see it, we'll spill the blood

That has to-day escaped. I thank you all;

That has escaped today. I thank you all;

For doughty-handed are you, and have fought

For you are brave and tough, and have fought

Not as you served the cause, but as 't had been

Not as if you were serving the cause, but as if it had been

Each man's like mine; you have shown all Hectors.

Your own the way it is mine; you have shown yourselves as great warriors.

Enter the city, clip your wives, your friends,

Enter the city, go see your wives, your friends,

Tell them your feats; whilst they with joyful tears

Tell them you deeds; while they with joyful tears

Wash the congealment from your wounds, and kiss

Wash the scabs from your wounds, and kiss

The honour'd gashes whole.

The honored cuts whole.

 

To SCARUS

Give me thy hand

Give me your hand

 

Enter CLEOPATRA, attended

To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts,

To this woman I'll praise your actions,

Make her thanks bless thee.

May her thanks bless you.

 

To CLEOPATRA

O thou day o' the world,

Oh you day of the world,

Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all,

Put an arm around my neck; jump, clothes and all

Through proof of harness to my heart, and there

Through the armor to my heart, and there

Ride on the pants triumphing!

Ride on my chariot in victory!

 

CLEOPATRA

Lord of lords!

Lord of lords!
O infinite virtue, comest thou smiling from

Oh wonderful, do you come smiling from

The world's great snare uncaught?

The world's big trap without being caught?

 

MARK ANTONY

My nightingale,

My nightingale,
We have beat them to their beds. What, girl! though grey

We have beaten them to their beds. What, girl! Even if gray
Do something mingle with our younger brown, yet ha' we

Some of our hair mixes with younger-looking brown, yet we have

A brain that nourishes our nerves, and can

A brain that feeds our nerves, and can

Get goal for goal of youth. Behold this man;

Match against youth. Look at this man;

Commend unto his lips thy favouring hand:

Allow him to touch your hand with his lips:

Kiss it, my warrior: he hath fought to-day

Kiss it, my warrior: he has fought today

As if a god, in hate of mankind, had

As if a god, hating mankind, had

Destroy'd in such a shape.

Destroyed it in the shape of a man.

 

CLEOPATRA

I'll give thee, friend,

I'll give you, friend,

An armour all of gold; it was a king's.

A set of armor made out of gold; it was a king's.

 

MARK ANTONY

He has deserved it, were it carbuncled

He deserves it, even if it were covered in jewels

Like holy Phoebus' car. Give me thy hand:

Like holy Phoebus' chariot. Give me your hand:

Through Alexandria make a jolly march;

Let us cheerfully march through Alexandria;

Bear our hack'd targets like the men that owe them:

Carry our damaged targets like the men what owe them:

Had our great palace the capacity

If our huge palace had the room

To camp this host, we all would sup together,

To host all these men, we would all eat together,

And drink carouses to the next day's fate,

And drink in celebration of the next day's fate,

Which promises royal peril. Trumpeters,

Which promises royal danger. Trumpeters,

With brazen din blast you the city's ear;

With loudness blast the city's ear;

Make mingle with rattling tabourines;

Mix the sounds with rattling tambourines;

That heaven and earth may strike their sounds together,

That heaven and earth may hit their sounds together,

Applauding our approach.

Exeunt

 

 

 

Sentinels at their post

 

First Soldier

If we be not relieved within this hour,

If we are not replaced within the hour,

We must return to the court of guard: the night

We must return to our tent: the night

Is shiny; and they say we shall embattle

Is bright; and they say we will go into battle

By the second hour i' the morn.

By the second hour of the morning.

 

Second Soldier

This last day was

This last day was
A shrewd one to's.

A difficult one too.

 

Enter DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

O, bear me witness, night,--

Oh, witness me, night,--

 

Third Soldier

What man is this?

Who is this?

 

Second Soldier

Stand close, and list him.

Stand close, and listen to him.

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

Be witness to me, O thou blessed moon,

Be witness to me, oh you blessed moon,

When men revolted shall upon record

When men who rebelled shall in history

Bear hateful memory, poor Enobarbus did

Be remembered with hate, poor Enobarbus did

Before thy face repent!

Repent in front of you!

 

First Soldier

Enobarbus!

Enobarbus!

 

Third Soldier

Peace!

Quiet!

Hark further.

Keep listening.

 

DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS

O sovereign mistress of true melancholy,

Oh ruling mistress of true gloominess,

The poisonous damp of night disponge upon me,

May that poisonous damp of night take from me,

That life, a very rebel to my will,

So that life, a rebel against my will,

May hang no longer on me: throw my heart

May not stay with me any longer: throw my heart

Against the flint and hardness of my fault:

Against the stone hardness of my fault:

Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder,

Which, being dried with grief, will break to powder,
And finish all foul thoughts. O Antony,

And finish all bad thoughts. Oh Antony,

Nobler than my revolt is infamous,

More noble than my rebellion is terrible,

Forgive me in thine own particular;

Forgive me as you wish;

But let the world rank me in register

But let the world consider me

A master-leaver and a fugitive:

A deserter and traitor:

O Antony! O Antony!

Dies

 

Second Soldier

Let's speak to him.

Let's talk to him.

 

First Soldier

Let's hear him, for the things he speaks

Let's listen to him, for the things he speaks

May concern Caesar.

Might have to do with Caesar.

 

Third Soldier

Let's do so. But he sleeps.

We should. But he sleeps.

 

First Soldier

Swoons rather; for so bad a prayer as his

Faints, I think; for a prayer as dark as his

Was never yet for sleep.

Was not meant for sleep.

 

Second Soldier

Go we to him.

We should go to him.

 

Third Soldier

Awake, sir, awake; speak to us.

Wake up, sir, wake up; speak to us.

 

Second Soldier

Hear you, sir?

Do you hear, sir?

 

First Soldier

The hand of death hath raught him.

He's dead.

 

Drums afar off

Hark! the drums

Listen! The drums

Demurely wake the sleepers. Let us bear him

Politely wake the sleepers. Let us carry him

To the court of guard; he is of note: our hour

To the guard's tent; he is important; our our

Is fully out.

Is now ended.

 

Third Soldier

Come on, then;

Come on, then;
He may recover yet.

He might still recover.

 

Exeunt with the body

 

 

 

Enter MARK ANTONY and SCARUS, with their Army

 

MARK ANTONY

Their preparation is to-day by sea;

They plan today to fight by sea;

We please them not by land.

They do not like fighting us by land.

 

SCARUS

For both, my lord.

For both, sir.

 

MARK ANTONY

I would they'ld fight i' the fire or i' the air;

I wish they would fight us in the fire or in the air;

We'ld fight there too. But this it is; our foot

We would fight there too. But this is how it is; our infantry

Upon the hills adjoining to the city

On the hills beside the city

Shall stay with us: order for sea is given;

Will stay with us: I have ordered for sea;

They have put forth the haven

They have put forward the safe place

Where their appointment we may best discover,

Where we might best find them,

Other books

Erixitl de Palul by Douglas Niles
Pilgrim’s Rest by Patricia Wentworth
The Partner by John Grisham
A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka
Love Found Me 2 by Sharon Kleve
Rock Star by Adrian Chamberlain
Lady of Shame by Ann Lethbridge
Tree Girl by T. A. Barron