The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1067 page)

I will be very happy to wait on your ladyship.

MARCUS.

Lucius, I will. [LAVINIA turns over with her

stumps the books which Lucius has let fall]

Lucius, that’s what I want.

TITUS.

How now, Lavinia! Marcus, what means this?

Some book there is that she desires to see.

Which is it, girl, of these?- Open them, boy.-

But thou art deeper read and better skill'd;

Come and take choice of all my library,

And so beguile thy sorrow, till the heavens

Reveal the damn'd contriver of this deed.

Why lifts she up her arms in sequence thus?

What's this, Lavinia?Marcus, what does this mean?

She wants to see in one of these books.

Which of these is it, girl? - Open them, boy -

But you are better read and more intelligent;

come and take your pick from my whole library,

and so ease your pain, until the heavens

show us who did this to you.

Why does she wave her arms like this?

MARCUS.

I think she means that there were more than one

Confederate in the fact; ay, more there was,

Or else to heaven she heaves them for revenge.

I think she means there was more than one

person who did this; yes, more than one.

Unless she's waving her arms to heaven for revenge.

TITUS.

Lucius, what book is that she tosseth so?

Lucius, what's that book she's throwing around?

BOY.

Grandsire, 'tis Ovid's Metamorphoses;

My mother gave it me.

Grandfather, it's Ovid's Metamorphoses;

my mother gave it to me.

MARCUS.

For love of her that's gone,

Perhaps she cull'd it from among the rest.

Perhaps she's singled it out from the rest

out of love for the one who's departed.

TITUS.

Soft! So busily she turns the leaves! Help her.

What would she find? Lavinia, shall I read?

This is the tragic tale of Philomel

And treats of Tereus' treason and his rape;

And rape, I fear, was root of thy annoy.

Hush!See how eagerly she's turning the pages!Help her.

What is she looking for?Lavinia, shall I read?

This is the tragic tale of Philomel,

which talks of Tereus' treason and his rape of her;

and rape, I fear, is at the heart of your anguish.

MARCUS.

See, brother, see! Note how she quotes the leaves.

Look brother, look!See how she's pointing out passages.

TITUS.

Lavinia, wert thou thus surpris'd, sweet girl,

Ravish'd and wrong'd as Philomela was,

Forc'd in the ruthless, vast, and gloomy woods?

See, see!

Ay, such a place there is where we did hunt-

O, had we never, never hunted there!-

Pattern'd by that the poet here describes,

By nature made for murders and for rapes.

Lavinia, were you ambushed like this, dear girl,

raped and harmed as Philomela was,

compelled in the pitiless, vast and gloomy woods?

Look, look!

Yes, we hunted in a place like this -

Oh, I wish we'd never ever hunted there! -

a setting like the poet describes here,

created by nature for murder and rape.

MARCUS.

O, why should nature build so foul a den,

Unless the gods delight in tragedies?

Oh, why should nature build such a foul den,

unless the gods enjoy tragedies?

TITUS.

Give signs, sweet girl, for here are none but friends,

What Roman lord it was durst do the deed.

Or slunk not Saturnine, as Tarquin erst,

That left the camp to sin in Lucrece' bed?

Give signs, sweet girl, you're amongst your friends.

What Roman lord was it who dared to do the deed.

Was it Saturnine who crept up on you, like Tarquin before him,

who left the camp to sin in Lucrece's bed?

MARCUS.

Sit down, sweet niece; brother, sit down by me.

Apollo, Pallas, Jove, or Mercury,

Inspire me, that I may this treason find!

My lord, look here! Look here, Lavinia!

[He writes his name with his

staff, and guides it with feet and mouth]

This sandy plot is plain; guide, if thou canst,

This after me. I have writ my name

Without the help of any hand at all.

Curs'd be that heart that forc'd us to this shift!

Write thou, good niece, and here display at last

What God will have discovered for revenge.

Heaven guide thy pen to print thy sorrows plain,

That we may know the traitors and the truth!

[She takes the staff in her mouth

and guides it with stumps, and writes]

O, do ye read, my lord, what she hath writ?

Sit down, sweet niece; brother, sit down by me.

Apollo, Pallas, Jove or Mercury,

Guide me to reveal this treason!

My lord, look here!Look here, Lavinia!

This sandy ground is smooth; guide this stick, if you can,

like I have.I have written my name

without using my hands at all.

Damn the person who forced us to these measures!

Write, good niece, and show us at last

whom God wants us to take revenge on.

May heaven guide your pen to make your sad story clear,

So we can know the traitors and the truth!

Oh my lord, do you see what she has written?

TITUS.

'Stuprum- Chiron- Demetrius.'

'Rape - Chiron - Demetrius.'

MARCUS. What, what! the lustful sons of Tamora

Performers of this heinous bloody deed?

What, what!The lustful sons of Tamora

were the ones who did this horrible bloody deed?

TITUS.

Magni Dominator poli,

Tam lentus audis scelera? tam lentus vides?

Ruler of the great heavens,

are you so slow to hear such great crimes? So slow to see?

MARCUS.

O, calm thee, gentle lord! although I know

There is enough written upon this earth

To stir a mutiny in the mildest thoughts,

And arm the minds of infants to exclaims.

My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel;

And kneel, sweet boy, the Roman Hector's hope;

And swear with me- as, with the woeful fere

And father of that chaste dishonoured dame,

Lord Junius Brutus sware for Lucrece' rape-

That we will prosecute, by good advice,

Mortal revenge upon these traitorous Goths,

And see their blood or die with this reproach.

Calm yourself, great lord!Although I know

there is enough written here on the earth

to cause outrage in the most gentle mind,

and start the minds of infants raging.

My lord, kneel down with me; Lavinia, kneel;

and kneel, sweet boy, whom we expect to be a Roman Hector;

and swear with me - as, with his sorrowing wife,

and the father of that chaste dishonest lady,

Lord Junius Brutus swore about the rape of Lucrece -

that we will, with a good plan, take

fatal revenge on these traitorous Goths,

and see their blood or die ashamed.

TITUS.

'Tis sure enough, an you knew how;

But if you hunt these bear-whelps, then beware:

The dam will wake; and if she wind ye once,

She's with the lion deeply still in league,

And lulls him whilst she playeth on her back,

And when he sleeps will she do what she list.

You are a young huntsman, Marcus; let alone;

And come, I will go get a leaf of brass,

And with a gad of steel will write these words,

And lay it by. The angry northern wind

Will blow these sands like Sibyl's leaves abroad,

And where's our lesson, then? Boy, what say you?

It's certain enough, if you find a way;

but if you hunt these bear cubs, beware:

the mother will wake, and if she scents you once,

she's still closely allied to the lion,

and she calms him by playing on her back,

and when he sleeps she does whatever she wants.

You are an inexperienced hunter, Marcus; put it to one side;

look, I will get a sheet of brass,

and with a steel pen I will write these words on it

and we'll store it up.The angry north wind

will blow these sands around like the papers of the Sybil,

and where will our words be then?Boy, what do you say?

BOY.

I say, my lord, that if I were a man

Their mother's bedchamber should not be safe

For these base bondmen to the yoke of Rome.

I say, my lord, that if I were a man

their mother's bedroom would be no safe refuge

for these slaves of Rome.

MARCUS.

Ay, that's my boy! Thy father hath full oft

For his ungrateful country done the like.

Yes, that's my boy!Your father has often

done the same for his ungrateful country.

BOY.

And, uncle, so will I, an if I live.

And so will I, uncle, if I live.

TITUS.

Come, go with me into mine armoury.

Lucius, I'll fit thee; and withal my boy

Shall carry from me to the Empress' sons

Presents that I intend to send them both.

Come, come; thou'lt do my message, wilt thou not?

Come with me into my armoury.

Lucius, I'll kit you out; and soon my boy

shall take the Empress' sons

presents from me for the both of them.

Come along; you'll run my errand, won't you?

BOY.

Ay, with my dagger in their bosoms, grandsire.

Yes, with my dagger in their hearts, grandfather.

TITUS.

No, boy, not so; I'll teach thee another course.

Lavinia, come. Marcus, look to my house.

Lucius and I'll go brave it at the court;

Ay, marry, will we, sir! and we'll be waited on.

 Exeunt TITUS, LAVINIA, and YOUNG LUCIUS

No boy, not like that; I'll teach you a different way.

Come, Lavinia.Marcus, guard my house.

Lucius and I shall go and put on a show at the court,

we shall sir!And they'll pay attention to us.

MARCUS.

O heavens, can you hear a good man groan

And not relent, or not compassion him?

Marcus, attend him in his ecstasy,

That hath more scars of sorrow in his heart

Than foemen's marks upon his batt'red shield,

But yet so just that he will not revenge.

Revenge the heavens for old Andronicus!

Exit

Oh heavens, can you hear a good man groan