The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (14 page)

PANDULPH.

I will denounce a curse upon his head.

I will announce a curse upon his head.

KING PHILIP.

Thou shalt not need. England, I will fall from thee.

You won't have to. England, I forsake you.

CONSTANCE.

O fair return of banish'd majesty!

Here is the fair return of your forgotten majesty!

ELINOR.

O foul revolt of French inconstancy!

Disgusting rebellion of French inconstancy!

KING JOHN.

France, thou shalt rue this hour within this hour.

France, you shall regret what you have done here at once.

BASTARD.

Old Time the clock-setter, that bald sexton Time,

Is it as he will? Well then, France shall rue.

Old Father Time, that old gravedigger,

is this what he wants? Well then, France will regret this.

BLANCH.

The sun's o'ercast with blood. Fair day, adieu!

Which is the side that I must go withal?

I am with both: each army hath a hand;

And in their rage, I having hold of both,

They whirl asunder and dismember me.

Husband, I cannot pray that thou mayst win;

Uncle, I needs must pray that thou mayst lose;

Father, I may not wish the fortune thine;

Grandam, I will not wish thy wishes thrive.

Whoever wins, on that side shall I lose:

Assured loss before the match be play'd.

The sun has gone bloody red. Farewell, sweet day!

Which side am I supposed to choose?

I am with both of them: each army claims me;

and in their anger, as I have hold of both their hands,

they will tear me apart.

Husband, I cannot pray that you will win;

uncle, I must pray that you will lose;

father, I don't want you to succeed;

grandmother, I don't want you to get your wishes.

Whoever wins, I shall be the loser:

my loss is guaranteed before the match is even played.

LEWIS.

Lady, with me, with me thy fortune lies.

Lady, come with me, your fate is with me.

BLANCH.

There where my fortune lives, there my life dies.

Then where my fate goes, that's where my life dies.

KING JOHN.

Cousin, go draw our puissance together.

Cousin, let's go and muster our forces.

Exit

BASTARD

France, I am burn'd up with inflaming wrath,

A rage whose heat hath this condition

That nothing can allay, nothing but blood,

The blood, and dearest-valu'd blood, of France.

France, I am consumed with a burning anger,

an anger whose heat cannot be

cooled by anything except blood,

the blood, the blood of the greatest price, of France.

KING PHILIP.

Thy rage shall burn thee up, and thou shalt turn

To ashes, ere our blood shall quench that fire.

Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy.

Your rage will burn you up, and you shall turn

to ashes, before my blood puts that fire out.

Watch out for yourself, you are in danger.

KING JOHN.

No more than he that threats. To arms let's hie!

In no more danger than the one who threatens it.

Let's arm ourselves!

Exeunt severally

France. Plains near Angiers

Alarums, excursions. Enter the BASTARD with AUSTRIA'S head

BASTARD.

Now, by my life, this day grows wondrous hot;

Some airy devil hovers in the sky

And pours down mischief. Austria's head lie there,

While Philip breathes.

Now, I swear, the day is growing terribly hot;

some flying devil is hovering in the sky

and pouring down mischief. Austria, lie your head there,

while Philip catches his breath.

Enter KING JOHN, ARTHUR, and HUBERT

KING JOHN.

Hubert, keep this boy. Philip, make up:

My mother is assailed in our tent,

And ta'en, I fear.

Hubert, look after this boy. Philip, get to the front:

my mother has been attacked in our tent,

and captured, I fear.

BASTARD.

My lord, I rescued her;

Her Highness is in safety, fear you not;

But on, my liege, for very little pains

Will bring this labour to an happy end.

My lord, I rescued her;

her Highness is safe, don't worry;

but let's go forward, my lord, for a little effort

will finish this work successfully.

Exeunt

France. Plains near Angiers

Alarums, excursions, retreat. Enter KING JOHN, ELINOR, ARTHUR,

the BASTARD, HUBERT, and LORDS

KING JOHN.

[To ELINOR]So shall it be; your Grace shall stay

behind,

So strongly guarded.[To ARTHUR]Cousin, look not sad;

Thy grandam loves thee, and thy uncle will

As dear be to thee as thy father was.

This is how it will be; your Grace will stay behind,

 with this strong guard. Cousin, do not look sad;

your grandmother loves you, and your uncle will

be as dear to you as your father was.

ARTHUR.

O, this will make my mother die with grief!

Oh, this will make my mother die of grief!

KING JOHN.

[To the BASTARD]Cousin, away for England! haste before,

And, ere our coming, see thou shake the bags

Of hoarding abbots; imprisoned angels

Set at liberty; the fat ribs of peace

Must by the hungry now be fed upon.

Use our commission in his utmost force.

Cousin, let's go to England! You hurry ahead,

and, before we get there, make sure you impose taxes

on the hoarding abbots; set their coins

free; the animals which were fed in peace

must now make food for the hungry.

Use my full authority.

BASTARD.

Bell, book, and candle, shall not drive me back,

When gold and silver becks me to come on.

I leave your Highness. Grandam, I will pray,

If ever I remember to be holy,

For your fair safety. So, I kiss your hand.

The threat of excommunication will not repel me,

when gold and silver is urging me to go on.

I take my leave of your Highness. Grandmother, I will pray,

if I ever remember to be pious,

for your safety. So, I kiss your hand.

ELINOR.

Farewell, gentle cousin.

Farewell, sweet cousin.

KING JOHN.

Coz, farewell.

Cousin, farewell.

Exit BASTARD

ELINOR.

Come hither, little kinsman; hark, a word.

Come here, little relative; listen to me.

KING JOHN.

Come hither, Hubert. O my gentle Hubert,

We owe thee much! Within this wall of flesh

There is a soul counts thee her creditor,

And with advantage means to pay thy love;

And, my good friend, thy voluntary oath

Lives in this bosom, dearly cherished.

Give me thy hand. I had a thing to say-

But I will fit it with some better time.

By heaven, Hubert, I am almost asham'd

To say what good respect I have of thee.

Come here, Hubert. Oh my sweet Hubert,

we owe you a lot! Inside this body

there is a soul which feels indebted to you,

and intends to return your love with interest;

and, my good friend, your voluntary promise

lives in my heart, greatly valued.

Give me your hand. I had something to say–

but I will find a better time to say it.

By heaven, Hubert, I am almost embarrassed

to say how well I think of you.

HUBERT.

I am much bounden to your Majesty.

I'm very indebted to your Majesty.

KING JOHN.

Good friend, thou hast no cause to say so yet,

But thou shalt have; and creep time ne'er so slow,

Yet it shall come for me to do thee good.

I had a thing to say-but let it go:

The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day,

Attended with the pleasures of the world,

Is all too wanton and too full of gawds

To give me audience. If the midnight bell

Did with his iron tongue and brazen mouth

Sound on into the drowsy race of night;

If this same were a churchyard where we stand,

And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs;

Or if that surly spirit, melancholy,

Had bak'd thy blood and made it heavy-thick,

Which else runs tickling up and down the veins,

Making that idiot, laughter, keep men's eyes

And strain their cheeks to idle merriment,

A passion hateful to my purposes;

Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes,

Hear me without thine cars, and make reply

Without a tongue, using conceit alone,

Without eyes, ears, and harmful sound of words-