The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (401 page)

Not had any yet: the roof of this court is too high to be
yours; and welcome to the wide fields too base to be mine.
yours; and the welcome to the wide fields is too lowly to be mine.

FERDINAND You shall be welcome, madam, to my court.

You will be welcome, madam, to my court.
PRINCESS I will be welcome, then: conduct me thither.

I would like to be welcomed, then: take me there.
FERDINAND Hear me, dear lady; I have sworn an oath.

Listen, dear lady; I have sworn an oath.
PRINCESS Our Lady help my lord! he'll be forsworn.

Oh Mary, help my lord! He’ll break his oath!
FERDINAND Not for the world, fair madam, by my will.

Not for the world, fair lady, by my will.
PRINCESS Why, will shall break it; will and nothing else.

Well, your will shall break it; will and nothing else.
FERDINAND Your ladyship is ignorant what it is.

Your ladyship doesn’t know what it is.
PRINCESS Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,

If my lord was so, his ignorance would be wise,
Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.

Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.
I hear your grace hath sworn out house-keeping:

I hear your grace has sworn out house-keeping:
Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,

It’s a deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,
And sin to break it.

And a sin to break it.
But pardon me. I am too sudden-bold:

But excuse me. I am too bold all of a sudden:
To teach a teacher ill beseemeth me.

To teach a teacher doesn’t become me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,

Graciously condescend to read the purpose of my coming here,

And suddenly resolve me in my suit.

And soon settle my petition.
FERDINAND Madam, I will, if suddenly I may.

Madam, I will, and soon if I can
PRINCESS You will the sooner, that I were away;

You should do it sooner, so that I can leave;
For you'll prove perjured if you make me stay.

Since you’ll be breaking your oath if you make me stay.
BIRON Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?

Didn’t I dance with you in Brabant once?
ROSALINE Did not I dance with you in Brabant once?

Didn’t I dance with you in Brabant once?
BIRON I know you did.

I know you did.
ROSALINE How needless was it then to ask the question!

Then it was needless to ask the question!
BIRON You must not be so quick.

You shouldn’t be so hasty.
ROSALINE 'Tis 'long of you that spur me with such questions.

You’re taking up a lot of time asking such questions.
BIRON Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire.

Your wit is too hot, it speeds too fast, it will get tired.
ROSALINE Not till it leave the rider in the mire.

Not before it leaves its rider stuck in the mud of the swamps.

BIRON What time o' day?

At what time of day?
ROSALINE The hour that fools should ask.

The hour that fools would ask.
BIRON Now fair befall your mask!

And now your mask becomes beautiful!
ROSALINE Fair fall the face it covers!

Beautiful becomes the face that it covers!
BIRON And send you many lovers!

And send you many lovers!
ROSALINE Amen, so you be none.

Amen, so you won’t be one.
BIRON Nay, then will I be gone.

No, then I will be gone.
FERDINAND Madam, your father here doth intimate

Madam, your father indicates here
The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;

That there will be a payment of a hundred thousand crowns;
Being but the one half of an entire sum

That being only half of the entire sum
Disbursed by my father in his wars.

That my father gave in his wars.
But say that he or we, as neither have,

But let’s say the he or we, as neither of us have,
Received that sum, yet there remains unpaid

Received that sum, there remains unpaid
A hundred thousand more; in surety of the which,

A hundred thousand morel ; which will be insured
One part of Aquitaine is bound to us,

By trading one part of Aquitaine to us,

Although not valued to the money's worth.

Although it is not valued to that money’s worth.
If then the king your father will restore

If the king your father will give return
But that one half which is unsatisfied,

Just the one half that has yet to be paid,
We will give up our right in Aquitaine,

We will give up our claim in Aquitaine,
And hold fair friendship with his majesty.

And have a fine friendship with his majesty.
But that, it seems, he little purposeth,

But that, it seems, is hardly his purpose,
For here he doth demand to have repaid

Here he demands to have us repay him
A hundred thousand crowns; and not demands,

A hundred thousand crowns; and does not demand,
On payment of a hundred thousand crowns,

On payment of a hundred thousand crowns,
To have his title live in Aquitaine;

To have claim of Aquitaine;
Which we much rather had depart withal

Which we would much rather part with
And have the money by our father lent

And have the money lent by our father
Than Aquitaine so gelded as it is.

Than to have Aquitaine as broken as it is.
Dear Princess, were not his requests so far

Dear Princess, if his requests weren’t so
From reason's yielding, your fair self should make

Unreasonable, your good self could make
A yielding 'gainst some reason in my breast

An argument agains some reason in my breast
And go well satisfied to France again.

And go well satisfied to France again.
PRINCESS You do the king my father too much wrong

You do the king my father too much wrong
And wrong the reputation of your name,

And do wrong to the reputation of your name,
In so unseeming to confess receipt

By saying that you never received
Of that which hath so faithfully been paid.

That which has been so faithfully paid.

FERDINAND I do protest I never heard of it;

I must protest that I never heard of that;
And if you prove it, I'll repay it back

And if you prove it, I’ll repay it back
Or yield up Aquitaine.

Or give up Aquitaine.
PRINCESS We arrest your word.

We will take you at you word.
Boyet, you can produce acquittances

Boyet, you can produce receipts
For such a sum from special officers

For that payment from special officers
Of Charles his father.

Of Charles his father.
FERDINAND Satisfy me so.

Satisfy me by showing them to me.
BOYET So please your grace, the packet is not come

Well, your grace, the packet has not come
Where that and other specialties are bound:

Where that and other things are bound to go:
To-morrow you shall have a sight of them.

You will be able to see them tomorrow.
FERDINAND It shall suffice me: at which interview

That will suffice: and at the interview
All liberal reason I will yield unto.

I will give in to whatever is reasonable.
Meantime receive such welcome at my hand

In the meantime, receive as much welcome at my hand
As honour without breach of honour may

As my honor, without breaching my honor, can
Make tender of to thy true worthiness:

Offer to your true worthiness:
You may not come, fair princess, in my gates;

You may not come, beautiful princess, in my gates;
But here without you shall be so received

But here outside you shall be so well received

As you shall deem yourself lodged in my heart,

That you will consider yourself as staying the night in my own heart,
Though so denied fair harbour in my house.

Though you are denied good shelter in my house.
Your own good thoughts excuse me, and farewell:

Your own good thoughts will excuse me, and goodbye:
To-morrow shall we visit you again.

Tomorrow we will visit you again.
PRINCESS Sweet health and fair desires consort your grace!

Sweet health and good desires be your grace’s companions!
FERDINAND Thy own wish wish I thee in every place!

Your own wish I wish back to you in every way!
ExitBIRON Lady, I will commend you to mine own heart.

Lady, I will praise you to my own heart.
ROSALINE Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it.

Please go ahead, say my praises; I would be glad to see it.
BIRON I would you heard it groan.

You would probably hear it groan.
ROSALINE Is the fool sick?

Is the fool sick?
BIRON Sick at the heart.

Heartsick.
ROSALINE Alack, let it blood.

Oh no! you should bleed it.
BIRON Would that do it good?

Would that do it good?

ROSALINE My physic says 'ay.'

My doctor says “Aye.”
BIRON Will you prick't with your eye?

Will you prick it with your eye?
ROSALINE No point, with my knife.

No, with my knife.
BIRON Now, God save thy life!

Now, God save your life!
ROSALINE And yours from long living!

And yours from living long!
BIRON I cannot stay thanksgiving.

I can’t stay giving thanks.
RetiringDUMAIN Sir, I pray you, a word: what lady is that same?

Sir, can I ask you something: who is that lady?
BOYET The heir of Alencon, Katharine her name.

The heir of Alencon, her name is Katharine.
DUMAIN A gallant lady. Monsieur, fare you well.

A brave lady. Monsieur, goodbye.
ExitLONGAVILLE I beseech you a word: what is she in the white?

I beg a word of you: what is she in the white?

BOYET A woman sometimes, an you saw her in the light.

A woman sometimes, and you saw her in the light.
LONGAVILLE Perchance light in the light. I desire her name.

Perhaps radiant in the light. I want her name.
BOYET She hath but one for herself; to desire that were a shame.

She only has one and that’s for herself; to want that would be a shame.
LONGAVILLE Pray you, sir, whose daughter?

Please sir, I mean whose daughter is she?
BOYET Her mother's, I have heard.
Her mother’s, I have heard.

LONGAVILLE God's blessing on your beard!

My God man!
BOYET Good sir, be not offended.

Good sir, don’t get offended.
She is an heir of Falconbridge.

She is an heir of Falconbridge.
LONGAVILLE Nay, my choler is ended.

No, my upset has ended.
She is a most sweet lady.

She is a very sweet lady.
BOYET Not unlike, sir, that may be.

That may be, sir.
Exit LONGAVILLEBIRON What's her name in the cap?

What’s her name, in the cap?
BOYET Rosaline, by good hap.

Rosaline, by good luck.
BIRON Is she wedded or no?

Is she married or no?
BOYET To her will, sir, or so.

To her own will, sir.
BIRON You are welcome, sir: adieu.

You are very welcome here, sir: goodbyeBOYET Farewell to me, sir, and welcome to you.

Goodbye to me sir, and welcome to you.
Exit BIRONMARIA That last is Biron, the merry madcap lord: