The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (663 page)

In confidence he told me this, his rival.
Now presently I'll give her father notice

Right now I’ll warn her father
Of their disguising and pretended flight;

Of their intended deceptive escape;
Who, all enraged, will banish Valentine;

He will, being enraged, banish Valentine;
For Thurio, he intends, shall wed his daughter;

Since he intends that Thurio will marry his daughter;
But, Valentine being gone, I'll quickly cross

But, with Valentine gone, I’ll quickly prevent this
By some sly trick blunt Thurio's dull proceeding.

With some clever trick to block dull-witted Thurio’s advancement.
Love, lend me wings to make my purpose swift,

Love, give me winds to carry out my plan quickly,
As thou hast lent me wit to plot this drift!

Just as you have given me the intelligence to plot this plan.

Exit

JULIA'S house.

Enter JULIA and LUCETTA

JULIA

Counsel, Lucetta; gentle girl, assist me;

Give me some advice, Lucette; friendly girl, help me;
And even in kind love I do conjure thee,

And in the name of that same kind friendship, I entreat you,
Who art the table wherein all my thoughts

Who serve as the notebook in which all my thoughts
Are visibly character'd and engraved,

Are visibly written out,
To lesson me and tell me some good mean

To instruct me and tell me some good way
How, with my honour, I may undertake

That I can maintain my honor and go on
A journey to my loving Proteus.

A journey to my lover Proteus.

LUCETTA

Alas, the way is wearisome and long!

Sadly, that journey would be difficult and long!

JULIA

A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary

An honestly devoted follower is not exhausted
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps;

By travelling through kingdoms with little steps;
Much less shall she that hath Love's wings to fly,

Much less will a woman who has the wing’s of Love to fly on,
And when the flight is made to one so dear,

And when the journey is made to go to one who is so dear,
Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus.

And made of such holy perfection as is Sir Proteus.

LUCETTA

Better forbear till Proteus make return.

It would be better for you to be patient for Proteus’ return.

JULIA

O, know'st thou not his looks are my soul's food?

Oh, don’t you know that the looks he give me feed my soul?
Pity the dearth that I have pined in,

You should pity the lack of them that has caused me to ache,
By longing for that food so long a time.

In the same way the one aches for food after a long time.
Didst thou but know the inly touch of love,

If you only the heartfelt touch of love,
Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow

You would just as soon try to burn a fire with snow
As seek to quench the fire of love with words.

As to seek to put out the fire of love with words.

LUCETTA

I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire,

I’m not trying to put out your love’s hot fire,
But qualify the fire's extreme rage,

But moderate the fire’s extreme passion,
Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason.

So that it doesn’t burn beyond the edges of reason.

JULIA

The more thou damm'st it up, the more it burns.

The more you try to stop it, the more it burns.
The current that with gentle murmur glides,

The current of a stream that gently flows,
Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;

You know, when it is stopped, eagerly turns rapid;
But when his fair course is not hindered,

But when its gentle course is not blocked,
He makes sweet music with the enamell'ed stones,

It babbles over the smoothed stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge

Gentling touching every reed
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage,

It has passed over in its travels,
And so by many winding nooks he strays

And so it flows by route of many twisting corners
With willing sport to the wild ocean.

With prepared entertainment all the way to the wild ocean.
Then let me go and hinder not my course

Just like that, let me go and don’t block my course
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream

And I’ll be as patient as a gentle stream
And make a pastime of each weary step,

And make each tiring step into a game,
Till the last step have brought me to my love;

Until the last step has brought me to my love;
And there I'll rest, as after much turmoil

And there I will finally rest, just as after much chaos
A blessed soul doth in Elysium.

A blessed soul rests in Heaven.

LUCETTA

But in what habit will you go along?

But what will you wear on your journey?

JULIA

Not like a woman; for I would prevent

Not women’s clothe; since I want to precent
The loose encounters of lascivious men:

Any improper meetings of lustful men:
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds

Kind Lucetta, dress me with clothes
As may beseem some well-reputed page.

That are fitting for a well-respected page.

LUCETTA

Why, then, your ladyship must cut your hair.

Well, then, you must cut your hair, my lady

JULIA

No, girl, I'll knit it up in silken strings

No, girl, I’ll tie it up with silk strings
With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots.

With twenty ingeniously devised knots for true-love.
To be fantastic may become a youth

To be imaginative may be appropriate for a young person
Of greater time than I shall show to be.

Of more years than I will appear to be.

LUCETTA

What fashion, madam shall I make your breeches?

In what style should I make your breeches, madam?

JULIA

That fits as well as 'Tell me, good my lord,

That questions makes as much sense as ‘Tell me, my good lord,
What compass will you wear your farthingale?'

What size hooped petticoat do you wear?’
Why even what fashion thou best likest, Lucetta.

Why, what ever style you like best, Lucette.

LUCETTA

You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam.

You must have breeches with a codpiece, madam.

JULIA

Out, out, Lucetta! that would be ill-favour'd.

Get out, Lucetta! That would be ugly.

LUCETTA

A round hose, madam, now's not worth a pin,

Puffy breeches, madam, are now not worth anything,
Unless you have a codpiece to stick pins on.

Unless you have a codpiece to decorate.

JULIA

Lucetta, as thou lovest me, let me have

Lucette, if you love me, give me
What thou thinkest meet and is most mannerly.

Whatever you think is fitting and is most appropriate.
But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me

But tell me, girl, what will the world think about me
For undertaking so unstaid a journey?

For embarking on such an unseemly journey?
I fear me, it will make me scandalized.

I’m afraid I will be disgraced.

LUCETTA

If you think so, then stay at home and go not.

If you think that will happen, then stay at home and don’t go.

JULIA

Nay, that I will not.

No, I won’t do that.

LUCETTA

Then never dream on infamy, but go.

Then don’t think about a terrible reputation, just go.
If Proteus like your journey when you come,

If Proteus is pleased with your journey when you get there,
No matter who's displeased when you are gone:

I doesn’t matter who doesn’t like that you are gone:
I fear me, he will scarce be pleased withal.

I’m afraid that he won’t be pleased with it.

JULIA

That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear:

That is the smallest of my fears, Lucetta:
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears

A thousand promises, an ocean of his tears
And instances of infinite of love

And infinite evidence of love
Warrant me welcome to my Proteus.

Assure me that Proteus will welcome me.

LUCETTA

All these are servants to deceitful men.

Dishonest men use all the techniques you just named.

JULIA

Base men, that use them to so base effect!

Dishonorable men that use them for such a dishonorable reason!
But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth

But more honest stars did rule over Proteus’ birth;
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles,

His words are binding promises, his oaths tell the truth,
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate,

His love is sincere, his thoughts are untainted,
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart,

His tears are pure messengers sent from his heart,
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.

His heart is as far from dishonesty as heaven is from earth.

LUCETTA

Pray heaven he prove so, when you come to him!

I pray to heaven that he proves to be honest when you get to him!

JULIA

Now, as thou lovest me, do him not that wrong

Now, if you love me, don’t commit that unkindness against him
To bear a hard opinion of his truth:

That holding that poor opinion of his sincereity:
Only deserve my love by loving him;

You should only justify my love by loving him as well;
And presently go with me to my chamber,

And now come with me to me room,
To take a note of what I stand in need of,

To make a list of what I still need
To furnish me upon my longing journey.

To equip myself for my long journey.
All that is mine I leave at thy dispose,

All that I own, I leave in your control,
My goods, my lands, my reputation;

My goods, my lands, my reputation;
Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence.

Just, in exchange for that, send me there.
Come, answer not, but to it presently!