The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (618 page)

Several thousands of these logs and pile them up,
Upon a sore injunction: my sweet mistress

Under a hard order: my sweet mistress
Weeps when she sees me work, and says, such baseness

Weeps when she sees me work, and says, such lowly work
Had never like executor. I forget:

Has never been done by someone like me. I forget my work:
But these sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours,

But even these sweet thoughts revitalize my tasks,
Most busy lest, when I do it.

So that when I am busy at work I am not really doing it but instead thinking of those thoughts.

Enter MIRANDA; and PROSPERO at a distance, unseen

MIRANDA

Alas, now, pray you,

Sadly, now, please,
Work not so hard: I would the lightning had

Don’t work so hard: I wish the lightning had
Burnt up those logs that you are enjoin'd to pile!

Burnt up those logs that you are ordered to pile!
Pray, set it down and rest you: when this burns,

Please, set it down and rest a bit: when this wood burns,
'Twill weep for having wearied you. My father

It will weep for having tired you out. My father
Is hard at study; pray now, rest yourself;

Is studying hard; please, rest yourself a bit;
He's safe for these three hours.

He’s safely out of the way for three hours.

FERDINAND

O most dear mistress,

Oh, dearest mistress,
The sun will set before I shall discharge

The sun will set before I will finish
What I must strive to do.

What I must try to do.

MIRANDA

If you'll sit down,

If you’ll sit down,
I'll bear your logs the while: pray, give me that;

I’ll carry your logs for a while: please, give me that;
I'll carry it to the pile.

I’ll bring it to the pile.

FERDINAND

No, precious creature;

No, precious lady;
I had rather crack my sinews, break my back,

I would rather tear my muscles, and break my back,
Than you should such dishonour undergo,

Than have you take up such shameful labor
While I sit lazy by.

While I sit here lazily.

MIRANDA

It would become me

It would be as fitting for me
As well as it does you: and I should do it

As it is for you: and I would do it
With much more ease; for my good will is to it,
Much more easily; because my good will behind it,

And yours it is against.

And yours is against it.

PROSPERO

Poor worm, thou art infected!

Little girl, you are infected with love!
This visitation shows it.

This visit shows it.

MIRANDA

You look wearily.

You look tired.

FERDINAND

No, noble mistress;'tis fresh morning with me

No, noble mistress; it’s still a fresh morning for me
When you are by at night. I do beseech you—

When you have been by all night. I do ask you—
Chiefly that I might set it in my prayers—

Mostly so that I can place it in my prayers—
What is your name?

What is your name?

MIRANDA

Miranda.--O my father,

Miranda.—Oh, my father,
I have broke your hest to say so!

I have broken your command by saying that!

FERDINAND

Admired Miranda!

Admired Miranda!
Indeed the top of admiration! Worth

Indeed the peak of amazement! Worth
What's dearest to the world! Full many a lady

Whatever is most valuable in all the world! A good many women
I have eyed with best regard and many a time

I have looked at with a high regard and many times
The harmony of their tongues hath into bondage

The sound of their voices has captured
Brought my too diligent ear: for several virtues

My overly attentive ear: for several virtues
Have I liked several women; never any

Have I liked several women; never any
With so fun soul, but some defect in her

With such a good soul, but some defect in her
Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed

Did argue with the most noble grace she possessed
And put it to the foil: but you, O you,

And defeated it: but you, oh you,
So perfect and so peerless, are created

So perfect and so peerless, are created
Of every creature's best!

Better than everyone else!

MIRANDA

I do not know

I don’t know
One of my sex; no woman's face remember,

Another woman; I remember no woman’s face,
Save, from my glass, mine own; nor have I seen

Except, from the mirror, my own; nor have I seen
More that I may call men than you, good friend,

More people that I can call men than you, good friend,
And my dear father: how features are abroad,

And my dear father: what people look like elsewhere in the world,
I am skilless of; but, by my modesty,

I am unaware of; but, by my virtue,
The jewel in my dower, I would not wish

And the jewels in my dowry, I wouldn’t want
Any companion in the world but you,

Any companion in the world but you,
Nor can imagination form a shape,

Nor can I imagine any figure
Besides yourself, to like of. But I prattle

Besides yourself, to like. But I am babbling
Something too wildly and my father's precepts

Somewhat too wildly and my father’s instructions
I therein do forget.

I am forgetting.

FERDINAND

I am in my condition

I am ranked as
A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;

A prince, Miranda; and I do believe, as a king;
I would, not so!--and would no more endure

I wish it were not so!—and would no more endure
This wooden slavery than to suffer

This inferior slavery than I would allow
The flesh-fly blow my mouth. Hear my soul speak:

A fly lay eggs in my mouth. Listen to my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you, did

The very moment that I saw you,
My heart fly to your service; there resides,

My heart flew to your service; there it stays,
To make me slave to it; and for your sake

Making me a slave to you; and for your sake
Am I this patient log--man.

I am this patient log-carrier.

MIRANDA

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

FERDINAND

O heaven, O earth, bear witness to this sound

Oh heaven, oh earth, be the witness to what I will say,
And crown what I profess with kind event

And top off what I say with a happy outcome
If I speak true! if hollowly, invert

If what is say is true! If it is false, switch
What best is boded me to mischief! I
what good is destined for me to misfortune! I

Beyond all limit of what else i' the world

Beyond the limit of everything else in the world,
Do love, prize, honour you.

Do love, prize and honor you.

MIRANDA

I am a fool

I am a fool
To weep at what I am glad of.

To weep at what I am glad to hear.

PROSPERO

Fair encounter

What a wonderful meeting
Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace

Between two splendid loves! Heavens rain down virtue
On that which breeds between 'em!

On that which develops between them!

FERDINAND

Wherefore weep you?

Why do you weep?

MIRANDA

At mine unworthiness that dare not offer

At my unworthiness that doesn’t dare to offer
What I desire to give, and much less take

What I want to give you, and dares much less to take
What I shall die to want. But this is trifling;

What I will die from wanting so much. But this is foolish;
And all the more it seeks to hide itself,

And the more it tries to hide itself,
The bigger bulk it shows. Hence, bashful cunning!

The more it shows. So this reserved craftiness!
And prompt me, plain and holy innocence!

And help me, plain and holy innocence!
I am your wife, if you will marry me;

I am your wife, if you will marry me;
If not, I'll die your maid: to be your fellow

If not, I’ll die as your maid: to be your wife
You may deny me; but I'll be your servant,

You can deny me; but I’ll be your servant,
Whether you will or no.

Whether you like it or no.

FERDINAND

My mistress, dearest;

My mistress, dearest;
And I thus humble ever.

And I will be that lowly as well for ever.

MIRANDA

My husband, then?

You will be my husband then?

FERDINAND

Ay, with a heart as willing

Yes, with as heart as willing
As bondage e'er of freedom: here's my hand.

As oppression is willing of freedom: here’s my hand.

MIRANDA

And mine, with my heart in't; and now farewell

And mine, with my heart in it; and now good bye
Till half an hour hence.

Till half an hour from now.

FERDINAND

A thousand thousand!

A million good byes!

Exeunt FERDINAND and MIRANDA severally

PROSPERO

So glad of this as they I cannot be,

I cannot be as happy about this as they are,
Who are surprised withal; but my rejoicing

Who are surprised by everything; but my rejoicing
At nothing can be more. I'll to my book,

At nothing can be more. I’ll go to my cooks
For yet ere supper-time must I perform

For still before supper-time I must perform
Much business appertaining.

Many related tasks.

Exit

Another part of the island.

Enter CALIBAN, STEPHANO, and TRINCULO

STEPHANO

Tell not me; when the butt is out, we will drink

Don’t tell me; when the barrel is out, we’ll drink
water; not a drop before: therefore bear up, and