The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1077 page)

It's true, it's true: let my sharp knifepoint be my witness.

SATURNINUS.

Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed!

[He stabs TITUS]

Die, mad wretch, for this cursed deed!

LUCIUS.

Can the son's eye behold his father bleed?

There's meed for meed, death for a deadly deed.

[He stabs SATURNINUS. A great tumult. LUCIUS,

MARCUS, and their friends go up into the balcony]

Can the son stand by and watch his father bleed?

Here's equal payment, death for death.

MARCUS.

You sad-fac'd men, people and sons of Rome,

By uproars sever'd, as a flight of fowl

Scatter'd by winds and high tempestuous gusts,

O, let me teach you how to knit again

This scattered corn into one mutual sheaf,

These broken limbs again into one body;

Lest Rome herself be bane unto herself,

And she whom mighty kingdoms curtsy to,

Like a forlorn and desperate castaway,

Do shameful execution on herself.

But if my frosty signs and chaps of age,

Grave witnesses of true experience,

Cannot induce you to attend my words,

[To Lucius] Speak, Rome's dear friend, as erst our ancestor,

When with his solemn tongue he did discourse

To love-sick Dido's sad attending ear

The story of that baleful burning night,

When subtle Greeks surpris'd King Priam's Troy.

Tell us what Sinon hath bewitch'd our ears,

Or who hath brought the fatal engine in

That gives our Troy, our Rome, the civil wound.

My heart is not compact of flint nor steel;

Nor can I utter all our bitter grief,

But floods of tears will drown my oratory

And break my utt'rance, even in the time

When it should move ye to attend me most,

And force you to commiseration.

Here's Rome's young Captain, let him tell the tale;

While I stand by and weep to hear him speak.

You sad faced men, people and sons of Rome,

torn apart by disturbances, like a flight of birds

scattered by winds and stormy gales,

let me show you how you can tie up

this scattered corn into one united sheaf,

build these broken limbs back into one healthy body;

otherwise Rome will turn on herself,

and the one to whom mighty kingdoms bow down,

like a desperate and shameful outcast,

will kill herself.

But if my grey hairs and wrinkled face,

witnesses of the experience of age,

cannot persuade you to listen to me,

[to Lucius] then speak, dear friend of Rome, as our ancestor once

told lovesick Dido as she listened sadly

to his tale of that evil burning night

when the cunning Greeks ambushed King Priam's Troy.

Tell us what Sinon has enchanted our ears,

or who brought the deadly machine in

that gives our Troy, our Rome, its internal wound.

My heart is not made of flint or steel;

nor can I tell all our bitter grief,

without floods of tears drowning my speech

and interrupting what I have to say, right at the time

when you should be listening to me most carefully,

and being most sympathetic.

Here's the young captain of Rome, let him tell the tale,

while I stand by and weep to hear him speak.

LUCIUS.

Then, gracious auditory, be it known to you

That Chiron and the damn'd Demetrius

Were they that murd'red our Emperor's brother;

And they it were that ravished our sister.

For their fell faults our brothers were beheaded,

Our father's tears despis'd, and basely cozen'd

Of that true hand that fought Rome's quarrel out

And sent her enemies unto the grave.

Lastly, myself unkindly banished,

The gates shut on me, and turn'd weeping out,

To beg relief among Rome's enemies;

Who drown'd their enmity in my true tears,

And op'd their arms to embrace me as a friend.

I am the turned forth, be it known to you,

That have preserv'd her welfare in my blood

And from her bosom took the enemy's point,

Sheathing the steel in my advent'rous body.

Alas! you know I am no vaunter, I;

My scars can witness, dumb although they are,

That my report is just and full of truth.

But, soft! methinks I do digress too much,

Citing my worthless praise. O, pardon me!

For when no friends are by, men praise themselves.

Then, kind listeners, you should know

that Chiron and the cursed Demetirus

were the ones who murdered our Emperor's brother;

they were the ones who raped my sister.

For their dreadful crimes my brothers were executed,

my father's tears were mocked, and he was cheaply tricked

into losing that loyal hand that fought in Rome's battles

and sent her enemies to the grave.

Lastly, I myself was unjustly exiled,

the gates were closed on me, I was turned out weeping,

to beg for help from the enemies of Rome;

they took pity and forgot their quarrels,

and opened their arms to embrace me as a friend.

You should know that I am the exile

that has kept Rome safe with my blood,

turning the enemy's sword away from her heart

and taking the steel in my own daring body.

Alas!You know I am no boaster;

my scars can witness, though they cannot speak,

that my story is right and true.

But, wait!I think I'm wandering from the point,

giving myself worthless praise.Excuse me!

When there are no friends around, men praise themselves.

MARCUS.

Now is my turn to speak. Behold the child.

[Pointing to the CHILD in an attendant's arms]

Of this was Tamora delivered,

The issue of an irreligious Moor,

Chief architect and plotter of these woes.

The villain is alive in Titus' house,

Damn'd as he is, to witness this is true.

Now judge what cause had Titus to revenge

These wrongs unspeakable, past patience,

Or more than any living man could bear.

Now have you heard the truth: what say you, Romans?

Have we done aught amiss, show us wherein,

And, from the place where you behold us pleading,

The poor remainder of Andronici

Will, hand in hand, all headlong hurl ourselves,

And on the ragged stones beat forth our souls,

And make a mutual closure of our house.

Speak, Romans, speak; and if you say we shall,

Lo, hand in hand, Lucius and I will fall.

Now it's my turn to speak.See the child.

Tamora gave birth to this,

fathered by an atheist Moor,

the main inspiration and plotter of these sorrows.

The villain is alive in Titus' house,

damned as he is, to witness the truth of this.

Now you must judge what right Titus had to revenge

these unspeakable wrongs, beyond endurance,

more than any mortal man could bear.

Now you've heard the truth; what do you say, Romans?

If we've done anything wrong, tell us what it is,

And the poor remains of the house of Andronicus

will all throw ourselves down, hand in hand,

from the place you can now see us speaking,

and smash out our souls on the jagged rocks,

and end our family for good.

Speak, Romans, speak; if you say we should,

then Lucius and I shall jump down, hand in hand.

AEMILIUS.

Come, come, thou reverend man of Rome,

And bring our Emperor gently in thy hand,

Lucius our Emperor; for well I know

The common voice do cry it shall be so.

Come, come, you respected Roman,

take our Emperor gently by the hand,

Lucius our Emperor; for I am certain

that the voice of the people say that's the case.

ALL.

Lucius, all hail, Rome's royal Emperor!

Lucius, praise you, the royal Emperor of Rome!

MARCUS.

Go, go into old Titus' sorrowful house,

And hither hale that misbelieving Moor

To be adjudg'd some direful slaught'ring death,

As punishment for his most wicked life.

Exeunt some attendants. LUCIUS, MARCUS, and the others descend

Go into old Titus' sorrowful house,

and drag out that unbelieving Moor

to be sentenced to some horrible death

as punishment for his terrible wicked life.

ALL.

Lucius, all hail, Rome's gracious governor!

Lucius, we salute you, Rome's gracious leader!

LUCIUS.

Thanks, gentle Romans! May I govern so

To heal Rome's harms and wipe away her woe!

But, gentle people, give me aim awhile,

For nature puts me to a heavy task.

Stand all aloof; but, uncle, draw you near

To shed obsequious tears upon this trunk.

O, take this warm kiss on thy pale cold lips. [Kisses TITUS]

These sorrowful drops upon thy blood-stain'd face,

The last true duties of thy noble son!

Thanks, kind Romans!May I govern in a way

that heals Rome's wounds and wipes away her sorrow!

But, gentle people, watch me for a while,

as I perform the heavy task nature has given me.

Everyone stand back, except for you, uncle, come near

to shed funereal tears on this body.

Oh, take this warm kiss on your pale cold lips.

These sorrowful drops on your bloodstained face,

are the last duty your noble son can do for you.

MARCUS.

Tear for tear and loving kiss for kiss

Thy brother Marcus tenders on thy lips.

O, were the sum of these that I should pay

Countless and infinite, yet would I pay them!

Tear for tear and loving kiss for kiss

you brother Marcus places on your lips.

Oh, if the amount of these I should pay

was infinite, uncountable, I would still pay them.

LUCIUS.

Come hither, boy; come, come, come, and learn of us

To melt in showers. Thy grandsire lov'd thee well;

Many a time he danc'd thee on his knee,

Sung thee asleep, his loving breast thy pillow;

Many a story hath he told to thee,

And bid thee bear his pretty tales in mind

And talk of them when he was dead and gone.

Come here boy, come, come, and learn from us

how to dissolve in tears.Your grandfather loved you very much;

many times he dandled you on his knee,

and sang you to sleep, with his loving chest as your pillow;

he told you many stories,

and told you to keep his sweet tales in mind

and speak of them when he was dead and gone.

MARCUS.

How many thousand times hath these poor lips,