The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (213 page)

Flight cannot stain the honor you have won;

But mine it will, that no exploit have done;

You fled for vantage, every one will swear;

But, if I bow, they 'll say it was for fear.

There is no hope that ever I will stay,

If the first hour I shrink and run away.

Here on my knee I beg mortality,

Rather than life preserved with infamy.

Then let me stay, and you, father, flee;

you are so well regarded your loss would be huge,

nobody knows me, nobody would miss me.

The French couldn't boast about killing me;

they will boast about you, and all hopes will be lost if you die.

Running away cannot tarnish the honour you have won;

but it will tarnish mine, who has done nothing;

everyone will swear that you fled out of strategy;

but, if I do it, they'll say it's because I was scared.

There's no hope that I would ever stand in a battle,

if I run away in my first hour of one.

I beg you on my knees to let me die,

rather than live badly thought of.

TALBOT.

Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb?

Shall everything your mother loves lie in one tomb?

JOHN.

Aye, rather than I 'll shame my mother's womb.

Sooner that than that I should make her ashamed.

TALBOT.

Upon my blessing, I command thee go.

I give you my blessing and order you to go.

JOHN.

To fight I will, but not to fly the foe.

I will go to fight, but not to escape the enemy.

TALBOT.

Part of thy father may be saved in thee.

Part of your father might be preserved in you.

JOHN.

No part of him but will be shame in me.

Any part which survived would be ashamed of me.

TALBOT.

Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it.

You never had any fame, so you can't lose it.

JOHN.

Yes, your renowned name:  shall flight abuse it?

I have your famous name: shall I tarnish it by fleeing?

TALBOT.

Thy father's charge shall clear thee from that stain.

Your father's orders will absolve you from that accusation.

JOHN.

You cannot witness for me, being slain.

If death be so apparent, then both fly.

You will be dead and won't be able to bear witness for me.

If death is so obvious, let's both run.

TALBOT.

And leave my followers here to fight and die;

My age was never tainted with such shame.

That would leave my followers here to fight and die;

I would never allow such shame on my age.

JOHN.

And shall my youth be guilty of such blame?

No more can I be sever'd from your side,

Than can yourself yourself in twain divide:

Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I;

For live I will not, if my father die.

But I have to have it on my youth?

I can't be taken from your side,

any more than you could split yourself in two:

stay, go, do what you want, I shall do the same;

for I will not live, if my father dies.

TALBOT.

Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son,

Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon.

Come, side by side together live and die;

And soul with soul from France to heaven fly.

Then I shall part from you here, fair son,

born to lose your life this afternoon.

Come, we shall live and die together, side by side;

and our souls shall fly together from France to heaven.

[Exeunt.]

[Alarum:  excursions, wherein Talbot's Son is hemmed

about, and Talbot rescues him.]

TALBOT.

Saint George and victory; fight, soldiers, fight:

The regent hath with Talbot broke his word,

And left us to the rage of France his sword.

Where is John Talbot? Pause, and take thy breath;

I gave thee life and rescued thee from death.

Fight, soldiers, fight for St George and victory;

the Regent has broken his promise to Talbot,

and left us to face the anger of France.

Where is John Talbot? Pause, and catch your breath.

I gave you life, and I rescued you from death.

JOHN.

O, twice my father, twice am I thy son!

The life thou gavest me first was lost and done,

Till with thy warlike sword, despite of fate,

To my determined time thou gavest new date.

Oh, you are twice my father, I am twice your son!

I had lost the first life you gave me,

until your warlike sword, rebelling against fate,

set a new date for the time of my death.

TALBOT.

When from the Dauphin's crest thy sword struck fire,

It warm'd thy father's heart with proud desire

Of bold-faced victory. Then leaden age,

Quicken'd with youthful spleen and warlike rage,

Beat down Alencon, Orleans, Burgundy,

And from the pride of Gallia rescued thee.

The ireful bastard Orleans, that drew blood

From thee, my boy, and had the maidenhood

Of thy first fight, I soon encountered,

And interchanging blows I quickly shed

Some of his bastard blood; and in disgrace

Bespoke him thus; 'Contaminated base

And misbegotten blood I spill of thine,

Mean and right poor, for that pure blood of mine,

Which thou didst force from Talbot, my brave boy:'

Here, purposing the Bastard to destroy,

Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father's care,

Art thou not weary, John? how dost thou fare?

Wilt thou yet leave the battle, boy, and fly,

Now thou art seal'd the son of chivalry?

Fly, to revenge my death when I am dead:

The help of one stands me in little stead.

O, too much folly is it, well I wot,

To hazard all our lives in one small boat!

If I to-day die not with Frenchmen's rage,

To-morrow I shall die with mickle age:

By me they nothing gain an if I stay;

'Tis but the short'ning of my life one day:

In thee thy mother dies, our household's name,

My death's revenge, thy youth, and England's fame:

All these and more we hazard by thy stay;

All these are saved if thou wilt fly away.

When your sword struck sparks from the Dauphin's helmet

it warmed your father's heart with proud desire

of startling victories

then slow age,

enlivened by youthful anger and warlike rage

smashed down Alencon, Orleans, Burgundy,

and rescued you from the pride of France.

That angry bastard of Orleans, who drew blood

from you, my boy, and was the one who faced you

in your very first fight, I soon came across,

and, exchanging blows, I quickly shed

some of his bastard blood, and to insult him

I spoke these words to him: “I am going to spill

your contaminated lowly bastard blood,

mean and poor, in exchange for the pure blood of mine

which you spilt of my brave lad Talbot's."

Then, as I meant to destroy the bastard,

a strong force came to rescue him. Tell me, as your father:

are you not tired, John? How are you?

Why not now leave the battle, boy, and flee,

now you have proved your chivalry?

Flee, to revenge my death when I am dead;

the help of just one will not be much help to me.

I know perfectly well that it would be stupid

to risk all our lives in just one boat.

If I do not die today at the hand of an angry Frenchman,

tomorrow I shall die of old age. They will gain nothing by killing me, and if I stay,

I will only be shortening my life by a day;

if you die so will your mother, the name of our family,

revenge for my death, your youth and the honour of England.

We are risking all these and more by you staying;

all these will be saved, if you flee.

JOHN.

The sword of Orleans hath not made me smart;

These words of yours draw life-blood from my heart:

On that advantage, bought with such a shame,

To save a paltry life and slay bright fame,

Before young Talbot from old Talbot fly,

The coward horse that bears me fall and die!

And like me to the peasant boys of France,

To be shame's scorn and subject of mischance!

Surely, by all the glory you have won,

An if I fly, I am not Talbot's son;

Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot;

If son to Talbot, die at Talbot's foot.

The sword of Orleans didn't hurt me;

these words of yours suck the lifeblood from my heart:

shall I save  my own life at the price

of your death and reputation?

Before young Talbot runs from old Talbot,

may the coward horse that carries me fall and die!

Compare me to the peasant boys of France,

mock me with shame, and may fate punish me.

Surely, through all the glory you have won,

if I fly then I am not your son.

So talk no more of flight, it's no use:

if I am the son of Talbot, I shall die with Talbot.

TALBOT.

Then follow thou thy desperate sire of Crete,

Thou Icarus; thy life to me is sweet:

If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father's side;

And, commendable proved, let 's die in pride.

Then follow your desperate father of Crete,

you Icarus; your life is dear to me:

if you want to fight, fight by your father's side;

and, having proved our bravery, we shall die proud men.

[Exeunt.]