The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (397 page)

A dangerous law against nobility!
Reads'Item, If any man be seen to talk with a woman

‘Note, If any man be seen to talk with a woman
within the term of three years, he shall endure such

within the term of three years, he will suffer whatever
public shame as the rest of the court can possibly devise.'

public shame that the rest of the court can possibly come up with.’
This article, my liege, yourself must break;

This rule, my liege, you yourself are going to have to break;
For well you know here comes in embassy

You know very well that on their way in embassy
The French king's daughter with yourself to speak—

Is the The French king’s daughter, to speak with you--
A maid of grace and complete majesty—

A graceful and majestic woman--
About surrender up of Aquitaine

About the surrender of Aquitaine

To her decrepit, sick and bedrid father:

To her sick, dying, bedridden father:

Therefore this article is made in vain,

Therefore this rule is useless,
Or vainly comes the admired princess hither.

Or it’s useless for the beautiful princess to come here.

FERDINAND What say you, lords? Why, this was quite forgot.

What do you say lords? We seem to have completely forgotten this.
BIRON So study evermore is overshot:

And so study is always overshot:
While it doth study to have what it would

While it studies to learn what it can
It doth forget to do the thing it should,

It forgets to do what it’s supposed to,
And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,

And what it has the thing it seeks the most,
'Tis won as towns with fire, so won, so lost.

It’s won like towns with fire, won and then lost.
FERDINAND We must of force dispense with this decree;

We are going to have to do away with this decree;
She must lie here on mere necessity.

She comes here for a necessity.
BIRON Necessity will make us all forsworn

Necessity will make us all break our vows
Three thousand times within this three years' space;

Three thousand times within these three years;
For every man with his affects is born,

For every man is born with feelings,
Not by might master'd but by special grace:

That are not mastered by strength, but by a special grace:
If I break faith, this word shall speak for me;

If I break my vows, this word will defend me;
I am forsworn on 'mere necessity.'

I broke them because of ‘necessity’
So to the laws at large I write my name:

So with the laws at large, I write my name:

Subscribes

Signs
And he that breaks them in the least degree

And whoever breaks them in the smallest degree

Stands in attainder of eternal shame:

Will be disgraced by eternal shame:
Suggestions are to other as to me;

Suggestions are to others as well as me;
But I believe, although I seem so loath,

But I think, although I seem so reluctant,
I am the last that will last keep his oath.

That I will be the last man to keep his oath.
But is there no quick recreation granted?

But will permission not be granted for some quick enjoyment before we start?
FERDINAND Ay, that there is. Our court, you know, is haunted

Yes, there will be. Our court, you know, is haunted
With a refined traveller of Spain;

By an elegant traveler from Spain;
A man in all the world's new fashion planted,

A man who is very knowledgeable of the world,
That hath a mint of phrases in his brain;

That has a store of phrases in his brain;
One whom the music of his own vain tongue

Whose musical native language
Doth ravish like enchanting harmony;

Enraptures like an enchanting harmony;
A man of complements, whom right and wrong

A man who gives out compliments, whom right and wrong
Have chose as umpire of their mutiny:

Have chosen to be the judge of their mutiny:
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

This child of fancy called Armado,
For interim to our studies shall relate

In the meantime during our studies will tell us
In high-born words the worth of many a knight

In eloquent words the worth of many a knight
From tawny Spain lost in the world's debate.

From tan-colored Spain that were killed in the world’s wars.
How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;

I don’t know how much he will delight you;
But, I protest, I love to hear him lie

But I must say that I love to hear him lie

And I will use him for my minstrelsy.

And I will use him for my troupe of entertainers.
BIRON Armado is a most illustrious wight,

Armado is a very famous creature,
A man of fire-new words, fashion's own knight.

A man with new words like fire, a knight of making shapes and forms.
LONGAVILLE Costard the swain and he shall be our sport;

The young man Costard and he will entertain us;
And so to study, three years is but short.

And so let’s get to studying, three years is a short time.
Enter DULL with a letter, and COSTARDDULL Which is the duke's own person?

Which one of you is the duke’s person?
BIRON This, fellow: what wouldst?

That’s me: what do you want?
DULL I myself reprehend his own person, for I am his

I myself am above his person, since I am
grace's tharborough: but I would see his own person

The King’s officer: but I must see the duke himself
,in flesh and blood.

His own flesh and blood.
BIRON This is he.

I am the duke.
DULL Signior Arme--Arme--commends you. There's villany

Mister Arme—Arme—writes to you. There’s foul work
abroad: this letter will tell you more.

abroad: this letter will tell you more.

COSTARD Sir, the contempts thereof are as touching me.

Sir, the contemptuous things it mentions are regarding me.
FERDINAND A letter from the magnificent Armado.

A letter from the magnificent Armado.
BIRON How low soever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

However bad the matter is, I hope to God for good words.
LONGAVILLE A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience!

A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience!
BIRON To hear? or forbear laughing?

To hear the letter? or to keep from laughing?
LONGAVILLE To hear meekly, sir, and to laugh moderately; or to

To hear submissively, sir, and to laugh in moderation; or to
forbear both.

Do neither.
BIRON Well, sir, be it as the style shall give us cause to

Well, sir, hopefully the manner of it will give us cause to
climb in the merriness.

Be more cheerful.
COSTARD The matter is to me, sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The matter is about me sir, concerning Jaquenetta,
The manner of it is, I was taken with the manner.

The manner of it is that I was taken with the manner.
BIRON In what manner?

In what manner?
COSTARD In manner and form following, sir; all those three:

In manner and form following, sir; all those three:

I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting with

I was seen with her in the manor-house, sitting with
her upon the form, and taken following her into the

Her on the frame, and taken when I was following her into the
park; which, put together, is in manner and form

park; which put together is in the manner and form
following. Now, sir, for the manner,--it is the

following. Now, sir, for the manner,-- it is the
manner of a man to speak to a woman: for the form,--

nature of a man to speak to a woman: now for the form,--
in some form.

In some form.
BIRON For the following, sir?

And what about the following?
COSTARD As it shall follow in my correction: and God defend

It will follow that I will be corrected: and God defend
the right!

The right!
FERDINAND Will you hear this letter with attention?

Will you hear this letter with consideration?
BIRON As we would hear an oracle.

Like we would hear an oracle.
COSTARD Such is the simplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

Such is the simplicity of a man following his desires of the flesh.
FERDINAND [Reads] 'Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent and

[Reads] ‘Great deputy, Heaven’s agent and
sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's god,

sole dominator of Navarre, the god of my soul’s earth,
and body's fostering patron.'

And the one who guards and fosters my body.’

COSTARD Not a word of Costard yet.

He hasn’t even mentioned me yet.
FERDINAND [Reads] 'So it is,'—

[Reads] 'So it is,'—
COSTARD It may be so: but if he say it is so, he is, in

It may be so: but if he says it’s so, then he is,
telling true, but so.

Truly, only so.
FERDINAND Peace!

Peace!
COSTARD Be to me and every man that dares not fight!

Peace to me and every man that doesn’t dare fight!
FERDINAND No words!

I mean no more words!
COSTARD Of other men's secrets, I beseech you.

Yes, no more words of other men’s secrets, I beg you.
FERDINAND [Reads] 'So it is, besieged with sable-coloured

[Reads] ‘So it is, taken with a dark colored
melancholy, I did commend the black-oppressing humour

melancholy, I tried to get rid of the depressing mood
to the most wholesome physic of thy health-giving

by going to the wholesome doctor that is the health-giving
air; and, as I am a gentleman, betook myself to

air; and since I’m a gentleman, to myself on a
walk. The time when. About the sixth hour; when

walk. The time went by. At about six; when
beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down

the animals graze the most, birds peck the most, and men sit down
to that nourishment which is called supper: so much

to have that nourishment which is called supper: so much

for the time when. Now for the ground which; which,

had time gone by. Now for which ground; which,
I mean, I walked upon: it is y-cleped thy park. Then

I mean, I had walked upon: it is called your park. Then
for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter

for the where
;
where, I mean, I encountered
that obscene and preposterous event, that draweth

that indecent and ridiculous event, that draws
from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which

from my snowy white pen the black colored ink, which
here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest;

you view, behold, survey, or see here;
but to the place where; it standeth north-north-east

but to the place where; it is north-north-east
and by east from the west corner of thy curious-

and by east from the west corner of your strange
knotted garden: there did I see that low-spirited

knotted garden: that’s where I saw that mean-spirited
swain, that base minnow of thy mirth,'—

youth, that base minnow that amuses you,’--
COSTARD Me?

Me?
FERDINAND [Reads] 'that unlettered small-knowing soul,'—