The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (477 page)

You would abate the strength of your displeasure.

Sweet Portia,

If you knew who I gave the ring to,

And if you knew who I gave the ring for,

And if you could guess how unwillingly I gave the ring,

When nothing but the ring would be accepted,

You would not be so unhappy with me.

PORTIA

If you had known the virtue of the ring,

Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,

Or your own honour to contain the ring,

You would not then have parted with the ring.

What man is there so much unreasonable,

If you had pleased to have defended it

With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty

To urge the thing held as a ceremony?

Nerissa teaches me what to believe:

I'll die for't but some woman had the ring.

If you had realized the true value of the ring,

Or half the worthiness of the one who gave you the ring,

Or your honor in keeping the ring—

You would not have parted with the ring.

What man is so unreasonable.

That if you had tried to defend the ring

With any passionate feeling, lacked the restraint

To stop pushing the issue?

Nerissa shows me what to belive:

I’ll die before some other woman had the ring.

BASSANIO

No, by my honour, madam, by my soul,

No woman had it, but a civil doctor,

Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me

And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him

And suffer'd him to go displeased away;

Even he that did uphold the very life

Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?

I was enforced to send it after him;

I was beset with shame and courtesy;

My honour would not let ingratitude

So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady;

For, by these blessed candles of the night,

Had you been there, I think you would have begg'd

The ring of me to give the worthy doctor.

No, trust me, madam, by my soul—

I didn’t give it to a woman but to a doctor of law

Who refused to take three thousand ducats from me

But begged for the ring, which I denied him

And I felt bad about it seeing him go away unhappy.

He had defended the very life

Of my dear friend. What can I say, sweet lady?

I was compelled to send it to him.

I was full of shame and in need of good manners.

I could not dishonor him by not showing him gratitude—

It would have made me feel bad. Forgive me, good lady.

I swear, by these blessed candles that light the night,

If you had been there, I think you would have begged me

To give him the ring.

PORTIA

Let not that doctor e'er come near my house:

Since he hath got the jewel that I loved,

And that which you did swear to keep for me,

I will become as liberal as you;

I'll not deny him any thing I have,

No, not my body nor my husband's bed:

Know him I shall, I am well sure of it:

Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus:

If you do not, if I be left alone,

Now, by mine honour, which is yet mine own,

I'll have that doctor for my bedfellow.

Don’t let that legal expert come near my house.

Since he has the jewel I loved,

And which you did swear to keep for me,

I will become as generous as you,

And I will not deny him anything.

No, not my body or my husband’s bed.

I wil recognize him—I am sure of it.

So, don’t spend a night away from home. Watch me like Argus.

If you don’t I will be left alone

and—by my word, which is still not mine—

I will have that legal expert as my lover.

NERISSA

And I his clerk; therefore be well advised

How you do leave me to mine own protection.

And I will have his clerk. So be advised

About leaving me to my own devices.

GRATIANO

Well, do you so; let not me take him, then;

For if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen.

Well if you do so, I’d better not catch him, then.

If I do, I will damage the young clerk’s pen.

ANTONIO

I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels.

I am the reason for these arguments.

PORTIA

Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding.

Sir, don’t worry—you are welcome despite all.

BASSANIO

Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong;

And, in the hearing of these many friends,

I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes,

Wherein I see myself—

Portia, forgive me this error I had to make.

And, within hearing of all of these friends,

I swear to you, by your beautiful eyes

In which I see myself—

PORTIA

Mark you but that!

In both my eyes he doubly sees himself;

In each eye, one: swear by your double self,

And there's an oath of credit.

Make sure you hear that!

In both my eyes he twice sees himself.

In each eye, one, and so he’s swearing by a double self.

Well, that’s a vow you can believe, isn’t it?

BASSANIO

Nay, but hear me:

Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear

I never more will break an oath with thee.

No, listen to me—

Forgive me this time and I swear by my soul

That I will never again break a vow to you.

ANTONIO

I once did lend my body for his wealth;

Which, but for him that had your husband's ring,

Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again,

My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord

Will never more break faith advisedly.

I once lent my body for his wealth,

Which –without him who has your husband’s ring—

I would have lost. I’ll risk being promised again,

And will give my soul upon forfeit, to guarantee that your lord,

Will not break a vow with awareness.

PORTIA

Then you shall be his surety. Give him this

And bid him keep it better than the other.

Then you will be his guaranteer. Give him this

And tell him to keep it better than the other.

ANTONIO

Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring.

Here, Lord Bassanio—swear to keep this ring.

BASSANIO

By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!

Good lord, it is the same one I gave the legal expert!

PORTIA

I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio;

For, by this ring, the doctor lay with me.

I got it from him. Forgive me, Bassanio,

But I slept with the legal expert for this ring.

NERISSA

And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano;

For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,

In lieu of this last night did lie with me.

And forgive me, my gentle Gratiano—

The same stubby boy, the clerk,

Gave me this last night to sleep with him.

GRATIANO

Why, this is like the mending of highways

In summer, where the ways are fair enough:

What, are we cuckolds ere we have deserved it?

This is just like fixing roads

In the summer when they are good enough.

What, we get cheated on before we even deserve it?

PORTIA

Speak not so grossly. You are all amazed:

Here is a letter; read it at your leisure;

It comes from Padua, from Bellario:

There you shall find that Portia was the doctor,

Nerissa there her clerk: Lorenzo here

Shall witness I set forth as soon as you

And even but now return'd; I have not yet

Enter'd my house. Antonio, you are welcome;

And I have better news in store for you

Than you expect: unseal this letter soon;

There you shall find three of your argosies

Are richly come to harbour suddenly:

You shall not know by what strange accident

I chanced on this letter.

Don’t speak so blatently. You are all dumbfounded.

Here is a letter: read it slowly.

It comes from Padua, from Bellario.

In it you will find that Portia was the legal expert,

and Nerissa was her clerk. Lorenzo

Will testify that I left the house as soon as you

And just now returned. I haven’t even

Entered the house yet. Antonio, you are welcome here,

And I have better news for you

Than you will expect. Open your letter soon

And you will find that three of your ships

Have come into harbor, full of riches.

I can not say by what strange chance

I came upon this letter.

ANTONIO

I am dumb.

I have no idea what to say.

BASSANIO

Were you the doctor and I knew you not?

You were the legal expert and I didn’t know it?

GRATIANO

Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold?

You were the clerk that is to cheat on me with my wife?

NERISSA

Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it,

Unless he live until he be a man.

Yes, but the clerk will never be able to do it

Unless he grows to be a man.

BASSANIO

Sweet doctor, you shall be my bed-fellow:

When I am absent, then lie with my wife.

Sweet expert, you will be my bed-fellow.

When I am away, you can sleep with my wife.

ANTONIO

Sweet lady, you have given me life and living;

For here I read for certain that my ships

Are safely come to road.

Sweet lady, you have given me life and a reason to live,

For here I read for certain that my ships,

Are coming home saftely.

PORTIA

How now, Lorenzo!

My clerk hath some good comforts too for you.

Well, Lorenzo!

My clerk has some comfort to offer to you, too.

NERISSA

Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.

There do I give to you and Jessica,

From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,

After his death, of all he dies possess'd of.

Yes, and I will give them with no interest.

Here, I give to you and Jessica

A special deed of gift from the rich Jew

Which leaves you all he owns after he dies.

LORENZO

Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way

Of starved people.