The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (562 page)

I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely.

I thank both him and you, and gladly drink to you.

THAISA

And further he desires to know of you,

Of whence you are, your name and parentage.

And he wants to know more about you,

where you've come from, your name and ancestry.

PERICLES

A gentleman of Tyre; my name, Pericles;

My education been in arts and arms;

Who, looking for adventures in the world,

Was by the rough seas reft of ships and men,

And after shipwreck driven upon this shore.

I am a gentleman of Tyre; my name is Pericles;

I have been tutored in arts and arms;

seeking adventure in the world,

I had my ships and men stolen from me by rough seas,

and after I was shipwrecked I was washed up on this shore

THAISA

He thanks your grace; names himself Pericles,

A gentleman of Tyre,

Who only by misfortune of the seas

Bereft of ships and men, cast on this shore.

He thanks your grace; he says his name is Pericles,

a gentleman of Tyre,

who through a mishap on the sea

lost his ships and men, and was washed up on this shore.

SIMONIDES

Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune,

And will awake him from his melancholy.

Come, gentlemen, we sit too long on trifles,

And waste the time, which looks for other revels.

Even in your armours, as you are address'd,

Will very well become a soldier's dance.

I will not have excuse, with saying this

Loud music is too harsh for ladies' heads,

Since they love men in arms as well as beds.

The Knights dance

So, this was well ask'd,'twas so well perform'd.

Come, sir;

Here is a lady that wants breathing too:

And I have heard, you knights of Tyre

Are excellent in making ladies trip;

And that their measures are as excellent.

Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune,

and I will bring him out of his sadness.

Come on, gentlemen, we've been sitting too long over food,

and wasting time which could be spent on other entertainment.

As you are all dressed in your armour

that's very suitable for a soldier's dance.

I'll have no excuses with people saying

such things are too rough for the ladies,

because they love men in armour as well as in their beds.

This performance honoured my request.

Come, sir, there's a lady here who needs exercise;

and I have heard that the knights of Tyre

are excellent dancers with the ladies,

in a light skipping dance or a formal one.

PERICLES

In those that practise them they are, my lord.

Those who practice dancing are, my lord.

SIMONIDES

O, that's as much as you would be denied

Of your fair courtesy.

The Knights and Ladies dance

Unclasp, unclasp:

Thanks, gentlemen, to all; all have done well.

To PERICLES

But you the best. Pages and lights, to conduct

These knights unto their several lodgings!

To PERICLES

Yours, sir,

We have given order to be next our own.

Oh, that's enough of your polite modesty.

Let them go, let them go:

thank you, gentlemen, all of you, you all danced well–

But you were the best. Servants and torches here,

to guide these knights to their bedrooms!

I have ordered, sir,

that you should be lodged next door to me.

PERICLES

I am at your grace's pleasure.

Whatever your grace chooses.

SIMONIDES

Princes, it is too late to talk of love;

And that's the mark I know you level at:

Therefore each one betake him to his rest;

To-morrow all for speeding do their best.

Exeunt

Princes, it is too late to talk about love:

and I know that's what you're all thinking about:

so each of you go and get your rest;

tomorrow you can all do your best to win.

Enter HELICANUS and ESCANES

HELICANUS

No, Escanes, know this of me,

Antiochus from incest lived not free:

For which, the most high gods not minding longer

To withhold the vengeance that they had in store,

Due to this heinous capital offence,

Even in the height and pride of all his glory,

When he was seated in a chariot

Of an inestimable value, and his daughter with him,

A fire from heaven came and shrivell'd up

Their bodies, even to loathing; for they so stunk,

That all those eyes adored them ere their fall

Scorn now their hand should give them burial.

No, Escanes, I can tell you this,

Antiochus did not escape unpunished for his incest:

the great gods decided to no longer

hold back the punishment they had in store for him,

due to his appalling offence;

even as he sat in his luxurious chariot

at the height of all his pride and glory,

with his daughter by his side,

fire struck from heaven and shrivelled up

their bodies until they were a foul sight to see: they stank so badly

that all those people who worshipped them before

refuse to even touch them to give them a burial.

ESCANES

'Twas very strange.

It was very strange.

HELICANUS

And yet but justice; for though

This king were great, his greatness was no guard

To bar heaven's shaft, but sin had his reward.

But it was only justice; although

this king was great, his greatness was no protection

against the powers of heaven, so he got what he deserved.

ESCANES

'Tis very true.

Enter two or three Lords

That's very true.

First Lord

See, not a man in private conference

Or council has respect with him but he.

You see, he respects no man's opinion, in

private conference or in council, but his own.

Second Lord

It shall no longer grieve without reproof.

It shall no longer carry on uncritcised.

Third Lord

And cursed be he that will not second it.

And damnation to anyone who will not agree.

First Lord

Follow me, then. Lord Helicane, a word.

Follow me, then. Lord Helicanus, a word with you.

HELICANUS

With me? and welcome: happy day, my lords.

With me? You're welcome to it: good day to you, my lords.

First Lord

Know that our griefs are risen to the top,

And now at length they overflow their banks.

I tell you that our flood of grievances has swollen

to the point where they will now burst their banks.

HELICANUS

Your griefs! for what? wrong not your prince you love.

Your grievances! For what? Do not wrong the prince you love.

First Lord

Wrong not yourself, then, noble Helicane;

But if the prince do live, let us salute him,

Or know what ground's made happy by his breath.

If in the world he live, we'll seek him out;

If in his grave he rest, we'll find him there;

And be resolved he lives to govern us,

Or dead, give's cause to mourn his funeral,

And leave us to our free election.

Do not wrong yourself, then, noble Helicanus;

but if the Prince is alive, let us salute him,

or at least know where he is.

If he is alive somewhere, we'll look for him;

if he is in his grave, will find him there;

if he is alive he should be governing us,

if he is dead, let us mourn him

and proceed to choose a new leader.

Second Lord

Whose death indeed's the strongest in our censure:

And knowing this kingdom is without a head,--

Like goodly buildings left without a roof

Soon fall to ruin,--your noble self,

That best know how to rule and how to reign,

We thus submit unto,--our sovereign.

It seems most likely that he is dead:

and as this kingdom is now leaderless–

and like strong buildings left without a roof

will soon be ruined–we ask your noble self,

who knows best of all how to rule and how to reign,

to allow us to accept you as our king.

All

Live, noble Helicane!

Long live noble Helicanus!

HELICANUS

For honour's cause, forbear your suffrages:

If that you love Prince Pericles, forbear.

Take I your wish, I leap into the seas,

Where's hourly trouble for a minute's ease.

A twelvemonth longer, let me entreat you to

Forbear the absence of your king:

If in which time expired, he not return,

I shall with aged patience bear your yoke.

But if I cannot win you to this love,

Go search like nobles, like noble subjects,

And in your search spend your adventurous worth;

Whom if you find, and win unto return,

You shall like diamonds sit about his crown.

For the sake of honour, do not make such a choice:

if you still love Prince Pericles, hold off.

If I allowed your wish I would be jumping into seas

where there's lifelong trouble for the sake of minute's pleasure.

Let me beg you to tolerate

the absence of your king for one more year:

if he has not returned when that time is up,

I will take on your request with my aged patience.

But if I cannot persuade you to do this,