The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (614 page)

Limits and boundaries of land, farms, vineyards, none of that;
No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;

No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil;
No occupation; all men idle, all;

No trades; all men would be at leisure, all of them;
And women too, but innocent and pure;

And women too, but innocent and pure;
No sovereignty;--

No royalty;--

SEBASTIAN

Yet he would be king on't.

Yet he would be the king of it.

ANTONIO

The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the

This other end of his nation forgets the
beginning.

Beginning.

GONZALO

All things in common nature should produce

All things of a universal nature would produce
Without sweat or endeavour: treason, felony,

Without toil or work: treason, felony,
Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any engine,

Sword, pike, knife, gun, or need of any weapon,
Would I not have; but nature should bring forth,

I would not have; but nature would create,
Of its own kind, all foison, all abundance,

From itself, a great plenty, all abundance,
To feed my innocent people.

To feed my innocent people.

SEBASTIAN

No marrying 'mong his subjects?

So no marrying between his subjects?

ANTONIO

None, man; all idle: whores and knaves.

There would be none, man; they’re all idle: whores and scoundrels.

GONZALO

I would with such perfection govern, sir,

I would govern with such perfection, sir,
To excel the golden age.

To bring about the golden age.

SEBASTIAN

God save his majesty!

God save his majesty!

ANTONIO

Long live Gonzalo!

Long live Gonzalo!

GONZALO

And,--do you mark me, sir?

An—are you listening to me, sir?

ALONSO

Prithee, no more: thou dost talk nothing to me.

Please, no more: you are saying nothing to me.

GONZALO

I do well believe your highness; and

I do believe this your highness; and
did it to minister occasion to these gentlemen,

I did it to supply the opportunity to these gentleman,
who are of such sensible and nimble lungs that

Who have such responsibe and quick lungs that
they always use to laugh at nothing.

They used to always laugh at nothing.

ANTONIO

'Twas you we laughed at.

It was you that we laughed at.

GONZALO

Who in this kind of merry fooling am nothing

In this kind of happy silliness I am nothing
to you: so you may continue and laugh at

To you: so you may continue and laugh at
nothing still.

Nothing still.

ANTONIO

What a blow was there given!

What a blow he just gave us!

SEBASTIAN

An it had not fallen flat-long.

And it didn’t hit with the flat of the blde.

GONZALO

You are gentlemen of brave metal; you would lift

You are gentleman of noble resolve; you would lift
the moon out of her sphere, if she would continue

The moon out of her orbit, if she would keep
in it five weeks without changing.

It going for five weeks without changing.

Enter ARIEL, invisible, playing solemn music

SEBASTIAN

We would so, and then go a bat-fowling.

We would do so, and then go catch roosting birds at night.

ANTONIO

Nay, good my lord, be not angry.

No, my good lord, don’t be angry.

GONZALO

No, I warrant you; I will not adventure

No, I assure you; I will not risk
my discretion so weakly. Will you laugh

My judgment with such weakness. Will you laugh
me asleep, for I am very heavy?

Me to sleep, for I am very sleepy?

ANTONIO

Go sleep, and hear us.

Go to sleep, and listen to us.

All sleep except ALONSO, SEBASTIAN, and ANTONIO

ALONSO

What, all so soon asleep! I wish mine eyes

Look at that, all so quickly asleep! I wish my eyes
Would, with themselves, shut up my thoughts: I find

Would, along with themselves, silence my thoughts: I find
They are inclined to do so.

They are inclined to do so.

SEBASTIAN

Please you, sir,

Please you, sir,
Do not omit the heavy offer of it:

Do not deny the pressing offer of sleep:
It seldom visits sorrow; when it doth,

It seldom visits sorrow: and with it does,
It is a comforter.

It is a comfort,

ANTONIO

We two, my lord,

My lord, we two
Will guard your person while you take your rest,

Will guard your person while you take tour rest,
And watch your safety.

And watch out for your safety.

ALONSO

Thank you. Wondrous heavy.

Thank you. Wondrous sleep.

ALONSO sleeps. Exit ARIEL

SEBASTIAN

What a strange drowsiness possesses them!

What a strange sleepiness

ANTONIO

It is the quality o' the climate.

It’s a characteristic of the climate.

SEBASTIAN

Why

Why
Doth it not then our eyelids sink? I find not

Does it not lower our eyelids then? I don’t find
Myself disposed to sleep.

Myself wanting to sleep.

ANTONIO

Nor I; my spirits are nimble.

Neither do I; my spirits are lively.
They fell together all, as by consent;

They all fell asleep together, as if in agreement;
They dropp'd, as by a thunder-stroke. What might,

They dropped down is if thunder-stuck. What might that be,
Worthy Sebastian? O, what might?--No more:--

Worthy Sebastian? Oh, what might it be?—I’ll say no more:--
And yet me thinks I see it in thy face,

And yet I think I see it in your face,
What thou shouldst be: the occasion speaks thee, and

What you might be: the circumstance calls on you, and
My strong imagination sees a crown

My strong imagination sees a crown
Dropping upon thy head.

Dropping on to your head.

SEBASTIAN

What, art thou waking?

What, are you awake?

ANTONIO

Do you not hear me speak?

Don’t you hear me speaking?

SEBASTIAN

I do; and surely

I do; and certainly
It is a sleepy language and thou speak'st

It’s a dream-like language and you’re speaking
Out of thy sleep. What is it thou didst say?

As if in your sleep. What did you say?
This is a strange repose, to be asleep

This is a strange rest, to be asleep
With eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving,

With eyes wide open; standing speaking, moving,
And yet so fast asleep.

And still so fast asleep.

ANTONIO

Noble Sebastian,

Noble Sebastian,
Thou let'st thy fortune sleep--die, rather; wink'st

You let you’re your fortune sleep—or die, rather; sleeping
Whiles thou art waking.

While you are awake.

SEBASTIAN

Thou dost snore distinctly;

You’re certainly snoring;
There's meaning in thy snores.

There’s meaning in your snores.

ANTONIO

I am more serious than my custom: you

I am more serious than usual: you
Must be so too, if heed me; which to do

Must be so too, if you follow me; which if you do
Trebles thee o'er.

Triples you.

SEBASTIAN

Well, I am standing water.

Well, I am at a stand still

ANTONIO

I'll teach you how to flow.

I’ll teach you how to rise up.

SEBASTIAN

Do so: to ebb

Do so: to pull back
Hereditary sloth instructs me.

My inherited laziness teach me.

ANTONIO

O,

Oh,
If you but knew how you the purpose cherish

If you only know how you cherish the plan
Whiles thus you mock it! how, in stripping it,

While you are making fun of it! How, in shredding it up,
You more invest it! Ebbing men, indeed,

You invest more into it! Retreating men, indeed,
Most often do so near the bottom run

Do so most often near the last stretch
By their own fear or sloth.

From their own fear of laziness.

SEBASTIAN

Prithee, say on:

Please, continue:
The setting of thine eye and cheek proclaim

The settled look of your eye and cheek proclaim
A matter from thee, and a birth indeed

An important matter from you, and indeed a birth rank
Which throes thee much to yield.

Which tortures you a lot to reveal.

ANTONIO

Thus, sir:

So, sir:
Although this lord of weak remembrance, this,

Although lord Gonzalo of the poor memory, he
Who shall be of as little memory

Who will have just as poor of a memory
When he is earth'd, hath here almost persuade,--

When he is buried, has just almost persuaded,--
For he's a spirit of persuasion, only

Because he’s a man of persuasion, only
Professes to persuade,--the king his son's alive,

Speaking in order to persuade,--the king that his son is alive,
'Tis as impossible that he's undrown'd

It’s as impossible that he didn’t drown
And he that sleeps here swims.

As it is for he who sleeps here is also swimming.

SEBASTIAN

I have no hope

I have no hope
That he's undrown'd.

That he didn’t drown.

ANTONIO

O, out of that 'no hope'

Oh, and from that ‘no hope’
What great hope have you! no hope that way is

What great hope you have! No hope in that way is in
Another way so high a hope that even

Another way a hope so high that even
Ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond,

Ambition cannot peak beyond,
But doubt discovery there. Will you grant with me

For fear of traveling there. Will you agree with me
That Ferdinand is drown'd?

That Ferdinand has drowned?

SEBASTIAN

He's gone.

He’s dead.

ANTONIO

Then, tell me,