The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (621 page)

These shapes, and their gestures and their sound,
Although they want the use of tongue, a kind

Although they don’t use words, they are expressing a sort
Of excellent dumb discourse.

Of excellent silent dialogue.

PROSPERO

[Aside] Praise in departing.

[Aside] Give praise only after everything is done.

FRANCISCO

They vanish'd strangely.

They disappeared surprisingly.

SEBASTIAN

No matter, since

It’s no matter, since
They have left their viands behind; for we have stomachs.

They have left their food behind; and we have stomachs to fill.
Will't please you taste of what is here?

Would you like to taste what is here?

ALONSO

Not I.

I don’t.

GONZALO

Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys,

By heaven, sir, you don’t need to be afraid. When we were boys,
Who would believe that there were mountaineers

Who would have believed that there were mountain-men
Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em

With loose skin around their necks like bulls, whose throats had hanging around them
Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men

Bulging flesh? Or that there were some men
Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find

Whose heads came out of their chests? Now we’ll find
Each putter-out of five for one will bring us

That each speculator gives five-to-one odds that a traveler will return
Good warrant of.

With promises that they’re real.

ALONSO

I will stand to and feed,

I’ll go forward and eat,
Although my last: no matter, since I feel

Although it may be my last: It’s not matter, since I feel like
The best is past. Brother, my lord the duke,

The best of my life has passed. Brother, my lord the duke,
Stand to and do as we.

Come forward and eat as we are.

Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table; and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes

“[Thunder and lightning. Enter ARIEL, shaped like a harpy (a vulture with the head and chest of a woman); he slaps his wings on the table; and, strangely, the feast vanishes.]”

ARIEL

You are three men of sin, whom Destiny,

You three—Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian—are men of sin, whom Destiny—
That hath to instrument this lower world

Which has it’s control over this lower world
And what is in't, the never-surfeited sea

And everything that is in it— has forced the never-overflowing sea
Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island

To spit you out; and put you on this island
Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men

That is not inhabited by men; you out of all men
Being most unfit to live. I have made you mad;

Are most unworthy to live. I have made you insane;
And even with such-like valour, men hang and drown

And even with your same courage, mad men may hang themselves and drown
Their proper selves.

Their very own lives.

ALONSO, SEBASTIAN & c. draw their swords

You fools! I and my fellows

You fools! I and my fellow spirits
Are ministers of Fate: the elements,

Are the officials of Fate: the material
Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well

That your swords are made of, could as easily
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs

Wound the roaring winds, or with futile stabs
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish

Kill the continuously flowing waters, as you could harm
One dowle that's in my plume: my fellow-ministers

One feather that’s in my tail: my fellow spirits
Are like invulnerable. If you could hurt,

Are similarly invincible. If you could hurt us,
Your swords are now too massy for your strengths

You swords would be to heavy for you streght
And will not be uplifted. But remember—

And you wouldn’t be able to life them. But remember—
For that's my business to you--that you three

For that’s what I’m here to tell you—that you three
From Milan did supplant good Prospero;

Took Milan over from the good Prospero;
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,

Sent out into the sea—which it has rewarded you for—
Him and his innocent child: for which foul deed

Both him and his innocent child: for which evil act
The powers, delaying, not forgetting, have

The gods, while they delayed, did not forget, and have
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,

Urged the seas and the shores, yes, all the creatures,
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,

To prevent your happiness. Your son, Alonso,
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me:

They have taken from you; and have ordered me:
Lingering perdition, worse than any death

To give you a slow destruction, worse than any death
Can be at once, shall step by step attend

That happens fast, I will step by step follow
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from—

You and your ways; to protect you from the wraths of these powers—
Which here, in this most desolate isle, else falls

Who here, on this most remote island, will otherwise fall
Upon your heads--is nothing but heart-sorrow

On you heads—the only thing you can do is regret
And a clear life ensuing.

And lead a better life afterwards

He vanishes in thunder; then, to soft music enter the Shapes again, and dance, with mocks and mows, and carrying out the table

“[He vanishes in thunder; then to soft music the Ghostly Shapes enter again, and dance, with scornful gestures and grimaces, and carry away the table.]”

PROSPERO

Bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou

You have excellently performed the role of this harpy,
Perform'd, my Ariel; a grace it had, devouring:

My Ariel; it had a certain elegance as it made the food disappear:
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated

You have left out nothing from my instructions
In what thou hadst to say: so, with good life

About what you had to say: and with good spirits
And observation strange, my meaner ministers

And special attention, so too have my lower-ranked spirits
Their several kinds have done. My high charms work

Done their various roles. My superior magic is working
And these mine enemies are all knit up

And my enemies here are all caught up
In their distractions; they now are in my power;

In their madness; they are now in my power;
And in these fits I leave them, while I visit

And I will leave them in these fits, while I visit
Young Ferdinand, whom they suppose is drown'd,

Young Ferdinand, whom they think is drowned,
And his and mine loved darling.

And my daughter that he and I both love.

Exit above

GONZALO

I' the name of something holy, sir, why stand you

In the name of all things holy, sir, why are you
In this strange stare?

Standing here horror-struck?

ALONSO

O, it is monstrous, monstrous:

Oh, it was monstrous, monstrous:
Methought the billows spoke and told me of it;

It seemed to me that the smoke spoke and told me of it;
The winds did sing it to me, and the thunder,

That the winds sang it to me, and the thunder,
That deep and dreadful organ-pipe, pronounced

Which sounds like a deep and dreadful pipe organ, all spoke
The name of Prosper: it did bass my trespass.

The name of Prospero: it announced my crimes with a resonant voice.
Therefore my son i' the ooze is bedded, and

So my son is sunk in the sea, and
I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded

I’ll look for him deeper than the deepest measured depths
And with him there lie mudded.

And lie with him buried in the mud.

Exit

SEBASTIAN

But one fiend at a time,

If it’s only by one demon at a time,
I'll fight their legions o'er.

I’ll still fight against their army.

ANTONIO

I'll be thy second.

I’ll help you.

Exeunt SEBASTIAN, and ANTONIO

GONZALO

All three of them are desperate: their great guilt,

All three of them are desperate: their massive guilt,
Like poison given to work a great time after,

Like a poison that is given to work slowly over time,
Now 'gins to bite the spirits. I do beseech you

Now comes back to haunt them. I be you,
That are of suppler joints, follow them swiftly

Who are more able-bodied, to follow them quickly
And hinder them from what this ecstasy

And stop them from whatever this insanity
May now provoke them to.

May cause them to do.

ADRIAN

Follow, I pray you.

Follow after me, please.

Exeunt

Before PROSPERO'S cell.

Enter PROSPERO, FERDINAND, and MIRANDA

PROSPERO

If I have too austerely punish'd you,

I have punished you too severely,
Your compensation makes amends, for I

Your repayment will make it better, for I
Have given you here a third of mine own life,

Have just given you a third of my own life,
Or that for which I live; who once again

Or rather, that which I live for; who once again
I tender to thy hand: all thy vexations