The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (681 page)

thought that what he's doing is bad.

PALAMON

Leave that unreason’d.

Our services stand now for Thebes, not Creon.

Yet to be neutral to him were dishonor;

Rebellious to oppose; therefore we must

With him stand to the mercy of our fate,

Who hath bounded our last minute.

Don't think of it that way.

We are going to fight for Thebes, not Creon.

It would be dishonourable to claim neutrality;

it would be rebellious to oppose him; and so we must

put our luck to the test with him,

who has command of us.

ARCITE

So we must.

Is’t said this war’s afoot? Or it shall be,

On fail of some condition?

Yes we must.

Has the war actually begun? Or will it be

when some condition isn't met?

VALERIUS

’Tis in motion,

The intelligence of state came in the instant

With the defier.

It's begun,

the information from the spies came in at the same moment

as the declaration from Theseus.

PALAMON

Let’s to the King, who were he

A quarter carrier of that honor which

His enemy come in, the blood we venture

Should be as for our health, which were not spent,

Rather laid out for purchase. But alas,

Our hands advanc’d before our hearts, what will

The fall o’ th’ stroke do damage?

Let's go to the King, if he was

a quarter as honourable as

his enemy, the blood we are risking

would actually be good for us, it would not be lost,

we would actually gain from it. But alas,

with our hands acting against our instincts,

how will we suffer for our wounds?

ARCITE

Let th’ event,

That never-erring arbitrator, tell us

When we know all ourselves, and let us follow

The becking of our chance.

Let's allow time,

that never failing umpire, to show us

when we have seen how everything turns out, and let's

just take our chances.

Before the gates of Athens.

(Pirithous, Hippolyta, Emilia)

Enter Pirithous, Hippolyta, Emilia.

PIRITHOUS

No further.

This is as far as I go.

HIPPOLYTA

Sir, farewell. Repeat my wishes

To our great lord, of whose success I dare not

Make any timorous question; yet I wish him

Excess and overflow of power, and’t might be,

To dure ill-dealing fortune. Speed to him,

Store never hurts good governors.

Sir, farewell. Carry my good wishes

to our great lord, whose success I dare not

call into question; but I wish him

all the power he needs and more, so if necessary

he can overcome any bad luck. Take this to him

quickly, abundance never harmed careful men.

PIRITHOUS

Though I know

His ocean needs not my poor drops, yet they

Must yield their tribute there. My precious maid,

Those best affections that the heavens infuse

In their best-temper’d pieces, keep enthron’d

In your dear heart!

Although I know

his ocean of goodness does not need my tiny drops,

I must still give them to him. My dear girl,

keep all that love, which is touched with

all the best things of heaven, worshipped

in your dear heart!

EMILIA

Thanks, sir. Remember me

To our all-royal brother, for whose speed

The great Bellona I’ll solicit; and

Since in our terrene state petitions are not

Without gifts understood, I’ll offer to her

What I shall be advis’d she likes. Our hearts

Are in his army, in his tent.

Thank you, sir. Give my greetings

to our most royal brother, for whose success I will pray

to the goddess of war; and as

our earthly petitions are not heard without

gifts, I'll sacrifice to her

whatever I'm told she likes. Our hearts

are with his army, in his tent.

HIPPOLYTA

In ’s bosom.

We have been soldiers, and we cannot weep

When our friends don their helms, or put to sea,

Or tell of babes broach’d on the lance, or women

That have sod their infants in (and after eat them)

The brine they wept at killing ’em. Then if

You stay to see of us such spinsters, we

Should hold you here forever.

Within his heart.

We have been soldiers, and we cannot weep

when our friends put on their helmets, or set sail,

or tell us of babies spitted on lances, all women

who have preserved their children in the salt tears

they wept when they killed them (and then ate them).

If you waited here to see us being such timid women,

you would wait here forever.

PIRITHOUS

Peace be to you

As I pursue this war, which shall be then

Beyond further requiring.

May peace be with you

while I go to war, I shall not

be needing it there.

Exit Pirithous.

EMILIA

How his longing

Follows his friend: since his depart, his sports,

Though craving seriousness and skill, pass’d slightly

His careless execution, where nor gain

Made him regard, or loss consider, but

Playing o’er business in his hand, another

Directing in his head, his mind nurse equal

To these so diff’ring twins. Have you observ’d him

Since our great lord departed?

How his desires

follow his friend; since he left, his amusements,

though they were frivolous and without skill,

seemed to mean nothing to him, he didn't

care about winning or losing, he had

one matter in front of him in his hand and another

turning over in his mind, he had two things

there at once. Have you noticed him

since our great lord left?

HIPPOLYTA

With much labor;

And I did love him for’t. They two have cabin’d

In many as dangerous as poor a corner,

Peril and want contending, they have skiff’d

Torrents whose roaring tyranny and power

I’ th’ least of these was dreadful, and they have

Fought out together where death’s self was lodg’d;

Yet fate hath brought them off. Their knot of love

Tied, weav’d, entangled, with so true, so long,

And with a finger of so deep a cunning,

May be outworn, never undone. I think

Theseus cannot be umpire to himself,

Cleaving his conscience into twain and doing

Each side like justice, which he loves best.

He was much upset;

and I loved him for it. Those two have been together

in many a tight spot,

dangerous and deprived, they have rowed over

rapids where tyranny and power

roared dreadfully, and they have

fought together in the shadow of death;

but fate let them live. The knot of their love

is so deeply intertwined, tied with such

skill and cunning that it will outlive them,

it can never be undone. I think

Theseus could not decide between them,

it would be like splitting himself in half and

trying to decide which side he loved best.

EMILIA

Doubtless

There is a best, and reason has no manners

To say it is not you. I was acquainted

Once with a time when I enjoy’d a playfellow;

You were at wars when she the grave enrich’d,

Who made too proud the bed, took leave o’ th’ moon

(Which then look’d pale at parting) when our count

Was each aleven.

No doubt

there is a side he loves best, and one would certainly

say that side is you. There was a time once

when I had a playmate;

you were at the wars when she went to her grave,

which was all too ready to receive her, said goodbye to the moon

(which looked pale at her going) when we were

each eleven years old.

HIPPOLYTA

’Twas Flavina.

You're talking of Flavina.

EMILIA

Yes.

You talk of Pirithous’ and Theseus’ love:

Theirs has more ground, is more maturely season’d,

More buckled with strong judgment, and their needs

The one of th’ other may be said to water

Their intertangled roots of love, but I

And she (I sigh and spoke of) were things innocent,

Lov’d for we did, and like the elements

That know not what nor why, yet do effect

Rare issues by their operance, our souls

Did so to one another. What she lik’d

Was then of me approv’d, what not, condemn’d,

No more arraignment. The flow’r that I would pluck

And put between my breasts (O then but beginning

To swell about the blossom), she would long

Till she had such another, and commit it

To the like innocent cradle, where phoenix-like

They died in perfume. On my head no toy

But was her pattern, her affections (pretty,

Though happily her careless wear) I followed

For my most serious decking. Had mine ear

Stol’n some new air, or at adventure humm’d one

From musical coinage, why, it was a note

Whereon her spirits would sojourn (rather dwell on)

And sing it in her slumbers. This rehearsal

(Which, ev’ry innocent wots well, comes in

Like old importment’s bastard) has this end,

That the true love ’tween maid and maid may be

More than in sex dividual.

Yes.

You talk of the love of Pirithous and Theseus:

theirs has a more solid basis, has grown through time,