The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (724 page)

can't be grieved over. Don't be wounded

by my speech; I beg you, instead

punish me, for reminding you

of what you should forget. Now, my good King,

sir, royal sir, forgive a foolish woman:

the love I had for your queen–oh, stupid again!

I'll say no more about her, nor about your children:

I'll not remind you of my own husband

(who is also lost): pull yourself together,

and I'll say nothing.

LEONTES

Thou didst speak but well

When most the truth; which I receive much better

Than to be pitied of thee. Prithee, bring me

To the dead bodies of my queen and son:

One grave shall be for both: upon them shall

The causes of their death appear, unto

Our shame perpetual. Once a day I'll visit

The chapel where they lie, and tears shed there

Shall be my recreation: so long as nature

Will bear up with this exercise, so long

I daily vow to use it. Come and lead me

Unto these sorrows.

Exeunt

You were speaking well

when you were being most truthful; I'd rather hear that

than have your pity. Please, take me

to the dead bodies of my queen and son:

they shall share a grave: the cause of their death

will be written on their tombstones, to

my eternal shame. I'll visit the chapel where they lie

every day, and crying at their tomb

shall be my pastime: I vow that I shall do this daily

for as long as nature allows me to do it.

Lead me to these sorrows.

SCENE III. Bohemia. A desert country near the sea.

Enter ANTIGONUS with a Child, and a Mariner

ANTIGONUS

Thou art perfect then, our ship hath touch'd upon

The deserts of Bohemia?

You are certain then that we have arrived at

the coast of Bohemia?

Mariner

Ay, my lord: and fear

We have landed in ill time: the skies look grimly

And threaten present blusters. In my conscience,

The heavens with that we have in hand are angry

And frown upon 's.

Yes, my lord: and I fear

that we have landed at a bad time: the skies look grim

and threaten storms shortly. It's my belief

that the heavens are angry with what we're doing

and frown on us.

ANTIGONUS

Their sacred wills be done! Go, get aboard;

Look to thy bark: I'll not be long before

I call upon thee.

May their sacred will be done! Go, get on board;

get the ship ready: it won't be long before

I'll call for you.

Mariner

Make your best haste, and go not

Too far i' the land: 'tis like to be loud weather;

Besides, this place is famous for the creatures

Of prey that keep upon't.

Be as quick as you can, and don't go

too far inland:  there's rough weather coming;

besides, this place is  notorious for the creatures

of prey which live here.

ANTIGONUS

Go thou away:

I'll follow instantly.

You go away:

I'll be right behind you.

Mariner

I am glad at heart

To be so rid o' the business.

Exit

Nothing makes me happier

than to leave this business.

ANTIGONUS

Come, poor babe:

I have heard, but not believed,

the spirits o' the dead

May walk again: if such thing be, thy mother

Appear'd to me last night, for ne'er was dream

So like a waking. To me comes a creature,

Sometimes her head on one side, some another;

I never saw a vessel of like sorrow,

So fill'd and so becoming: in pure white robes,

Like very sanctity, she did approach

My cabin where I lay; thrice bow'd before me,

And gasping to begin some speech, her eyes

Became two spouts: the fury spent, anon

Did this break-from her: 'Good Antigonus,

Since fate, against thy better disposition,

Hath made thy person for the thrower-out

Of my poor babe, according to thine oath,

Places remote enough are in Bohemia,

There weep and leave it crying; and, for the babe

Is counted lost for ever, Perdita,

I prithee, call't. For this ungentle business

Put on thee by my lord, thou ne'er shalt see

Thy wife Paulina more.' And so, with shrieks

She melted into air. Affrighted much,

I did in time collect myself and thought

This was so and no slumber. Dreams are toys:

Yet for this once, yea, superstitiously,

I will be squared by this. I do believe

Hermione hath suffer'd death, and that

Apollo would, this being indeed the issue

Of King Polixenes, it should here be laid,

Either for life or death, upon the earth

Of its right father. Blossom, speed thee well!

There lie, and there thy character: there these;

Which may, if fortune please, both breed thee, pretty,

And still rest thine. The storm begins; poor wretch,

That for thy mother's fault art thus exposed

To loss and what may follow! Weep I cannot,

But my heart bleeds; and most accursed am I

To be by oath enjoin'd to this. Farewell!

The day frowns more and more: thou'rt like to have

A lullaby too rough: I never saw

The heavens so dim by day. A savage clamour!

Well may I get aboard! This is the chase:

I am gone for ever.

Exit, pursued by a bear

Enter a Shepherd

Come on, poor baby:

I have heard, though not believed, that the spirits of the dead

can walk again: if this is true, your mother

appeared to me last night; I never had a dream

that seemed so real. A creature came to me,

sometimes with her head on one side, sometimes on another;

I never saw such a sad sight,

so pure and so beautiful: in pure white robes,

like something sacred, she approached

my cabin where I lay: bowed before me three times,

and, trying to get breath for a speech, her eyes

became two fountains; when that had passed, eventually

she said this: ‘Good Antigonus,

since fate, against your better judgement,

has made you the person who will exile

my poor baby, according your oath,

there are enough remote places in Bohemia;

cry there, and leave it crying: and as

the baby is lost forever, I beg you to name it

Perdita. Because of this horrible business,

which my husband forced on you, you shall never see

your wife Paulina again.’ And so, screaming,

she vanished into thin air. Very frightened,

I eventually pulled myself together, and thought

that this was reality, not sleep. Dreams can deceive

but this once, superstitiously,

I will follow their direction. I do believe

that Hermione has died; and that

Apollo orders, as this is indeed the child

of King Polixenes, that it should be placed here,

either to live or die, in the land

of its real father. Little one, good luck!

There you lie, and there is a written account of you: here are things,

which may, with luck, pay for your upbringing, pretty one,

and still have some left over for you. The storm is beginning: poor wretch,

you are exposed like this due to your mother's sin,

risking destruction and whatever else may come! I cannot weep,

but my heart bleeds;  it is terrible

that my oath forces me to do this. Farewell!

The day is getting blacker: it seems you will have

a rough lullaby: I never saw

such dark skies in the day. A wild racket!

I must get back on board! Here comes the hunt:

I'm leaving for good!

Shepherd

I would there were no age between sixteen and

three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the

rest; for there is nothing in the between but

getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry,

stealing, fighting--Hark you now! Would any but

these boiled brains of nineteen and two-and-twenty

hunt this weather? They have scared away two of my

best sheep, which I fear the wolf will sooner find

than the master: if any where I have them, 'tis by

the seaside, browsing of ivy. Good luck, an't be thy

will what have we here! Mercy on 's, a barne a very

pretty barne! A boy or a child, I wonder? A

pretty one; a very pretty one: sure, some 'scape:

though I am not bookish, yet I can read

waiting-gentlewoman in the 'scape. This has been

some stair-work, some trunk-work, some

behind-door-work: they were warmer that got this

than the poor thing is here. I'll take it up for

pity: yet I'll tarry till my son come; he hallooed

but even now. Whoa, ho, hoa!

Enter Clown

I wish that there was nothing between  the age of ten and twenty-

three, or that young people would sleep through that period;

for they do nothing in that time but get

girls pregnant, insult their elders, steal, fight–

listen to this! Would anyone but these

lunatics of nineteen and twenty-two hunt

in this weather? They have scared away two of my best

sheep, which I fear the wolf will find before the master does:

if I'll find them anywhere it will be by the seashore,

grazing on ivy.  [Seeing the baby] Good heavens, what

are you doing, what have we here? Mercy me, a baby!

A very pretty baby! A boy or girl, I wonder?

A pretty one; a very pretty one. Somebody's been in trouble:

although I am not educated, I can see when a lady

in waiting has got into trouble. Somebody's been going up the back stairs,

hiding in trunks, hiding behind doors:

when they conceived this they were a good deal warmer than the

poor thing is here. I'll take it in out of pity: but I'll wait until