The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (742 page)

CAMILLO

My lord, your sorrow was too sore laid on,

Which sixteen winters cannot blow away,

So many summers dry; scarce any joy

Did ever so long live; no sorrow

But kill'd itself much sooner.

My lord, the sorrow you had was too great,

sixteen winters could not blow it away,

the same number of summers could not dry it; there's hardly any joy

that ever lived for so long; no sorrow

that didn't die earlier.

POLIXENES

Dear my brother,

Let him that was the cause of this have power

To take off so much grief from you as he

Will piece up in himself.

My dear brother,

let the one who was the cause of this

take as much of the burden of grief from you as he

can take upon himself.

PAULINA

Indeed, my lord,

If I had thought the sight of my poor image

Would thus have wrought you,--for the stone is mine--

I'ld not have show'd it.

Indeed, my lord,

if I'd thought the sight of my poor sculpture

would have had this effect on you–for the stone is mine–

I wouldn't have showed it to you.

LEONTES

Do not draw the curtain.

Don't draw the curtain.

PAULINA

No longer shall you gaze on't, lest your fancy

May think anon it moves.

You shall look at it any more, in case your imagination

starts to think that it's moving.

LEONTES

Let be, let be.

Would I were dead, but that, methinks, already--

What was he that did make it? See, my lord,

Would you not deem it breathed? and that those veins

Did verily bear blood?

Let it be, let it be.

I wish I were dead, except that, I think, already–

who was the person who made this? See, my lord,

wouldn't you think that it's breathing? And that those veins

are really full of blood?

POLIXENES

Masterly done:

The very life seems warm upon her lip.

Masterfully done:

her lips look as though they actually had the warmth of life in them.

LEONTES

The fixture of her eye has motion in't,

As we are mock'd with art.

Her eyeballs seem to move,

as we are tricked by art.

PAULINA

I'll draw the curtain:

My lord's almost so far transported that

He'll think anon it lives.

I'll draw the curtain:

my lord is so carried away that

he'll soon be thinking it's alive.

LEONTES

O sweet Paulina,

Make me to think so twenty years together!

No settled senses of the world can match

The pleasure of that madness. Let 't alone.

Oh sweet Paulina,

let me think that for twenty years at a stretch!

No sensible pleasures of the world can match

the pleasure of that madness. Leave it be.

PAULINA

I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you: but

I could afflict you farther.

I'm sorry, sir, to have agitated you so much: but

I could do more.

LEONTES

Do, Paulina;

For this affliction has a taste as sweet

As any cordial comfort. Still, methinks,

There is an air comes from her: what fine chisel

Could ever yet cut breath? Let no man mock me,

For I will kiss her.

Do, Paulina;

for this illness tastes as sweet

as any health giving cordial. Still, I think

that air is coming from her: what fine chisel

has ever been able to sculpt breath? Nobody should mock me,

I am going to kiss her.

PAULINA

Good my lord, forbear:

The ruddiness upon her lip is wet;

You'll mar it if you kiss it, stain your own

With oily painting. Shall I draw the curtain?

My good lord, don't do it:

the red on her lips is wet;

you'll spoil it if you kiss it, and stain your own

with oil paint. Shall I draw the curtain?

LEONTES

No, not these twenty years.

No, not for twenty years.

PERDITA

So long could I

Stand by, a looker on.

That's how long I could

stand by, watching.

PAULINA

Either forbear,

Quit presently the chapel, or resolve you

For more amazement. If you can behold it,

I'll make the statue move indeed, descend

And take you by the hand; but then you'll think--

Which I protest against--I am assisted

By wicked powers.

Either stop,

and leave the chapel at once, or prepare

for more amazement. If you can bear it,

I will indeed make the statue move, climb down

and take you by the hand; but then you'll think–

which I tell you I'm not–that I am assisted

by wicked powers.

LEONTES

What you can make her do,

I am content to look on: what to speak,

I am content to hear; for 'tis as easy

To make her speak as move.

Whatever you can make her do,

I am happy to see: whatever you can make her say,

I am happy to hear; for it would be as easy

to make her speak as to make her move.

PAULINA

It is required

You do awake your faith. Then all stand still;

Or- those that think it is unlawful business

I am about, let them depart.

You must

have faith. You must all stand still;

anyone who thinks that I am about

to do something sinful, let them leave.

LEONTES

Proceed:

No foot shall stir.

Carry on:

no one will move an inch.

PAULINA

Music, awake her; strike!

Music

'Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach;

Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come,

I'll fill your grave up: stir, nay, come away,

Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him

Dear life redeems you. You perceive she stirs:

HERMIONE comes down

Start not; her actions shall be holy as

You hear my spell is lawful: do not shun her

Until you see her die again; for then

You kill her double. Nay, present your hand:

When she was young you woo'd her; now in age

Is she become the suitor?

Music, wake her up; now!

It's time; come down; no longer be stone; come to us;

astonish everyone who is watching. Come,

I'll fill up your grave: move, no, come away:

give your numbness back to death; for

dear life saves you from him. You see she's moving:

don't flinch; her actions will be as holy as

my spell is lawful, which you will hear.

Do not reject her

until you see her die again; if you do

you will kill her twice. No, give her your hand:

when she was young you wooed her; now, when she is old,

has she become the wooer?

LEONTES

O, she's warm!

If this be magic, let it be an art

Lawful as eating.

Oh, she's warm!

If this is magic, let it be an art

as lawful as eating.

POLIXENES

She embraces him.

She is embracing him.

CAMILLO

She hangs about his neck:

If she pertain to life let her speak too.

She has thrown her arms around his neck:

if she is alive let her speak too.

POLIXENES

Ay, and make't manifest where she has lived,

Or how stolen from the dead.

Yes, and explain where she has been living,

or how she has come back from the dead.

PAULINA

That she is living,

Were it but told you, should be hooted at

Like an old tale: but it appears she lives,

Though yet she speak not. Mark a little while.

Please you to interpose, fair madam: kneel

And pray your mother's blessing. Turn, good lady;

Our Perdita is found.

That she is alive,

if you were only told it, you would mock it

like an old story: but you can see she lives,

although she has not yet spoken. Wait a little while.

Please put yourself forward, fair madam: kneel

and beg for your mother's blessing. Turn, good lady;

our Perdita is found.

HERMIONE

You gods, look down

And from your sacred vials pour your graces

Upon my daughter's head! Tell me, mine own.

Where hast thou been preserved? where lived? how found

Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear that I,

Knowing by Paulina that the oracle

Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserved

Myself to see the issue.

You gods, look down

and from your sacred urns pour your blessings

upon my daughter's head! Tell me, my own,

where have you been kept? Where have you lived? How did you

come back to your father's court? For as you shall hear I,

knowing from Paulina that the Oracle

gave hope that you were alive, have saved

myself to see the result.

PAULINA

There's time enough for that;

Lest they desire upon this push to trouble

Your joys with like relation. Go together,

You precious winners all; your exultation

Partake to every one. I, an old turtle,

Will wing me to some wither'd bough and there

My mate, that's never to be found again,

Lament till I am lost.

There is time enough for that;

we don't want them at this  happy moment

to start telling their own stories. Go together,

all you precious winners; share your happiness

with everyone. I, an old turtledove,

will fly to some dead branch and there

I will sing sad songs for my mate,

who will never be found again,

until I am dead.

LEONTES

O, peace, Paulina!

Thou shouldst a husband take by my consent,

As I by thine a wife: this is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found mine;

But how, is to be question'd; for I saw her,