The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (764 page)

No, no, no, no, no.

EROS

See you here, sir?

Do you see, sir?

MARK ANTONY

O fie, fie, fie!

Oh damn, damn, damn!

CHARMIAN

Madam!

Madam!

IRAS

Madam, O good empress!

Madam, oh good empress!

EROS

Sir, sir,--

Sir, sir,--

MARK ANTONY

Yes, my lord, yes; he at Philippi kept

Yes, my lord, yes: he kept at Philippi

His sword e'en like a dancer; while I struck

His sword even like a dancer; while I hit

The lean and wrinkled Cassius; and 'twas I

The lean and wrinkled Cassius, and it was me

That the mad Brutus ended: he alone

Who killed insane Brutus: only he

Dealt on lieutenantry, and no practise had

Fought based on advice, and had no practice

In the brave squares of war: yet now--No matter.

In the brave field of war: but now -- Never mind.

CLEOPATRA

Ah, stand by.

Ah, stay near.

EROS

The queen, my lord, the queen.

The queen, sir, the queen.

IRAS

Go to him, madam, speak to him:

Go to him, lady, speak to him:
He is unqualitied with very shame.

He is overcome with shame.

CLEOPATRA

Well then, sustain him: O!

Well then, help him: Oh!

EROS

Most noble sir, arise; the queen approaches:

Noble sir, stand; the queen is coming:

Her head's declined, and death will seize her, but

Her head is sinking, and death will take her, but

Your comfort makes the rescue.

Your comfort can save her.

MARK ANTONY

I have offended reputation,

I have destroyed my reputation,

A most unnoble swerving.

A very cowardly swerve.

EROS

Sir, the queen.

Sir, the queen.

MARK ANTONY

O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See,

Oh, where have you led me, Egypt? See,

How I convey my shame out of thine eyes

How I show my shame out of your eyes

By looking back what I have left behind

By looking back on what I have left behind

'Stroy'd in dishonour.

Destroyed in dishonor.

CLEOPATRA

O my lord, my lord,

Oh sir, sir,
Forgive my fearful sails! I little thought

Forgive my running away! I did not think

You would have follow'd.

You were going to follow.

MARK ANTONY

Egypt, thou knew'st too well

Egypt, you knew too well

My heart was to thy rudder tied by the strings,

That my heart was tied by strings to your rudder,

And thou shouldst tow me after: o'er my spirit

And you would tow me after: over my spirit

Thy full supremacy thou knew'st, and that

You know your absolute rule, and that

Thy beck might from the bidding of the gods

Your wants might from the orders of the gods

Command me.

Command me.

CLEOPATRA

O, my pardon!

Oh, forgive me!

MARK ANTONY

Now I must

Now I must
To the young man send humble treaties, dodge

To the young man send humble messages, crawl

And palter in the shifts of lowness; who

And kneel in lowness; I who

With half the bulk o' the world play'd as I pleased,

Played with half the world as I pleased,

Making and marring fortunes. You did know

Making and breaking fortunes. You knew

How much you were my conqueror; and that

How much you had conquered me; and that

My sword, made weak by my affection, would

My sword, made weak by my love, would
Obey it on all cause.

Obey it no matter what.

CLEOPATRA

Pardon, pardon!

I'm sorry, sorry!

MARK ANTONY

Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates

Do not cry, I say; a single tear rates

All that is won and lost: give me a kiss;

All that is won and lost; give me a kiss;
Even this repays me. We sent our schoolmaster;

Even that is repayment. We sent our teacher;

Is he come back? Love, I am full of lead.

Has he come back? Love, my body is heavy.

Some wine, within there, and our viands! Fortune knows

Some wine and food! Fortune knows

We scorn her most when most she offers blows.

We dislike her most when she most gives us blows.

Exeunt

Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, DOLABELLA, THYREUS, with others

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Let him appear that's come from Antony.

Let the messenger from Antony appear.

Know you him?

Do you know him?

DOLABELLA

Caesar, 'tis his schoolmaster:

Caesar, it is his teacher:

An argument that he is pluck'd, when hither

Which proves that he is desperate, when here

He sends so poor a pinion off his wing,

He sends such a common person,

Which had superfluous kings for messengers

When he had spare kings to use as messengers

Not many moons gone by.

Not many months ago.

Enter EUPHRONIUS, ambassador from MARK ANTONY

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Approach, and speak.

Come closer, and speak.

EUPHRONIUS

Such as I am, I come from Antony:

Such as I am, I come from Mark Antony:
I was of late as petty to his ends

I was recently as unimportant to his purposes

As is the morn-dew on the myrtle-leaf

As the morning dew on a leaf

To his grand sea.

Is to the grand sea.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Be't so: declare thine office.

All right: state your business.

EUPHRONIUS

Lord of his fortunes he salutes thee, and

He calls you the master of his fate, and

Requires to live in Egypt: which not granted,

Asks to live in Egypt: which, if that is too much,

He lessens his requests; and to thee sues

He is willing to have less; and begs you

To let him breathe between the heavens and earth,

To let him stay alive,

A private man in Athens: this for him.

A private man in Athens. That settles him.

Next, Cleopatra does confess thy greatness;

Next, Cleopatra admits to your greatness;

Submits her to thy might; and of thee craves

Submits to your power; and asks from you

The circle of the Ptolemies for her heirs,

Part of Egypt for her heirs,

Now hazarded to thy grace.

Depending on your generosity.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

For Antony,

For Mark Antony,
I have no ears to his request. The queen

I will not consider his request. The queen

Of audience nor desire shall fail, so she

Will not get to talk to me or get her request, unless

From Egypt drive her all-disgraced friend,

She chases her disgraced friend from Egypt,

Or take his life there: this if she perform,

Or kill him there: if she does this,

She shall not sue unheard. So to them both.

She can have what she wants. Tell them both.

EUPHRONIUS

Fortune pursue thee!

Good luck to you!

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Bring him through the bands.

Take him through the troops.

Exit EUPHRONIUS

To THYREUS

From Antony win Cleopatra: promise,

From Antony we will win Cleopatra: promise

And in our name, what she requires; add more,

And in our name, what she wants; add more,

From thine invention, offers: women are not

Whatever offers you can think of: women are not

In their best fortunes strong; but want will perjure

Strong even at the best of times; but need will ruin

The ne'er touch'd vestal: try thy cunning, Thyreus;

Even the purest woman: try your cleverness, Thyreus;

Make thine own edict for thy pains, which we

Make your own message in your work, which we

Will answer as a law.

Will treat as law.

THYREUS

Caesar, I go.

Caesar, I will go.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

Observe how Antony becomes his flaw,

Look how Antony becomes his flaws,

And what thou think'st his very action speaks

And what you think his actions speak

In every power that moves.

In his very motion.

THYREUS

Caesar, I shall.

Caesar, I will.

Exeunt

Enter CLEOPATRA, DOMITIUS ENOBARBUS, CHARMIAN, and IRAS

CLEOPATRA

What shall we do, Enobarbus?

What will we do, Enobarbus?