The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (772 page)

A vapour sometime like a bear or lion,

A mist sometimes like a bear or lion,

A tower'd citadel, a pendent rock,

A city with towers, a tall rock,

A forked mountain, or blue promontory

A forked mountain, or blue cliff

With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,

With trees on it, that nod to the world,

And mock our eyes with air: thou hast seen these signs;

And tease our eyes with air: you have seen things like this;

They are black vesper's pageants.

They are the theater of nature.

EROS

Ay, my lord,

Yes, my lord.

MARK ANTONY

My good knave Eros, now thy captain is

My good servant Eros, now your captain is

Even such a body: here I am Antony:

A body like that: here I am Antony:

Yet cannot hold this visible shape, my knave.

Yet cannot hold this shape you see, my servant.

I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,--

I made these wars for Egypt: and the queen,--
Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;

Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine;
Which whilst it was mine had annex'd unto't

Which while it was mine had shared with it

A million more, now lost,--she, Eros, has

A million more, now lost,--she, Eros, has
Pack'd cards with Caesar, and false-play'd my glory

Joined in with Caesar, and tricked my glory

Unto an enemy's triumph.

Into an enemy's victory.

Nay, weep not, gentle Eros; there is left us

No, do not cry, gentle Eros; we still have

Ourselves to end ourselves.

The ability to end ourselves.

Enter MARDIAN

O! thy vile lady!

Oh, your terrible lady!

She has robb'd me of my sword.

She has robbed my sword from me.

MARDIAN

No, Antony;

No, Mark Antony;
My mistress loved thee, and her fortunes mingled

My lady loved you, and combined her destiny

With thine entirely.

With yours completely.

MARK ANTONY

Hence, saucy eunuch; peace!

Go, saucy eunuch; quiet!

She hath betray'd me and shall die the death.

She has betrayed me and must die.

MARDIAN

Death of one person can be paid but once,

One person can only die once,

And that she has discharged: what thou wouldst do

And that she has done: what you would do

Is done unto thy hand: the last she spake

Has been done for you: the last thing she said

Was 'Antony! most noble Antony!'

Was 'Antony! Most noble Antony!'
Then in the midst a tearing groan did break

Then in the middle of a last groan broke

The name of Antony; it was divided

The name of Antony; it was split

Between her heart and lips: she render'd life,

Between her heart and her lips: she gave up life

Thy name so buried in her.

With your name buried like that in her.

MARK ANTONY

Dead, then?

Dead, ten?

MARDIAN

Dead.

Dead.

MARK ANTONY

Unarm, Eros; the long day's task is done,

Take off my armor, Eros; the long day's task is done

And we must sleep.

And we must sleep.

To MARDIAN

That thou depart'st hence safe,

That you leave here safely,

Does pay thy labour richly; go.

Repays you well; go.

Exit MARDIAN

Off, pluck off:

Off, take it off:

The seven-fold shield of Ajax cannot keep

The thickest shield of Ajax cannot keep

The battery from my heart. O, cleave, my sides!

The wound from my heart. Oh, split, my sides!

Heart, once be stronger than thy continent,

Heart, once stronger than you needed to be,

Crack thy frail case! Apace, Eros, apace.

Crack your weak case! Away, Eros, away.

No more a soldier: bruised pieces, go;

I am no longer a soldier, just bruised pieces, go;

You have been nobly borne. From me awhile.

You have done well. Go away from me awhile.

Exit EROS

I will o'ertake thee, Cleopatra, and

I will catch up to you, Cleopatra, and

Weep for my pardon. So it must be, for now

Cry for forgiveness. This is how it must me, for now

All length is torture: since the torch is out,

Just existing is torture: since the torch is out,

Lie down, and stray no farther: now all labour

Lie down, and go no farther away: now all work

Mars what it does; yea, very force entangles

Ruins what it does; yes, force tangles

Itself with strength: seal then, and all is done.

Itself with strength: stop everything then, and all is done.

Eros!--I come, my queen:--Eros!--Stay for me:

Eros! -- I'm coming, my queen: -- Eros! Stay for me:

Where souls do couch on flowers, we'll hand in hand,

Where souls rest on flowers, we'll go hand in hand,

And with our sprightly port make the ghosts gaze:

And with our energetic walk make the ghosts stare:

And all the haunt be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!

And all the haunting will be ours. Come, Eros, Eros!

Re-enter EROS

EROS

What would my lord?

What does my lord wish?

MARK ANTONY

Since Cleopatra died,

Since Cleopata died,
I have lived in such dishonour, that the gods

I have lived in such dishonor that all the gods

Detest my baseness. I, that with my sword

Are disgusted by my lowliness. I, who with my sword

Quarter'd the world, and o'er green Neptune's back

Divided the world into four pieces, and over the green sea

With ships made cities, condemn myself to lack

Made cities with ships, condemn myself for lacking

The courage of a woman; less noble mind

The courage of a woman; having a less noble mind

Than she which by her death our Caesar tells

Than she who by her death our Caesar tells

'I am conqueror of myself.' Thou art sworn, Eros,

'I have conquered myself.' You have promised, Eros,

That, when the exigent should come, which now

That, when the desperate time came, which now

Is come indeed, when I should see behind me

Has come indeed, when I see behind me

The inevitable prosecution of

The impossible-to-stop time of

Disgrace and horror, that, on my command,

Disgrace and horror, that, if I ordered you,

Thou then wouldst kill me: do't; the time is come:

You would then kill me: do it; the time has come:

Thou strikest not me, 'tis Caesar thou defeat'st.

You're not attacking me, it's Caesar you're defeating.

Put colour in thy cheek.

Put color in your cheek.

EROS

The gods withhold me!

May the gods prevent me!

Shall I do that which all the Parthian darts,

Must I do what all the Parthian arrows

Though enemy, lost aim, and could not?

MARK ANTONY

Eros,

Eros,
Wouldst thou be window'd in great Rome and see

Do you want to be in great Rome and see

Thy master thus with pleach'd arms, bending down

Your master like this with tied arms, bending down
His corrigible neck, his face subdued

His losing neck, his face brought

To penetrative shame, whilst the wheel'd seat

To complete shame, while the wheeled seat

Of fortunate Caesar, drawn before him, branded

Of lucky Caesar, pulled in front of him, burned

His baseness that ensued?

The defeat that came after?

EROS

I would not see't.

I do not want to see it.

MARK ANTONY

Come, then; for with a wound I must be cured.

Come, then; I must be cured with a wound.

Draw that thy honest sword, which thou hast worn

Draw your honest sword, which you have worn

Most useful for thy country.

Very usefully for your country.

EROS

O, sir, pardon me!

Oh, sir, forgive me!

MARK ANTONY

When I did make thee free, sworest thou not then

When I made you free, did you not swear then

To do this when I bade thee? Do it at once;

To do this when I commanded you? Do it immediately;

Or thy precedent services are all

Or everything you have done before

But accidents unpurposed. Draw, and come.

No longer counts. Draw, and come.

EROS

Turn from me, then, that noble countenance,

Turn away from me, then, that noble face,

Wherein the worship of the whole world lies.

Where the worship of the whole world lies.

MARK ANTONY

Lo thee!

Look, you!

Turning from him

EROS

My sword is drawn.

My sword is drawn.

MARK ANTONY

Then let it do at once

Then let it do right now

The thing why thou hast drawn it.

The thing for which you have drawn it.

EROS

My dear master,

My dear master,
My captain, and my emperor, let me say,

My captain, and my emperor, let me say,
Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.

Before I strike this bloody stroke, goodbye.

MARK ANTONY

'Tis said, man; and farewell.

It is said, man; and farewell.

EROS

Farewell, great chief. Shall I strike now?

Farewell, great leader. Shall I strike now?

MARK ANTONY

Now, Eros.

Now, Eros.

EROS

Why, there then: thus I do escape the sorrow

Why, there then: in this way I escape the sadness

Of Antony's death.

Kills himself

MARK ANTONY

Thrice-nobler than myself!

Three times nobler than myself!

Thou teachest me, O valiant Eros, what

You teach me, O brave Eros, what

I should, and thou couldst not. My queen and Eros

I should do, and I could not. My queen and Eros

Have by their brave instruction got upon me

Have through their brave teaching got me

A nobleness in record: but I will be

A history of nobleness: but I will be

A bridegroom in my death, and run into't

A bridegroom in my death, and run into it

As to a lover's bed. Come, then; and, Eros,