The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (938 page)

To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,

And every measure fail me.

Oh good Kent, how can my life and deeds

match your goodness? My life will be too short,

I could never live up to it.

KENT

To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid.

All my reports go with the modest truth;

Nor more nor clipp'd, but so.

To be acknowledged by you, madam, is to be overpaid.

All my reports are nothing but the truth;

not exaggerated or edited, just the truth.

CORDELIA

Be better suited:

These weeds are memories of those worser hours:

I prithee, put them off.

Let's get you some better clothes:

these rags are reminders of those bad times:

please, take them off.

KENT

Pardon me, dear madam;

Yet to be known shortens my made intent:

My boon I make it, that you know me not

Till time and I think meet.

Excuse me, dear madam;

to reveal myself now would interfere with my plans:

I ask you as a favour to not show that you know me

until I think the time is right.

CORDELIA

Then be't so, my good lord.

To the Doctor

How does the king?

Just as you wish, my good lord.

How is the King?

Doctor

Madam, sleeps still.

Madam, he is still asleep.

CORDELIA

O you kind gods,

Cure this great breach in his abused nature!

The untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up

Of this child-changed father!

Oh you kind gods,

repair the great wrongs that have been done to him!

Tune up the discordant and clashing mind

of this father, changed by his children!

Doctor

So please your majesty

That we may wake the king: he hath slept long.

Would your Majesty agree

to our waking the King: he has been asleep a long time.

CORDELIA

Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed

I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?

Follow your knowledge and go ahead

as you think is best. Is he dressed?

Gentleman

Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep

We put fresh garments on him.

Yes, madam; as he slept so heavily

we put new clothes on him.

Doctor

Be by, good madam, when we do awake him;

I doubt not of his temperance.

Be there, good madam, when we wake him up;

I'm sure he will be same.

CORDELIA

Very well.

Very well.

Doctor

Please you, draw near. Louder the music there!

Please come near. Play the music louder!

CORDELIA

O my dear father! Restoration hang

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss

Repair those violent harms that my two sisters

Have in thy reverence made!

Oh my dear father! Recovery, make

my lips your medicine; let this kiss

repair the violent damage that my two sisters

have done to your sacred person!

KENT

Kind and dear princess!

Kind and dear Princess!

CORDELIA

Had you not been their father, these white flakes

Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face

To be opposed against the warring winds?

To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?

In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick, cross lightning? to watch--poor perdu!--

With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog,

Though he had bit me, should have stood that night

Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father,

To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,

In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!

'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once

Had not concluded all. He wakes; speak to him.

Even if you hadn't been their father, your white hair

should have made them pity you. Was this a face

that should have been put out in the gales?

To stand up to the deep and terrible thunder?

To face the terrible quick stabs

of the furious lightning? To stand guard-poor sentry!-

with just this thin helmet? My enemy's dog,

even if it bit me, would have been allowed to stand

by my fire that night. And did you need, poor father,

to shack up with pigs and lost rogues

in thin and filthy straw? Alas, alas!

It's amazing that your life and your sanity

didn't both end at once. He's waking up, speak to him.

Doctor

Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.

You speak to him madam, that would be the most appropriate.

CORDELIA

How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?

How is my royal lord? How is your Majesty?

KING LEAR

You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave:

Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound

Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears

Do scald like moulten lead.

You should not have pulled me out of the grave:

you are a soul in heaven; but I am tied

to a wheel of fire, so my own tears

burn me like molten lead.

CORDELIA

Sir, do you know me?

Sir, do you know who I am?

KING LEAR

You are a spirit, I know: when did you die?

I know you are a ghost: when did you die?

CORDELIA

Still, still, far wide!

He's still wandering!

Doctor

He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile.

He's barely awake: leave him alone for a while.

KING LEAR

Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?

I am mightily abused. I should e'en die with pity,

To see another thus. I know not what to say.

I will not swear these are my hands: let's see;

I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured

Of my condition!

Where have I been? Where am I? Is this daylight?

I have been very badly treated. I would die of pity

if I saw this happen to someone else. I don't know what to say.

I can't swear that these are my hands: let's see;

I can feel this pinprick. If only I could be sure

of my condition!

CORDELIA

O, look upon me, sir,

And hold your hands in benediction o'er me:

No, sir, you must not kneel.

Oh, look at me, sir,

and hold your hands over me in blessing:

no, sir, you must not kneel.

KING LEAR

Pray, do not mock me:

I am a very foolish fond old man,

Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;

And, to deal plainly,

I fear I am not in my perfect mind.

Methinks I should know you, and know this man;

Yet I am doubtful for I am mainly ignorant

What place this is; and all the skill I have

Remembers not these garments; nor I know not

Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;

For, as I am a man, I think this lady

To be my child Cordelia.

Please, do not mock me:

I am a very stupid senile old man,

eighty and more, not an hour more or less;

and, to speak plainly,

I fear I am not entirely sane.

I feel as if I should know you, and know this man;

But I am unsure because I am  completely ignorant

of where I am; for the life of me I cannot

remember these clothes; and I don't know

where I stayed last night. Do not laugh at me; but

I would swear on my life that this lady

is my child Cordelia.

CORDELIA

And so I am, I am.

And I am, I am.

KING LEAR

Be your tears wet? yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not:

If you have poison for me, I will drink it.

I know you do not love me; for your sisters

Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:

You have some cause, they have not.

Are your tears wet? Yes, indeed they are. Please, don't cry:

if you have brought poison for me, I will drink it.

I know you do not love me; I remember now

that your sisters have done me wrong,

and they had no cause, which you have.

CORDELIA

No cause, no cause.

There's no cause, no cause.

KING LEAR

Am I in France?

Am I in France?

KENT

In your own kingdom, sir.

You are in your own kingdom, sir.

KING LEAR

Do not abuse me.

Don't mock me.

Doctor

Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,

You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger

To make him even o'er the time he has lost.

Desire him to go in; trouble him no more

Till further settling.

Be reassured, good madam: the great anger,

as you can see, has died: but it is dangerous

to try and go over the time he has lost.

Ask him to come inside; don't bother him further

until he is more settled.

CORDELIA

Will't please your highness walk?

Would your Highness come this way?

KING LEAR

You must bear with me:

Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.

Exeunt all but KENT and Gentleman

You must support me:

I pray that you can forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.

Gentleman

Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so slain?

Is it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall has been killed?

KENT

Most certain, sir.

Absolutely definite, sir.

Gentleman

Who is conductor of his people?

Who is leading his people now?

KENT

As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.

Rumour has it, the bastard son of Gloucester.

Gentleman

They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl

of Kent in Germany.

They say Edgar, his exiled son, is with the Earl