The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (964 page)

But not a niggard of your speech: how goes't?

Don’t be stingy with your speech. How are things?

ROSS

When I came hither to transport the tidings,

Which I have heavily borne, there ran a rumor

Of many worthy fellows that were out;

Which was to my belief witness'd the rather,

For that I saw the tyrant's power a-foot:

Now is the time of help; your eye in Scotland

Would create soldiers, make our women fight,

To doff their dire distresses.

When I came here to deliver my news,

which I have carried sadly, there was a rumor

that many good fellows were turning against Macbeth.

I saw Macbeth’s troops moving. Now is the time

we need help. Your presence in Scotland

would cause men to become soldiers, and even women

would fight to end the current distress.

MALCOLM

Be't their comfort

We are coming thither: gracious England hath

Lent us good Siward and ten thousand men;

An older and a better soldier none

That Christendom gives out.

They will be comforted. I am coming to Scotland.

The gracious king of England has lent us

good Siward and ten thousand men.

An older and better solider than Siward

does not exist in the Christian world.

ROSS

Would I could answer

This comfort with the like! But I have words

That would be howl'd out in the desert air,

Where hearing should not latch them.

I wish I could answer with news that would

comfort in the same way. But I have words

that should only be howled in the desert air

where nobody can hear them.

MACDUFF

What concern they?

The general cause? or is it a fee-grief

Due to some single breast?

Who do they concern?

Is it for the general cause? Or will the grief

affect one person alone?

ROSS

No mind that's honest

But in it shares some woe; though the main part

Pertains to you alone.

No mind that’s honest will be able to not

share in the grief. But it mostly concerns

you alone.

MACDUFF

If it be mine,

Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it.

If it is mine, don’t keep it from me.

Tell it to me quickly.

ROSS

Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever,

Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound

That ever yet they heard.

Don’t let your ears hate my tongue forever,

when they hear the most sorrowful thing

they have ever heard.

MACDUFF

Hum! I guess at it.

Hmm. I think I can guess what you are going to say.

ROSS

Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes

Savagely slaughter'd: to relate the manner,

Were, on the quarry of these murder'd deer,

To add the death of you.

Your castle was attacked. Your wife and children

are dead. To tell you how it was done would only

add to the death of you.

MALCOLM

Merciful heaven!

What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows;

Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak

Whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break.

Merciful heaven!

Listen, man! Don’t keep your grief inside.

Speak your sorrow. Grief that is not expressed

will whisper in your heart until it breaks.

MACDUFF

My children too?

They killed my children, too?

ROSS

Wife, children, servants, all

That could be found.

They killed your wife, your children, your servants—

they killed everyone that could be found.

MACDUFF

And I must be from thence!

My wife kill'd too?

And I had to be away from there!

They killed my wife, too?

ROSS

I have said.

I said they did.

MALCOLM

Be comforted:

Let's make us medicines of our great revenge,

To cure this deadly grief.

Let us find comfort in revenge to cure this awful grief.

MACDUFF

He has no children. All my pretty ones?

Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?

What, all my pretty chickens and their dam

At one fell swoop?

Macbeth has no children. All of my pretty ones?

Did you say all of them? Oh, hellish bird! All?

All of my pretty children and their mother

in one fell swoop?

MALCOLM

Dispute it like a man.

Challenge it like a man.

MACDUFF

I shall do so;

But I must also feel it as a man:

I cannot but remember such things were,

That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on,

And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,

They were all struck for thee! naught that I am,

Not for their own demerits, but for mine,

Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!

I will do so. But I also must feel it like a man.

I cannot help but remember those who were so precious

to me. Did heaven look on, and not take their side?

I am full of sin. They were all killed because of me!

Not for their own sins, but for mine they were killed.

May they rest in heaven now!

MALCOLM

Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief

Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.

Let this sharpen your sword. Let grief change to anger.

Instead of dulling the heart, let grief inflame it.

MACDUFF

O, I could play the woman with mine eyes

And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,

Cut short all intermission; front to front

Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;

Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape,

Heaven forgive him too!

Oh, I could cry like a woman and brag of what

I will do. But, gentle heavens, let’s cut it short.

Bring me face to face with this fiend of Scotland.

Put him within my sword’s length. If he escapes,

Heaven forgive him!

MALCOLM

This tune goes manly.

Come, go we to the king; our power is ready;

Our lack is nothing but our leave; Macbeth

Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above

Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may:

The night is long that never finds the day.

Now you are sounding like a man.

Come, let’s go to the king. Our armies are ready.

We lack nothing at this point but departure.

Macbeth is ripe for picking, and may the powers

above give us aid. Find what cheer you can.

It’s a long night that never finds the day.

Exeunt

Dunsinane. Ante-Room in the Castle.

Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman

Doctor

I have two nights watched with you, but can perceive

no truth in your report. When was it she last walked?

I have watched with you for two nights, but can find

no truth in your report. When did she last sleep walk?

Gentlewoman

Since his majesty went into the field, I have seen

her rise from her bed, throw her night-gown upon

her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it,

write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again

return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

Since his majesty went into battle, I have seen

her rise from bed, throw on her nightgown,

unlock her closet, take out paper, fold it,

write on it, read it, seal it up, and return to bed

again. She did all of this while fast asleep.

Doctor

A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once

the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of

watching! In this slumbery agitation, besides her

walking and other actual performances, what, at any

time, have you heard her say?

It’s a great disturbance, to seem as if you are asleep,

and do the things you do when awake. In this state—

besides her walking and the things she does—have your

heard her say anything?

Gentlewoman

That, sir, which I will not report after her.

Yes, sir, but I will not say what it is.

Doctor

You may to me: and 'tis most meet you should.

You should say it to me, and it would be helpful if you did.

Gentlewoman

Neither to you nor any one; having no witness to

confirm my speech.

I won’t say it to you or anyone else.

I was the only one to witness it.

Enter LADY MACBETH, with a taper

Lo you, here she comes! This is her very guise;