The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (998 page)

DESDEMONA

No, unpin me here.

No, just unpin me here.

This Lodovico is a proper man.

Lodovico is a handsome man.

EMILIA

A very handsome man.

Yes, very handsome.

DESDEMONA

He speaks well.

He speaks well, also.

EMILIA

I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot

I know a lady from Venice who would have walked barefoot

to Palestine for a touch of his nether lip.

all the way to Palestine just to kiss his lip.

DESDEMONA

[Singing] The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,

The poor woman sat crying by the sycamore tree,

Sing all a green willow:

Everyone sing with the willow:

Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,

Her hand on her chest, her head on her knee,

Sing willow, willow, willow:

Sing willow, willow, willow:

The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;

The fresh streams ran past her and murmured like she did,

Sing willow, willow, willow;

Sing willow, willow, willow:

Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;

Her tears fell and softened the stones–

Lay by these:--

Put them here –

Singing

Sing willow, willow, willow;

Sing willow, willow, willow–

Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--

Please, get going, he will come soon –

Singing

Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

Everyone sing with the willow, a willow my necklace,

Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,-

Let nobody blame him for he is right to hate me–

Nay, that's not next.--Hark! who is't that knocks?

No, that doesn’t come next – Listen! Who is knocking?

EMILIA

It's the wind.

It’s only the wind.

DESDEMONA

[Singing] I call'd my love false love; but what

I told me lover he didn’t really love me but what

said he then?

Did he say?

Sing willow, willow, willow:

Sing willow, willow, willow:

If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!

If I chase more women, you will sleep with more men!

So, get thee gone; good night, Mine eyes do itch;

So get going, goodnight. My eyes itch–

Doth that bode weeping?

Does that mean I will soon start crying?

EMILIA

'Tis neither here nor there.

It doesn’t mean anything.

DESDEMONA

I have heard it said so. O, these men, these men!

I have heard something about it before. O, these men!

Dost thou in conscience think,--tell me, Emilia,--

Do you honestly think – be true, Emilia –

That there be women do abuse their husbands

That women hurt their husbands

In such gross kind?

Just as much?

EMILIA

There be some such, no question.

Some do, undoubtedly.

DESDEMONA

Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?

Would you ever do such a thing for all the money in the world?

EMILIA

Why, would not you?

Why, would you?

DESDEMONA

No, by this heavenly light!

No, I swear by heaven!

EMILIA

Nor I neither by this heavenly light;

Well I wouldn’t by heaven’s light either,

I might do't as well i' the dark.

But I might in the dark.

DESDEMONA

Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?

Is there anything in the world that could make you do it?

EMILIA

The world's a huge thing: it is a great price.

The world is a big, expensive thing

For a small vice.

For a small sin.

DESDEMONA

In troth, I think thou wouldst not.

Truly, I don’t think you would do it.

EMILIA

In troth, I think I should; and undo't when I had

Actually, I might do it, and then undo it when it was

done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a

done. I wouldn’t do such a thing for

joint-ring, nor for measures of lawn, nor for

a ring or for a garden, not for

gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty

dresses or petticoats or caps or any small

exhibition; but for the whole world,--why, who would

thing, but for the wholed world... why, would wouldn’t

not make her husband a cuckold to make him a

cheat on her husband if afterwards she could make him

monarch? I should venture purgatory for't.

a king? I would risk purgatory for it.

DESDEMONA

Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong

Curse me if I would do such a thing,

For the whole world.

Even for the whole world.

EMILIA

Why the wrong is but a wrong i' the world: and

Well it is only wrong insofar as it is in the world, and

having the world for your labour, tis a wrong in your

if your wrong ends up winning you the whole world, than it is wrong

own world, and you might quickly make it right.

in your world – you might as well make it right, then.

DESDEMONA

I do not think there is any such woman.

I don’t think such a woman exists.

EMILIA

Yes, a dozen; and as many to the vantage as would

They do, dozens of them, as many as would exist

Store the world they played for.

In the world they did it for.

But I do think it is their husbands' faults

But I do think it is the husbands’ faults

If wives do fall: say that they slack their duties,

If wives cheat on them. Say that the husbands stop their duties to us as their wives

And pour our treasures into foreign laps,

And insteand sleep with other women,

Or else break out in peevish jealousies,

Or say they become annoyingly jealous,

Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us,

And make us stick to rules they impose, or say they hit us

Or scant our former having in despite;

Or stop letting us have access to money –

Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace,

Well, we have backbones, and even though we might be gracious,

Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know

We can take our revenge. Husbands should know

Their wives have sense like them: they see and smell

That their wives are like them: they see and smell

And have their palates both for sweet and sour,

And have tastes for sweet and sour

As husbands have. What is it that they do

Just like their husbands. Why do they

When they change us for others? Is it sport?

Exchange us for other women? For fun?

I think it is: and doth affection breed it?

I think so. For lust and affection?

I think it doth: is't frailty that thus errs?

That too. Is it their weaknesses that makes them fall?

It is so too: and have not we affections,

Yes, that too: but don’t we have lust as well,

Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?

And desire for fun, and weaknesses, just like men do?

Then let them use us well: else let them know,

Then we should use them also, or else we should let them know

The ills we do, their ills instruct us so.

That if we do something wrong, it is because they do.

DESDEMONA

Good night, good night: heaven me such uses send,

Goodnight, goodnight. I pray God will help me use this information

Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend!

Not so that I learn from the bad, but so that I can avoid becoming like that!

Exeunt

Enter IAGO and RODERIGO

IAGO

Here, stand behind this bulk; straight will he come:

Stand here behind the wall and he will come here soon.

Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home:

Keep your sword unsheathed, and then drive it in him.

Quick, quick; fear nothing; I'll be at thy elbow:

Do it quickly and do not fear, I will be beside you.

It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,

This will help us or it will hurt us, so think about that

And fix most firm thy resolution.

And carry through with determination.

RODERIGO

Be near at hand; I may miscarry in't.

Be close, I may miss him.

IAGO

Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.

Here, stay close. Be bold and take a stand.

Retires

RODERIGO

I have no great devotion to the deed;

I don’t really want to do this,

And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons:

But he gave me strong reasons.

'Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.

One man gone. First my sword in him, and then he dies.

IAGO

I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense,

I have inflamed this pimple until it is ready to pop,

And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,

And he is getting angry. Now. whether he kills Cassio