The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1106 page)

longs to see the valiant Hector away from the battlefield.

HECTOR.

Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,

And signify this loving interview

To the expecters of our Troyan part;

Desire them home. Give me thy hand, my cousin;

I will go eat with thee, and see your knights.

Aeneas, call my brother Troilus to me,

and tell those Trojans waiting for news

about this friendly conversation;

tell them to go home. Give me your hand, my cousin;

I will go and eat with you, and see your knights.

AGAMEMNON and the rest of the Greeks come forward

AJAX.

Great Agamemnon comes to meet us here.

Great Agamemnon has come to meet us.

HECTOR.

The worthiest of them tell me name by name;

But for Achilles, my own searching eyes

Shall find him by his large and portly size.

Name all the best of them to me;

but as for Achilles, my own eyes

shall recognise him due to his size and dignity.

AGAMEMNON.

Worthy all arms! as welcome as to one

That would be rid of such an enemy.

But that's no welcome. Understand more clear,

What's past and what's to come is strew'd with husks

And formless ruin of oblivion;

But in this extant moment, faith and troth,

Strain'd purely from all hollow bias-drawing,

Bids thee with most divine integrity,

From heart of very heart, great Hector, welcome.

You deserve your arms! You are as welcome as it's possible to be

to someone who is fighting as your enemy.

But that's no welcome. Let me make it more clear,

the past and the future are full of the remains

of great achievements, now in ruins;

but at this very moment, trustworthiness and honesty,

free of any cunning or strategy,

says to you with godlike integrity,

from the very bottom of my heart, great Hector, welcome.

HECTOR.

I thank thee, most imperious Agamemnon.

I thank you, most imperial Agamemnon.

AGAMEMNON.

[To Troilus] My well-fam'd lord of Troy, no less to you.

You famous lord of Troy, no less to you.

MENELAUS.

Let me confirm my princely brother's greeting.

You brace of warlike brothers, welcome hither.

Let me second the greetings of my princely brother.

You pair of warlike brothers, you are welcome here.

HECTOR.

Who must we answer?

Who is this?

AENEAS.

The noble Menelaus.

The noble Menelaus.

HECTOR.

O you, my lord? By Mars his gauntlet, thanks!

Mock not that I affect the untraded oath;

Your quondam wife swears still by Venus' glove.

She's well, but bade me not commend her to you.

Oh it's you, my lord? Thank you, by the armoured glove of Mars!

Don't mock me for inventing new oaths;

your former wife still swears by the glove of Venus.

She's well, but she didn't ask me to remember her to you.

MENELAUS.

Name her not now, sir; she's a deadly theme.

Don't speak of her now, sir; she's a miserable subject.

HECTOR.

O, pardon; I offend.

I'm sorry; I've upset you.

NESTOR.

I have, thou gallant Troyan, seen thee oft,

Labouring for destiny, make cruel way

Through ranks of Greekish youth; and I have seen thee,

As hot as Perseus, spur thy Phrygian steed,

Despising many forfeits and subduements,

When thou hast hung thy advanced sword i' th' air,

Not letting it decline on the declined;

That I have said to some my standers-by

'Lo, Jupiter is yonder, dealing life!'

And I have seen thee pause and take thy breath,

When that a ring of Greeks have hemm'd thee in,

Like an Olympian wrestling. This have I seen;

But this thy countenance, still lock'd in steel,

I never saw till now. I knew thy grandsire,

And once fought with him. He was a soldier good,

But, by great Mars, the captain of us all,

Never like thee. O, let an old man embrace thee;

And, worthy warrior, welcome to our tents.

I have often seen you, gallant Trojan,

working for fate, cutting your way

through the ranks of young Greeks; and I have seen you,

as eager as Perseus, spur on your Trojan horse,

refusing to take advantage of those at your mercy,

checking the swing of your raised sword,

not letting it fall on the fallen;

so I have said to some of my hangers on,

‘Look, there is Jupiter, giving out life!’

And I have seen you pause and catch your breath,

when a ring of Greeks have surrounded you,

like a wrestler in the Olympic Games. I have seen this;

but your face was always covered with your helmet,

I never saw it until now. I knew your grandfather,

and once fought with him. He was a good soldier,

but, I swear by great Mars, the captain of us all,

he was never like you. O, let an old man embrace you;

and, worthy warrior, welcome to our camp.

AENEAS.

'Tis the old Nestor.

This is old Nestor.

HECTOR.

Let me embrace thee, good old chronicle,

That hast so long walk'd hand in hand with time.

Most reverend Nestor, I am glad to clasp thee.

Let me embrace you, good old memory house,

who has lived so long.

Most respected Nestor, I am glad to embrace you.

NESTOR.

I would my arms could match thee in contention

As they contend with thee in courtesy.

I wish my arms could match you in battle

as they are matched with you in politeness.

HECTOR.

I would they could.

I wish they could.

NESTOR.

Ha!

By this white beard, I'd fight with thee to-morrow.

Well, welcome, welcome! I have seen the time.

Ha!

If it wasn't for this white beard, I'd fight with you tomorrow.

Well, welcome, welcome! There was a time when I would have taken you on.

ULYSSES.

I wonder now how yonder city stands,

When we have here her base and pillar by us.

I wonder how that city is still standing,

when we have her foundations and support with us.

HECTOR.

I know your favour, Lord Ulysses, well.

Ah, sir, there's many a Greek and Troyan dead,

Since first I saw yourself and Diomed

In Ilion on your Greekish embassy.

I know your face, Lord Ulysses, well.

Ah, sir, there have been many Greeks and Trojans killed,

since I first saw you and Diomedes

in Troy on your Greek embassy.

ULYSSES.

Sir, I foretold you then what would ensue.

My prophecy is but half his journey yet;

For yonder walls, that pertly front your town,

Yond towers, whose wanton tops do buss the clouds,

Must kiss their own feet.

Sir, I predicted to you then what would happen.

my prophecy is only half fulfilled;

for those walls, which bravely surround your town,

those towers, whose insolent tops kiss the clouds,

will come down.

HECTOR.

I must not believe you.

There they stand yet; and modestly I think

The fall of every Phrygian stone will cost

A drop of Grecian blood. The end crowns all;

And that old common arbitrator, Time,

Will one day end it.

I will not believe you.

They are still standing there; and without exaggeration

I think that every Trojan stone which falls will cost

a drop of Greek blood. We'll see what happens in the end;

and the old common umpire, Time,

will end it one day.

ULYSSES.

So to him we leave it.

Most gentle and most valiant Hector, welcome.

After the General, I beseech you next

To feast with me and see me at my tent.

So we'll leave it to him.

Most noble and most valiant Hector, welcome.

After you've seen the general, I beg you

to come and feast with me at my tent.

ACHILLES.

I shall forestall thee, Lord Ulysses, thou!

Now, Hector, I have fed mine eyes on thee;

I have with exact view perus'd thee, Hector,

And quoted joint by joint.

I shall get in ahead of you, Lord Ulysses!

Now, Hector, I have looked closely at you;

I have carefully looked over

every inch of you, Hector.

HECTOR.

Is this Achilles?

Is this Achilles?

ACHILLES.

I am Achilles.

I am Achilles.

HECTOR.

Stand fair, I pray thee; let me look on thee.

Stand in plain view, I beg you; let me look at you.

ACHILLES.

Behold thy fill.

Look all you want.

HECTOR.

Nay, I have done already.

No, I'm finished.

ACHILLES.

Thou art too brief. I will the second time,

As I would buy thee, view thee limb by limb.

You're too swift. I will have a look over you

limb by limb, as if I was going to buy you.

HECTOR.

O, like a book of sport thou'lt read me o'er;

But there's more in me than thou understand'st.

Why dost thou so oppress me with thine eye?

Oh you'll read me like a huntsman's handbook;

but there's more to me than you understand.

Why are you glaring at me like that?

ACHILLES.

Tell me, you heavens, in which part of his body

Shall I destroy him? Whether there, or there, or there?

That I may give the local wound a name,

And make distinct the very breach whereout

Hector's great spirit flew. Answer me, heavens.

Tell me, you heavens, where on his body

shall I strike the killer blow? There, or there, or there?

I want to know the exact spot,

and mark out exactly where

Hector's great soul flew out. Answer me, heavens.

HECTOR.

It would discredit the blest gods, proud man,

To answer such a question. Stand again.

Think'st thou to catch my life so pleasantly