The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (414 page)

Beauties that are no richer than a mask made of taffeta cloth.
MOTH A holy parcel of the fairest dames.

A holy company of the lovliest dames.
The Ladies turn their backs to himThat ever turn'd their--backs--to mortal views!
That ever turned their—backs—to mortal views!

BIRON [Aside to MOTH] Their eyes, villain, their eyes!

[Aside to MOTH] Their eyes, you idiot, their eyes!
MOTH That ever turn'd their eyes to mortal views!--Out—

That ever turned their eyes to mortal views! –Out---
BOYET True; out indeed.

True; outright confused.
MOTH Out of your favours, heavenly spirits, vouchsafe

Out of your tokens, heavenly angels, condescend to grant
Not to behold—

Not to behold---
BIRON [Aside to MOTH] Once to behold, rogue.

[Aside to MOHT] Once to behold, dummy.
MOTH Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,

Once to behold with your sun-beamed eyes,

--with your sun-beamed eyes—

--with your sun-beamed eyes--
BOYET They will not answer to that epithet;

They will not answer to that description;
You were best call it 'daughter-beamed eyes.'

You had better call it ‘Daighter-beamed eyes.’
MOTH They do not mark me, and that brings me out.

They’re not listening to me, and that puts me out.
BIRON Is this your perfectness? be gone, you rogue!

Is this your so-called perfection? Get out of here, you scoundrel!
Exit MOTHROSALINE What would these strangers? know their minds, Boyet:

What do these strangers want? Figure out why they’re here, Boyet:
If they do speak our language, 'tis our will:

If they can speak our language, it is our wish
That some plain man recount their purposes

That some plain-speaking man tell us their purposes
Know what they would.

And tell us what they want.
BOYET What would you with the princess?

What do you want with the princess?
BIRON Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.
ROSALINE What would they, say they?

What did they say they want?
BOYET Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.
Nothing but peace and gentle visitation.

ROSALINE Why, that they have; and bid them so be gone.

Well, the have that; now tell them to leave.
BOYET She says, you have it, and you may be gone.

She says you have it, and you can leave.
FERDINAND Say to her, we have measured many miles

Say to her that we have traveled many miles
To tread a measure with her on this grass.

To dance with her on this grass.
BOYET They say, that they have measured many a mile

They say that they have come a long ways

To tread a measure with you on this grass.

To dance with you on this grass.
ROSALINE It is not so. Ask them how many inches

That’s not true. Ask them how many inches
Is in one mile: if they have measured many,

Are in one mile: if they have walked many miles,
The measure then of one is easily told.

Then they can easily say how many.
BOYET If to come hither you have measured miles,

If to get here you have some many miles,
And many miles, the princess bids you tell

The princess asks you to tell her
How many inches doth fill up one mile.

How many inches are in a mile.
BIRON Tell her, we measure them by weary steps.

Tell her that we measure them by weary steps.
BOYET She hears herself.

She hears you herself.

ROSALINE How many weary steps,

How many weary steps,
Of many weary miles you have o'ergone,

Of the many weary miles you have traveled,
Are number'd in the travel of one mile?
Are numbered in the travel of one mile?

BIRON We number nothing that we spend for you:

We don’t count anything that we spend for you:
Our duty is so rich, so infinite,

Our task is so rich, so infinite,
That we may do it still without accompt.

That we do it without calculating.
Vouchsafe to show the sunshine of your face,

Condescend to grant us the pleasure, show the sunshine of your face,

That we, like savages, may worship it.

So that we, like savages, may worship it.
ROSALINE My face is but a moon, and clouded too.

My face is only a moon, and masked too.
FERDINAND Blessed are clouds, to do as such clouds do!

What lucky clouds to be so close as to mask your face!
Vouchsafe, bright moon, and these thy stars, to shine,

Grant us the privilege, bright moon, and these, your stars, to shine,
Those clouds removed, upon our watery eyne.

With the clouds removed, upon our watery eyes.
ROSALINE O vain petitioner! beg a greater matter;

O, what a vain request! Beg for a greater purpose;
Thou now request'st but moonshine in the water.

What you’re asking for now is nothing at all.
FERDINAND Then, in our measure do but vouchsafe one change.

Well then, if you would, grant us one dance.
Thou bid'st me beg: this begging is not strange.

You asked me to beg: this request is not strange.

ROSALINE Play, music, then! Nay, you must do it soon.

Play music, then! And you must do it soon,
Music playsNot yet! no dance! Thus change I like the moon.

Not yet! No dance! So I change like the moon.
FERDINAND Will you not dance? How come you thus estranged?

You won’t dance? How did you become so estranged?
ROSALINE You took the moon at full, but now she's changed.

You took a full moon, but now she’s changed.
FERDINAND Yet still she is the moon, and I the man.

But she is still the moon, and I the man in the moon.
The music plays; vouchsafe some motion to it.

The music plays; grant some motion to it.
ROSALINE Our ears vouchsafe it.

Our ears grant it.
FERDINAND But your legs should do it.

But your legs should do it.
ROSALINE Since you are strangers and come here by chance,

Since you are strangers and have come here by chance,
We'll not be nice: take hands. We will not dance.

We will not be coy: take my hand. We will not dance.
FERDINAND Why take we hands, then?

Why should I take your hand then?
ROSALINE Only to part friends:

So that we may part friends:

Curtsy, sweet hearts; and so the measure ends.

Curtsy, ladies; and so the dance ends.
FERDINAND More measure of this measure; be not nice.

We wish more of this dance; don’t be coy.
ROSALINE We can afford no more at such a price.

We can afford no more at such a price.
FERDINAND Prize you yourselves: what buys your company?

Name your price: what buys your company?
ROSALINE Your absence only.

Only your absence.
FERDINAND That can never be.

That can’t be.
ROSALINE Then cannot we be bought: and so, adieu;

Then we cannot be bought: and so, goodbye;
Twice to your visor, and half once to you.

Twice to your mask and half to you.
FERDINAND If you deny to dance, let's hold more chat.

If you won’t dance, let’s at least talk.
ROSALINE In private, then.

In private then.
FERDINAND I am best pleased with that.

That’s what I would prefer.
They converse apart

BIRON White-handed mistress, one sweet word with thee.

White-handed mistress, I ask for one sweet word with you.
PRINCESS Honey, and milk, and sugar; there is three.

Honey, milk, sugar; there that’s three words.
BIRON Nay then, two treys, and if you grow so nice,

No then, two threes, and if you are going to be so subtle,
Metheglin, wort, and malmsey: well run, dice!

Tea, beer, wine: that was a good roll of the dice!
There's half-a-dozen sweets.

That makes half a dozen sweet things we have listed.
PRINCESS Seventh sweet, adieu:

The seventh sweet is goodbye:
Since you can cog, I'll play no more with you.

Since you can cheat, I’ll play no more with you.
BIRON One word in secret.

One word in secret.
PRINCESS Let it not be sweet.

As long as it’s not sweet.
BIRON Thou grievest my gall.

You sadden my boldness.
PRINCESS Gall! bitter.

Gall! Gall is bitter.
BIRON Therefore meet.

Therefore fitting.
They converse apart

DUMAIN Will you vouchsafe with me to change a word?

Will you grant me the privilege of changing words with me?
MARIA Name it.

Name it.
DUMAIN Fair lady,--

Fair lady,--
MARIA Say you so? Fair lord,--

Is that the word? Fair lord,--
Take that for your fair lady.

That’s what I’ll change Fair lady to.
DUMAIN Please it you,

If it please you,
As much in private, and I'll bid adieu.

You can say that much in private and I’ll say goodbye afterwards.
They converse apartKATHARINE What, was your vizard made without a tongue?

What, was your mask made without a tongue?
LONGAVILLE I know the reason, lady, why you ask.

I know why you say that, my lady.
KATHARINE O for your reason! quickly, sir; I long.

O, let me hear your reason! quickly sir, I long to hear it.
LONGAVILLE You have a double tongue within your mask,

You have a double tongue within your mask,
And would afford my speechless vizard half.

And talk enough for the both of us.

KATHARINE Veal, quoth the Dutchman. Is not 'veal' a calf?

‘Veal’ said the Dutchman. Isn’t veal a calf?
LONGAVILLE A calf, fair lady!

A calf, fair lady!
KATHARINE No, a fair lord calf.

No, a fair lord calf.
LONGAVILLE Let's part the word.

Let’s split that word between us.
KATHARINE No, I'll not be your half

No I won’t be your other half
Take all, and wean it; it may prove an ox.

Take the whole calf and it could turn out to actually be an ox.  
LONGAVILLE Look, how you butt yourself in these sharp mocks!

Look how you injure yourself with these sharp insults!
Will you give horns, chaste lady? do not so.

Will you act so agressively, abstinent lady? Please don’t.
KATHARINE Then die a calf, before your horns do grow.

Then die a calf, before you’ve grown up.  
LONGAVILLE One word in private with you, ere I die.

One word in private with you, before I die.  
KATHARINE Bleat softly then; the butcher hears you cry.
Bleat softly then little calf; or else the butcher will find you.  

They converse apartBOYET The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen

The tongues of joking women are as sharply insulting
As is the razor's edge invisible,

As the razor’s edge is invisible,
Cutting a smaller hair than may be seen,
and can cut a hair so small it can’t be seen,

Above the sense of sense; so sensible
beyond the ability of the senses; so quick-witted

Seemeth their conference; their conceits have wings
seems their conversation; their desires have wings

Fleeter than arrows, bullets, wind, thought, swifter things.
faster than arrows, bullets, wind, thought and things swifter than that even.