The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (568 page)

welcomed and following his destiny.

We leave his sad queen at Ephesus,

devoted to the worship of Diana.

Now turn your mind to Marina,

whom our quick moving show discovers

at Tarsus, trained in the study of music

by Cleon; she has taken on

all the grace she has been taught,

which makes her the very centre

of heartfelt wonder. But, alas,

the monster jealousy, which often attacks

well earned praise, tries to take

Marina's life through treason;

Cleon has another of the same kind,

one daughter, a full-grown lass, ready for marriage.

This girl is called Philoten; and our story

tells us for certain,  that she

was always with Marina:

whether when she weaved the threads of silk

with her long slender white fingers;

or when she put her sharp needle through

the fabric, which she made more beautiful

by harming it; or when she sang to the accompaniment

of a lute, and silenced the nightingale

that is always singing sadly; or when

she would with her skilful pen write

homages to the goddess Diana; still

this Philoten tried to compete

with perfect Marina: like

a crow trying to compete with a holy dove

as to whose feathers were whitest. Marina gets

all the praise, which she fully deserved

as the wages of her virtue. This so damaged

Philoten's character and grace

that Cleon's wife with extreme jealousy

employed a murderer to attack

good Marina, so that her daughter

would have no rival after her slaughter.

To help her vile thoughts further,

Lychordia, the nurse, is dead;

and cursed Dionyza has

the prepared weapon of her anger

ready to give this blow. I leave you with

this coming event; I have only tried to move

time forward with my poor speeches;

I could never manage to do this

without the help of your imagination.

Here is Dionyza,

with Leonine, a murderer.

Enter DIONYZA and LEONINE

DIONYZA

Thy oath remember; thou hast sworn to do't:

'Tis but a blow, which never shall be known.

Thou canst not do a thing in the world so soon,

To yield thee so much profit. Let not conscience,

Which is but cold, inflaming love i' thy bosom,

Inflame too nicely; nor let pity, which

Even women have cast off, melt thee, but be

A soldier to thy purpose.

Remember your oath; you have sworn you will do it:

it's just a blow, and it will never be discovered.

There's not another thing in the world you could do

that would do you so much good. Don't let conscience,

which for me is cold, start any love in your heart,

which could stop you; and don't let pity, which

even women can ignore, soften you, but stay

steadfast to your task.

LEONINE

I will do't; but yet she is a goodly creature.

I will do it, although she is a lovely creature.

DIONYZA

The fitter, then, the gods should have her. Here

she comes weeping for her only mistress' death.

Thou art resolved?

All the better for the gods to have her then. Here

she comes, weeping over the death of her nurse.

You are determined?

LEONINE

I am resolved.

Enter MARINA, with a basket of flowers

I am.

MARINA

No, I will rob Tellus of her weed,

To strew thy green with flowers: the yellows, blues,

The purple violets, and marigolds,

Shall as a carpet hang upon thy grave,

While summer-days do last. Ay me! poor maid,

Born in a tempest, when my mother died,

This world to me is like a lasting storm,

Whirring me from my friends.

No, I will take the clothes of the earth,

to cover your grave with flowers: the yellows, blues,

the purple violets, and marigolds,

shall cover your grave like a carpet,

while the summer lasts. Alas! Poor girl,

born in a storm in which my mother died,

this world to me is like a never-ending storm,

whirling me away from my friends.

DIONYZA

How now, Marina! why do you keep alone?

How chance my daughter is not with you? Do not

Consume your blood with sorrowing: you have

A nurse of me. Lord, how your favour's changed

With this unprofitable woe!

Come, give me your flowers, ere the sea mar it.

Walk with Leonine; the air is quick here,

And it pierces and sharpens the stomach. Come,

Leonine, take her by the arm, walk with her.

Hello there, Marina! Why are you alone?

Why is my daughter not with you? Do not

give up your life to sorrow: you have

a nurse in me. Lord, how your face is changed

through this useless sorrow!

Come, give me your flowers, before the sea spoils them.

Walk with Leonine; the air is fresh here,

and it sharpens the appetite. Come on,

Leonine, take her by the arm, walk with her.

MARINA

No, I pray you;

I'll not bereave you of your servant.

No, please;

I don't want to take your servant away.

DIONYZA

Come, come;

I love the king your father, and yourself,

With more than foreign heart. We every day

Expect him here: when he shall come and find

Our paragon to all reports thus blasted,

He will repent the breadth of his great voyage;

Blame both my lord and me, that we have taken

No care to your best courses. Go, I pray you,

Walk, and be cheerful once again; reserve

That excellent complexion, which did steal

The eyes of young and old. Care not for me

I can go home alone.

Come, come;

I love your father the king, and you,

as if we were related. We expect him here

very soon: when he comes and finds the one

our letters told him was so perfect so damaged,

he will regret having travelled so far;

he will be angry with my lord and me, thinking

that we have not been taking care of you. Go, please,

walk, and be cheerful again; restore

that wonderful complexion, which attracted

the eyes of young and old. Don't worry about me;

I can make my own way home.

MARINA

Well, I will go;

But yet I have no desire to it.

Well, I will go;

however, I don't feel like it.

DIONYZA

Come, come, I know 'tis good for you.

Walk half an hour, Leonine, at the least:

Remember what I have said.

Come, come, I know it will do you good.

Leonine, walk for at least half an hour:

remember what I said.

LEONINE

I warrant you, madam.

I promise I will, madam.

DIONYZA

I'll leave you, my sweet lady, for a while:

Pray, walk softly, do not heat your blood:

What! I must have a care of you.

I'll leave you for a while, my sweet lady:

please, just stroll, don't get agitated:

I really must take care of you.

MARINA

My thanks, sweet madam.

Exit DIONYZA

Is this wind westerly that blows?

Thank you, sweet madam.

Is this a west wind which is blowing?

LEONINE

South-west.

South-westerly.

MARINA

When I was born, the wind was north.

When I was born, the wind came from the North.

LEONINE

Was't so?

Did it?

MARINA

My father, as nurse said, did never fear,

But cried 'Good seaman!' to the sailors, galling

His kingly hands, haling ropes;

And, clasping to the mast, endured a sea

That almost burst the deck.

My nurse told me that my father never showed fear,

but encouraged the sailors, blistering

his royal hands, pulling on ropes;

and, hanging on to the mast, survived a sea

that almost swamped the deck.

LEONINE

When was this?

When was this?

MARINA

When I was born:

Never was waves nor wind more violent;

And from the ladder-tackle washes off

A canvas-climber. 'Ha!' says one, 'wilt out?'

And with a dropping industry they skip

From stem to stern: the boatswain whistles, and

The master calls, and trebles their confusion.

When I was born.

There was never such violent wind and waves;

and a sail rigger was washed off from

his rope ladder. “Ha!" one said, “you're off?"

And dripping wet they stuck to their work

from stem to stern: the bosun whistled, and

the captain shouted, and trebled their confusion.

LEONINE

Come, say your prayers.

Come on, say your prayers.

MARINA

What mean you?

What do you mean?

LEONINE

If you require a little space for prayer,

I grant it: pray; but be not tedious,

For the gods are quick of ear, and I am sworn

To do my work with haste.

If you need a little time to pray,

I'll allow it: pray; but don't be slow,

for the gods understand quickly, and I have sworn

to get my work over with.

MARINA

Why will you kill me?

Why do you want to kill me?

LEONINE

To satisfy my lady.

To please my lady.

MARINA

Why would she have me kill'd?

Now, as I can remember, by my troth,

I never did her hurt in all my life:

I never spake bad word, nor did ill turn

To any living creature: believe me, la,

I never kill'd a mouse, nor hurt a fly:

I trod upon a worm against my will,

But I wept for it. How have I offended,

Wherein my death might yield her any profit,

Or my life imply her any danger?

Why does she want to kill me?

I swear, as far as I can remember,

I never did her any harm in my life: