The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (747 page)

There were a heart in Egypt.

There is a heart in Egypt.

MARK ANTONY

Hear me, queen:

Listen to me, queen:

The strong necessity of time commands

The importance of quick action will take up

Our services awhile; but my full heart

Our time and energy for a while; but my whole heart

Remains in use with you. Our Italy

Stays with you. Our Italy

Shines o'er with civil swords: Sextus Pompeius

Is struck with civil war: Sextus Pompeius

Makes his approaches to the port of Rome:

Is coming to the port of Rome:

Equality of two domestic powers

The equality of two domestic powers

Breed scrupulous faction: the hated, grown to strength,

Have had new results: the hated, now stronger,

Are newly grown to love: the condemn'd Pompey,

Are now allies: the condemned Pompey,

Rich in his father's honour, creeps apace,

Rich in his father's honor, is creeping

Into the hearts of such as have not thrived

Into the hearts of those who have not done well

Upon the present state, whose numbers threaten;

Under the current situation, whose numbers are threatening;

And quietness, grown sick of rest, would purge

And tired of the peace, would start violence

By any desperate change: my more particular,

For any desperate change: and my most important reason,

And that which most with you should safe my going,

And the most important one for you sending me on my way,

Is Fulvia's death.

Is Fulvia dying.

CLEOPATRA

Though age from folly could not give me freedom,

Though getting older could not save me from foolishness,

It does from childishness: can Fulvia die?

It does from childishness: is it possible for Fulvia to die?

MARK ANTONY

She's dead, my queen:

She is dead, my queen:
Look here, and at thy sovereign leisure read

Look here, and when you have time read

The garboils she awaked; at the last, best:

The troubles she awakened; especially at the end:

See when and where she died.

See where and when she died.

CLEOPATRA

O most false love!

Oh most unfaithful love!

Where be the sacred vials thou shouldst fill

Where are your tears?

With sorrowful water? Now I see, I see,

Where is your sadness? Now I see, I see,

In Fulvia's death, how mine received shall be.

How you would treat my death, through Fulvia's.

MARK ANTONY

Quarrel no more, but be prepared to know

Don't argue any longer, but be prepared to know

The purposes I bear; which are, or cease,

The intentions I have; which will continue, or stop,

As you shall give the advice. By the fire

Depending on the advice you give. By the energy

That quickens Nilus' slime, I go from hence

That moves the Nile, I go from here

Thy soldier, servant; making peace or war

Your soldier, servant; making peace or war

As thou affect'st.

As you wish.

CLEOPATRA

Cut my lace, Charmian, come;

Help me with my clothes, Charmian, come

But let it be: I am quickly ill, and well,

But leave it alone: I am quickly ill, and well,

So Antony loves.

That is how Antony loves.

MARK ANTONY

My precious queen, forbear;

My precious queen, please hang on;

And give true evidence to his love, which stands

And give accurate evidence to his love, when it stands

An honourable trial.

An honorable trial.

CLEOPATRA

So Fulvia told me.

That is what Fulvia told me.

I prithee, turn aside and weep for her,

Please, go, and cry for her,

Then bid adieu to me, and say the tears

Then say goodbye to me, and say the tears

Belong to Egypt: good now, play one scene

Belong to Egypt: be good now, play one scene

Of excellent dissembling; and let it look

Of excellent lying; and let it look

Life perfect honour.

Perfectly lifelike honor.

MARK ANTONY

You'll heat my blood: no more.

You'll upset me: stop.

CLEOPATRA

You can do better yet; but this is meetly.

You can do better yet; but this is appropriate.

MARK ANTONY

Now, by my sword,--

Now, I swear,--

CLEOPATRA

And target. Still he mends;

And target. Still he tries to fix;

But this is not the best. Look, prithee, Charmian,

But this is not the best. Look, please, Charmian,

How this Herculean Roman does become

How this Roman so much like Hercules becomes

The carriage of his chafe.

The vehicle of his own troubles.

MARK ANTONY

I'll leave you, lady.

I'll leave you here, lady.

CLEOPATRA

Courteous lord, one word.

Polite lord, just one word.

Sir, you and I must part, but that's not it:

Sir, you and I must separate, but that's not it:

Sir, you and I have loved, but there's not it;

Sir, you and I have loved, but that's not it;

That you know well: something it is I would,

You know that well: it is something I want,

O, my oblivion is a very Antony,

Oh, my doom is all Antony,

And I am all forgotten.

And I am completely forgotten.

MARK ANTONY

But that your royalty

Except for your royalty

Holds idleness your subject, I should take you

Makes not doing anything your subject, I would take you

For idleness itself.

For inaction itself.

CLEOPATRA

'Tis sweating labour

It is sweating labor

To bear such idleness so near the heart

To bring such inaction so near the heart

As Cleopatra this. But, sir, forgive me;

As this does to Cleopatra. But, sir, forgive me;

Since my becomings kill me, when they do not

Since my good qualities kill me, when they do not

Eye well to you: your honour calls you hence;

Seem good to you: your honor calls you from here;

Therefore be deaf to my unpitied folly.

Therefore do not listen to my foolishness no one pities.

And all the gods go with you! upon your sword

And may all the gods go with you! May your sword

Sit laurel victory! and smooth success

Have victory! And may smooth success

Be strew'd before your feet!

Be spread under your feet!

MARK ANTONY

Let us go. Come;

Let's go. Come on;

Our separation so abides, and flies,

Are separation will be like this,

That thou, residing here, go'st yet with me,

That you, staying here, still go with me,

And I, hence fleeting, here remain with thee. Away!

And I, running from here, am still here with you. Away!

Exeunt

Enter OCTAVIUS CAESAR, reading a letter, LEPIDUS, and their Train

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

You may see, Lepidus, and henceforth know,

You may see, Lepidus, and know from now on,

It is not Caesar's natural vice to hate

That it is not Caesar's natural sin to hate

Our great competitor: from Alexandria

Our enemy: from Alexandria

This is the news: he fishes, drinks, and wastes

This is the news: he messes around, drinks, and wastes

The lamps of night in revel; is not more man-like

The oil in lamps in his late-night parties; he is not more a man

Than Cleopatra; nor the queen of Ptolemy

Than Cleopatra; and the queen of Ptolemy
More womanly than he; hardly gave audience, or

Isn't any more like a woman than him; he hardly paid attention, or

Vouchsafed to think he had partners: you shall find there

Volunteered the information that he had allies: you will find there

A man who is the abstract of all faults

A man who is the example of all flaws

That all men follow.

That all people have.

LEPIDUS

I must not think there are

I must not believe there are
Evils enow to darken all his goodness:

Enough evil things to spoil all his goodness:

His faults in him seem as the spots of heaven,

His faults in him are like the stars in the sky,

More fiery by night's blackness; hereditary,

More bright in the darkness of nighttime; inherited,

Rather than purchased; what he cannot change,

Instead of bought; what he cannot change,

Than what he chooses.

Not what he chooses.

OCTAVIUS CAESAR

You are too indulgent. Let us grant, it is not

You are too generous. Let us allow that it is not

Amiss to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy;

A problem to tumble on the bed of Ptolemy;

To give a kingdom for a mirth; to sit

To give away a kingdom for some fun; to sit

And keep the turn of tippling with a slave;

And chat with a slave;

To reel the streets at noon, and stand the buffet

To wander the streets at noon, and spend your time

With knaves that smell of sweat: say this

With villains who smell of sweat; say this

becomes him,--

is a suitable thing for him, --

As his composure must be rare indeed

Since his dignity must be unusually good indeed

Whom these things cannot blemish,--yet must Antony

If it cannot be reduced by these things, -- yet Antony

No way excuse his soils, when we do bear

Does not excuse himself at all, when we do carry

So great weight in his lightness. If he fill'd

Such a big weight when his is so light. If he filled

His vacancy with his voluptuousness,