A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 3 of Cymbeline, King of Britain from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
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| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Cloten and two Lords. FIRST LORD Sir, I would advise you to shift a shirt. The CLOTEN If my shirt were bloody, then to shift it. Have I 5 SECOND LORD, aside No, faith, not so much as his FIRST LORD Hurt him? His body’s a passable carcass if SECOND LORD, aside His steel was in debt; it went o’ CLOTEN The villain would not stand me. SECOND LORD, aside No, but he fled forward still, 15 FIRST LORD Stand you? You have land enough of your SECOND LORD, aside As many inches as you have 20 | Cloten is certain he would have defeated Posthumus in a fight. At least that's what he tells a couple of lords hangin' in the public square. Of course, of course, the lords tell him. You'd destroy him and turn him into a carcass. |
CLOTEN I would they had not come between us. SECOND LORD, aside So would I, till you had measured CLOTEN And that she should love this fellow and 25 SECOND LORD, aside If it be a sin to make a true election, FIRST LORD Sir, as I told you always, her beauty and SECOND LORD, aside She shines not upon fools, lest CLOTEN Come, I’ll to my chamber. Would there had SECOND LORD, aside I wish not so, unless it had been CLOTEN You’ll go with us? FIRST LORD I’ll attend your Lordship. CLOTEN Nay, come, let’s go together. 40 SECOND LORD Well, my lord. | But then the lords tell us what they really think. One lord says Cloten's so much a fool you couldn't even measure his foolishness on the ground. Oh, snap. Luckily, Cloten is none the wiser about all of these snarls and jokes behind his back. That only makes us think he's all the more foolish. |