The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra: Act 1, Scene 5 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 5 of The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Cleopatra, Charmian, Iras, and Mardian. CLEOPATRA Charmian! CHARMIAN Madam? CLEOPATRA Ha, ha! Give me to drink mandragora. CHARMIAN Why, madam? CLEOPATRA That I might sleep out this great gap of time 5 My Antony is away. CHARMIAN You think of him too much. CLEOPATRA O, ’tis treason! CHARMIAN Madam, I trust not so.	Back in Egypt, Cleopatra is having a pity party. She tells Charmian to get her a powerful sleeping drug so she can just zonk out till Antony returns. Charmian suggests her obsession is slightly unhealthy, and Cleopatra calls her a traitor.
CLEOPATRA Thou, eunuch Mardian! 10 MARDIAN What’s your Highness’ pleasure? CLEOPATRA Not now to hear thee sing. I take no pleasure In aught an eunuch has. ’Tis well for thee That, being unseminared, thy freer thoughts May not fly forth of Egypt. Hast thou affections? 15 MARDIAN Yes, gracious madam. CLEOPATRA Indeed? MARDIAN Not in deed, madam, for I can do nothing But what indeed is honest to be done. Yet have I fierce affections, and think 20 What Venus did with Mars.	Next, Cleopatra turns her attentions to Mardian, her eunuch (a male servant who has been castrated). She asks him if he finds her attractive and he assures her he does, though he would never act on his crush. Because he can't. Because he's been castrated.
CLEOPATRA O, Charmian, Where think’st thou he is now? Stands he, or sits he? Or does he walk? Or is he on his horse? O happy horse, to bear the weight of Antony! 25 Do bravely, horse, for wot’st thou whom thou mov’st? The demi-Atlas of this Earth, the arm And burgonet of men. He’s speaking now, Or murmuring “Where’s my serpent of old Nile?” 30 For so he calls me. Now I feed myself With most delicious poison. Think on me That am with Phoebus’ amorous pinches black, And wrinkled deep in time? Broad-fronted Caesar, When thou wast here above the ground, I was 35 A morsel for a monarch. And great Pompey Would stand and make his eyes grow in my brow; There would he anchor his aspect, and die With looking on his life.	Cleopatra then returns to sighing over Antony, wondering where he is, what he's doing, and whether or not he's thinking of her. She remembers when she was so hot that kings couldn't take their eyes off her. Both Julius Caesar and the elder Pompey brother, Gneius, were overcome by her looks alone, but now she's worrying that she’s past her prime.
Enter Alexas from Antony. ALEXAS Sovereign of Egypt, hail! 40 CLEOPATRA How much unlike art thou Mark Antony! Yet coming from him, that great med’cine hath With his tinct gilded thee. How goes it with my brave Mark Antony? ALEXAS Last thing he did, dear queen, 45 He kissed—the last of many doubled kisses— This orient pearl. His speech sticks in my heart. CLEOPATRA Mine ear must pluck it thence. ALEXAS “Good friend,” quoth he, 50 “Say the firm Roman to great Egypt sends This treasure of an oyster; at whose foot, To mend the petty present, I will piece Her opulent throne with kingdoms. All the East, Say thou, shall call her mistress.” So he nodded 55 And soberly did mount an arm-gaunt steed, Who neighed so high that what I would have spoke Was beastly dumbed by him.	Alexas, another of Cleopatra's servants, enters with a pearl. It’s a gift from Antony, who made a big deal about the thing before giving it to Alexas to take to the Queen. Antony promises Cleopatra will soon be called mistress of the East, because of the kingdoms he’ll win for her.
CLEOPATRA What, was he sad, or merry? ALEXAS Like to the time o’ th’ year between th’ extremes 60 Of hot and cold, he was nor sad nor merry. CLEOPATRA O, well-divided disposition!—Note him, Note him, good Charmian, ’tis the man! But note him: He was not sad, for he would shine on those 65 That make their looks by his; he was not merry, Which seemed to tell them his remembrance lay In Egypt with his joy; but between both. O, heavenly mingle!—Be’st thou sad or merry, The violence of either thee becomes, 70 So does it no man’s else.—Met’st thou my posts?	Cleopatra asks Alexas how Antony looked, and is glad to hear he wasn’t really sad or really happy. She praises his moderation: seeming sad would make his followers sad, while seeming merry would make it seem like he took his job in Rome lightly. She finishes by asking if Alexas has all of her messengers ready.
ALEXAS Ay, madam, twenty several messengers. Why do you send so thick? CLEOPATRA Who’s born that day When I forget to send to Antony 75 Shall die a beggar.—Ink and paper, Charmian.— Welcome, my good Alexas.—Did I, Charmian, Ever love Caesar so? CHARMIAN O, that brave Caesar! CLEOPATRA Be choked with such another emphasis! 80 Say “the brave Antony.” CHARMIAN The valiant Caesar!	Alexas wonders why Cleopatra needs all twenty messengers at once, and Cleopatra explains she needs to send a ton of love letters to Antony. Duh. She says that she never loved Julius Caesar this way, but Charmian swoons over Caesar's name and keeps saying how great he was. Cleopatra gets miffed.
CLEOPATRA By Isis, I will give thee bloody teeth If thou with Caesar paragon again My man of men. 85 CHARMIAN By your most gracious pardon, I sing but after you. CLEOPATRA My salad days, When I was green in judgment, cold in blood, To say as I said then. But come, away, 90 Get me ink and paper. He shall have every day a several greeting, Or I’ll unpeople Egypt. They exit.	Cleopatra tells Charmian she's going to give her a fat lip if she keeps up this Caesar worship, and Charmian points out she's only repeating what she's heard Cleopatra say in the past. (Ouch. That's a dig about how easily and often Cleopatra falls in and out of love.) But Cleopatra dismisses her sighs over Caesar as youthful folly, and goes back to penning her affections for Antony.