All's Well That Ends Well: Act 1, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 2 of All's Well That Ends Well from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Flourish cornets. Enter the King of France with letters, two Lords, and divers Attendants. KING The Florentines and Senoys are by th’ ears, Have fought with equal fortune, and continue A braving war. FIRST LORD So ’tis reported, sir. KING Nay, ’tis most credible. We here receive it 5 A certainty vouched from our cousin Austria, With caution that the Florentine will move us For speedy aid, wherein our dearest friend Prejudicates the business and would seem To have us make denial. 10 FIRST LORD His love and wisdom, Approved so to your Majesty, may plead For amplest credence. KING He hath armed our answer, And Florence is denied before he comes. 15 Yet for our gentlemen that mean to see The Tuscan service, freely have they leave To stand on either part. SECOND LORD It well may serve A nursery to our gentry, who are sick 20 For breathing and exploit.	In Paris, we drop in on the old and sickly king of France at his royal court. The king is facing a dilemma: Florence and Siena (two towns in Italy) are at war and Florence wants France's help. The king of France doesn't want to get involved in some messy foreign war, so he decides that France is officially going to stay out of it. But if some of his young noblemen want to volunteer to fight, that's fine with him. His advisers think this is a good idea.

Original Text

Translated Text

Flourish cornets. Enter the King of France with letters,
two Lords, and divers Attendants.

KING
The Florentines and Senoys are by th’ ears,
Have fought with equal fortune, and continue
A braving war.

FIRST LORD So ’tis reported, sir.

KING
Nay, ’tis most credible. We here receive it 5
A certainty vouched from our cousin Austria,
With caution that the Florentine will move us
For speedy aid, wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business and would seem
To have us make denial. 10

FIRST LORD His love and wisdom,
Approved so to your Majesty, may plead
For amplest credence.

KING He hath armed our answer,
And Florence is denied before he comes. 15
Yet for our gentlemen that mean to see
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To stand on either part.

SECOND LORD It well may serve
A nursery to our gentry, who are sick 20
For breathing and exploit.

In Paris, we drop in on the old and sickly king of France at his royal court.

The king is facing a dilemma: Florence and Siena (two towns in Italy) are at war and Florence wants France's help.

The king of France doesn't want to get involved in some messy foreign war, so he decides that France is officially going to stay out of it. But if some of his young noblemen want to volunteer to fight, that's fine with him.

His advisers think this is a good idea.

All's Well That Ends Well: Act 1, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 2 of All's Well That Ends Well from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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