A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 5 of All's Well That Ends Well from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
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| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
A tucket afar off. Enter old Widow of Florence, her WIDOW Nay, come, for if they do approach the city, we DIANA They say the French count has done most honorable WIDOW It is reported that he has taken their great’st 5 MARIANA Come, let’s return again and suffice ourselves 10 WIDOW, to Diana I have told my neighbor how you MARIANA I know that knave, hang him! One Parolles, a DIANA You shall not need to fear me. 30 WIDOW I hope so. Enter Helen as a pilgrim. Look, here comes a pilgrim. I know she will lie at HELEN, as pilgrim To Saint Jaques le Grand. WIDOW HELEN, as pilgrim Is this the way? A march afar. WIDOW HELEN, as pilgrim Is it yourself? WIDOW If you shall please so, pilgrim. HELEN, as pilgrim | In Italy, a Widow and her daughter, Diana, are watching the guys return from battle. Bertram has become a famous war hero and everyone wants a piece of him before his fifteen minutes of fame are up. It turns out that Bertram's pal Parolles has solicited Diana on Bertram's behalf. (Translation: Parolles told Diana that Bertram wants to hook up with her.) But a woman named Mariana warns Diana that Bertram and Parolles are bad news. They've been seducing Italian virgins and ruining their reputations. Busy guys. Diana's not worried. She's a smart girl and knows enough to stay away from the likes of Bertram. This is when Helen shows up wearing her pilgrim get-up. (Remember, a pilgrim is just a person on a religious pilgrimage to a holy place. Pilgrims were also called “palmers” because they often carried palm leaves on their journeys, like the characters in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.) She says she's on her way to the shrine of St. Jaques and wants to know where all the other pilgrims stay. The Widow just so happens to be an innkeeper (how convenient!) so she invites Helen to stay at her place. |
WIDOW HELEN, as pilgrim I did so. 50 WIDOW HELEN, as pilgrim His name, I pray you? DIANA HELEN, as pilgrimBut by the ear, that hears most nobly of him. 55 DIANA Whatsome’er he is, HELEN, as pilgrim DIANA HELEN, as pilgrim What’s his name? DIANA HELEN, as pilgrim O, I believe with him. DIANA Alas, poor lady, WIDOW HELEN, as pilgrim How do you mean? WIDOW He does indeed, MARIANA Drum and Colors. Enter Bertram Count Rossillion, WIDOW So, now they come. HELEN, as pilgrim Which is the Frenchman? DIANA He, HELEN, as pilgrim I like him well. DIANA HELEN, as pilgrim Which is he? DIANA HELEN, as pilgrim Perchance he’s hurt i’ th’ battle. PAROLLES Lose our drum? Well. MARIANA He’s shrewdly vexed at something. Look, he 105 WIDOW, to Parolles Marry, hang you. MARIANA, to Parolles And your courtesy, for a Bertram, Parolles, and the army exit. WIDOW HELEN, as pilgrim I humbly thank you. BOTH We’ll take your offer kindly. 120 They exit. | The Widow learns that Helen is from France and mentions there's a yummy French soldier living in Florence. Word on the street is that he ran away from home because the king married him against his will. Helen's ears perk up. The widow tells her that Bertram has been trying to seduce her virginal daughter but that Diana won't have any of it. Just then, Bertram and his army march by. Diana sighs and says Bertram sure is dreamy. It's just too bad that he's always trying to cheat on his poor wife. When the ladies spot Parolles, they start to heckle him. Diana calls him a "jackanapes" (a monkey) and the widow tells him to drop dead. Taunting Parolles makes the ladies hungry, and they run off to grab a bite to eat together. |