Henry IV Part 2: Act 5, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 1 of Henry IV Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Page, and Bardolph. SHALLOW By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away tonight.—What, Davy, I say! FALSTAFF You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow. SHALLOW I will not excuse you. You shall not be excused. Excuses shall not be admitted. There is no 5 excuse shall serve. You shall not be excused.—	At Justice Shallow's country estate in Gloucestershire, Bardolph and Falstaff have dropped by to make a house call to Falstaff's old law school chum. When the scene opens, Justice Shallow is being a good host and insists that Falstaff spend the night instead of travelling on to London. Falstaff does the "aw shucks" routine and pretends he doesn't want to impose. (We know better, right? Earlier, Falstaff promised to swing by Shallow's place after finishing up his military duties at Gaultree Forest in order to scam the old guy.)
Enter Davy. DAVY Here, sir. SHALLOW Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see, Davy, let me see. Yea, marry, William cook, 10 bid him come hither.—Sir John, you shall not be excused. DAVY Marry, sir, thus: those precepts cannot be served. And again, sir: shall we sow the hade land with wheat? 15 SHALLOW With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook, are there no young pigeons? DAVY Yes, sir. Here is now the smith’s note for shoeing and plow irons. He gives Shallow a paper. SHALLOW Let it be cast and paid.—Sir John, you shall 20 not be excused. DAVY Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had. And, sir, do you mean to stop any of William’s wages about the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley Fair? 25 SHALLOW He shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legged hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook. Shallow and Davy walk aside. DAVY Doth the man of war stay all night, sir? SHALLOW Yea, Davy, I will use him well. A friend i’ th’ 30 court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves and will backbite. DAVY No worse than they are back-bitten, sir, for they have marvelous foul linen. 35 SHALLOW Well-conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy. DAVY I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against Clement Perkes o’ th’ hill. SHALLOW There is many complaints, Davy, against that 40 Visor. That Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge. DAVY I grant your Worship that he is a knave, sir, but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend’s request. An honest 45 man, sir, is able to speak for himself when a knave is not. I have served your Worship truly, sir, this eight years; an I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very little credit with your Worship. The knave is 50 mine honest friend, sir; therefore I beseech you let him be countenanced.	When Shallow's servant, Davy, enters with some papers, Shallow does a little multitasking. He attends to some household issues, like giving orders for the preparation of dinner, while Davy pesters him about some local legal issues involving some of his friends. Davy asks Justice Shallow (who is a local law official) if he would please take it easy on his friend, William Visor, who has gotten into a bit of legal trouble.
SHALLOW Go to, I say, he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. Davy exits. Where are you, Sir John? Come, come, come, off with your boots.—Give me 55 your hand, Master Bardolph. BARDOLPH I am glad to see your Worship. SHALLOW I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph, (to Page) and welcome, my tall fellow.—Come, Sir John. 60	Shallow reassures his servant that his friend will be okay and sends him on his way. Shallow says that Falstaff, Bardolph, and the Page are all welcome in his home and leads the group inside. Justice Silence, who has been silent this whole time, tags along.
FALSTAFF I’ll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow. Shallow exits. Bardolph, look to our horses. Bardolph and Page exit. If I were sawed into quantities, I should make four dozen of such bearded hermits’ staves as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to 65 see the semblable coherence of his men’s spirits and his. They, by observing of him, do bear themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like servingman. Their spirits are so married in conjunction with the 70 participation of society that they flock together in consent like so many wild geese. If I had a suit to Master Shallow, I would humor his men with the imputation of being near their master; if to his men, I would curry with Master Shallow that no man 75 could better command his servants. It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of another. Therefore let men take heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep 80 Prince Harry in continual laughter the wearing out of six fashions, which is four terms, or two actions, and he shall laugh without intervallums. O, it is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow will do with a fellow that never had the 85 ache in his shoulders. O, you shall see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up. SHALLOW, within Sir John. FALSTAFF I come, Master Shallow, I come, Master Shallow. 90 He exits.	Falstaff lingers alone on stage for a moment – just long enough to mock Justice Shallow for being a "foolish justice." Shallow is way too nice to his servants and acts just like them. Falstaff can't wait to tell Prince Hal all about the silly old goat – the stories will keep Hal rolling with laughter for a good long time. Falstaff runs inside when Shallow calls to him.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Page, and Bardolph.

SHALLOW By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away
tonight.—What, Davy, I say!

FALSTAFF You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.

SHALLOW I will not excuse you. You shall not be
excused. Excuses shall not be admitted. There is no 5
excuse shall serve. You shall not be excused.—

At Justice Shallow's country estate in Gloucestershire, Bardolph and Falstaff have dropped by to make a house call to Falstaff's old law school chum. When the scene opens, Justice Shallow is being a good host and insists that Falstaff spend the night instead of travelling on to London.

Falstaff does the "aw shucks" routine and pretends he doesn't want to impose. (We know better, right? Earlier, Falstaff promised to swing by Shallow's place after finishing up his military duties at Gaultree Forest in order to scam the old guy.)

Enter Davy.

DAVY Here, sir.

SHALLOW Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy, let
me see, Davy, let me see. Yea, marry, William cook, 10
bid him come hither.—Sir John, you shall not be
excused.

DAVY Marry, sir, thus: those precepts cannot be served.
And again, sir: shall we sow the hade land with
wheat? 15

SHALLOW With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook,
are there no young pigeons?

DAVY Yes, sir. Here is now the smith’s note for shoeing
and plow irons. He gives Shallow a paper.

SHALLOW Let it be cast and paid.—Sir John, you shall 20
not be excused.

DAVY Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be
had. And, sir, do you mean to stop any of William’s
wages about the sack he lost the other day at
Hinckley Fair? 25

SHALLOW He shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a
couple of short-legged hens, a joint of mutton, and
any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook.

Shallow and Davy walk aside.

DAVY Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?

SHALLOW Yea, Davy, I will use him well. A friend i’ th’ 30
court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men
well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves and will
backbite.

DAVY No worse than they are back-bitten, sir, for they
have marvelous foul linen. 35

SHALLOW Well-conceited, Davy. About thy business,
Davy.

DAVY I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor
of Woncot against Clement Perkes o’ th’ hill.

SHALLOW There is many complaints, Davy, against that 40
Visor. That Visor is an arrant knave, on my
knowledge.

DAVY I grant your Worship that he is a knave, sir, but
yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some
countenance at his friend’s request. An honest 45
man, sir, is able to speak for himself when a knave is
not. I have served your Worship truly, sir, this eight
years; an I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear
out a knave against an honest man, I have but a
very little credit with your Worship. The knave is 50
mine honest friend, sir; therefore I beseech you let
him be countenanced.

When Shallow's servant, Davy, enters with some papers, Shallow does a little multitasking. He attends to some household issues, like giving orders for the preparation of dinner, while Davy pesters him about some local legal issues involving some of his friends.

Davy asks Justice Shallow (who is a local law official) if he would please take it easy on his friend, William Visor, who has gotten into a bit of legal trouble.

SHALLOW Go to, I say, he shall have no wrong. Look
about, Davy. Davy exits. Where are you, Sir John?
Come, come, come, off with your boots.—Give me 55
your hand, Master Bardolph.

BARDOLPH I am glad to see your Worship.

SHALLOW I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master
Bardolph, (to Page) and welcome, my tall
fellow.—Come, Sir John. 60

Shallow reassures his servant that his friend will be okay and sends him on his way.

Shallow says that Falstaff, Bardolph, and the Page are all welcome in his home and leads the group inside. Justice Silence, who has been silent this whole time, tags along.

FALSTAFF I’ll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow.
Shallow exits. Bardolph, look to our horses. Bardolph
and Page exit. If I were sawed into quantities,
I should make four dozen of such bearded hermits’
staves as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to 65
see the semblable coherence of his men’s spirits
and his. They, by observing of him, do bear
themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing
with them, is turned into a justice-like servingman.
Their spirits are so married in conjunction with the 70
participation of society that they flock together in
consent like so many wild geese. If I had a suit to
Master Shallow, I would humor his men with the
imputation of being near their master; if to his men,
I would curry with Master Shallow that no man 75
could better command his servants. It is certain
that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is
caught, as men take diseases, one of another. Therefore
let men take heed of their company. I will
devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep 80
Prince Harry in continual laughter the wearing out
of six fashions, which is four terms, or two actions,
and he shall laugh without intervallums. O, it is
much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a
sad brow will do with a fellow that never had the 85
ache in his shoulders. O, you shall see him laugh till
his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up.

SHALLOW, within Sir John.

FALSTAFF I come, Master Shallow, I come, Master
Shallow. 90

He exits.

Falstaff lingers alone on stage for a moment – just long enough to mock Justice Shallow for being a "foolish justice." Shallow is way too nice to his servants and acts just like them. Falstaff can't wait to tell Prince Hal all about the silly old goat – the stories will keep Hal rolling with laughter for a good long time.

Falstaff runs inside when Shallow calls to him.

Henry IV Part 2: Act 5, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 1 of Henry IV Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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