A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 1 of Henry V from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
|---|---|
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Corporal Nym and Lieutenant Bardolph. BARDOLPH Well met, Corporal Nym. NYM Good morrow, Lieutenant Bardolph. BARDOLPH What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends NYM For my part, I care not. I say little, but when time 5 BARDOLPH I will bestow a breakfast to make you NYM Faith, I will live so long as I may, that’s the BARDOLPH It is certain, corporal, that he is married to NYM I cannot tell. Things must be as they may. Men | At a seedy tavern in Eastcheap (a London slum), two commoners named Bardolph and Nim talk about the impending war with France. (We know what you're thinking, Shmoopsters. Why does Shakespeare direct us to this tavern in Eastcheap right after the Chorus has just told us about a plot against the King's life? Why not open this scene by dropping in on the traitors? Well, we're not exactly sure, but we're guessing that Shakespeare wants us to make some kind of connection between the traitors and the rowdy Eastcheap characters.) |
Enter Pistol and Hostess Quickly. BARDOLPH Here comes Ancient Pistol and his wife. PISTOL Base tyke, call’st thou me host? Now, by this 30 HOSTESS No, by my troth, not long; for we cannot Nym and Pistol draw their swords. O well-a-day, Lady! If he be not hewn now, we shall | Mistress Quickly and Pistol (who have recently tied the knot) enter and talk about their family business. Their conversation sounds a lot like this: "Dang. We're so tired of everyone accusing us of running a 'bawdy house' (brothel) when all we're trying to do is run an honest business." |
BARDOLPH Good lieutenant, good corporal, offer nothing NYM Pish! PISTOL Pish for thee, Iceland dog, thou prick-eared HOSTESS Good Corporal Nym, show thy valor, and put NYM Will you shog off? To Pistol. I would have you PISTOL “Solus, egregious dog? O viper vile, the solus NYM I am not Barbason, you cannot conjure me. I 55 PISTOL BARDOLPH Hear me, hear me what I say: he that strikes PISTOL An oath of mickle might, and fury shall abate. Pistol and Nym and then Bardolph Give me thy fist, thy forefoot to me give. Thy spirits NYM, to Pistol I will cut thy throat one time or other 70 PISTOL Couple à gorge, that is the word. I defy thee | Nim gets all bent out of shape and we find out why. Apparently, he was engaged to Mistress Quickly before she ran off and married Pistol. Nim threatens to slit Pistol's throat and the two men draw their swords (several times) before Bardolph manages to break up the argument. |
Enter the Boy. BOY Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, | A Boy runs in and declares that Sir John Falstaff is deathly ill. (Remember, Falstaff is Henry's old pal from Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2. When he became King of England, Henry banished Falstaff.) |
BARDOLPH Away, you rogue! HOSTESS By my troth, he’ll yield the crow a pudding 85 She exits with the Boy. BARDOLPH Come, shall I make you two friends? We PISTOL NYM You’ll pay me the eight shillings I won of you at PISTOL Base is the slave that pays. NYM That now I will have, that’s the humor of it. 95 PISTOL As manhood shall compound. Push home. They draw. BARDOLPH, drawing his sword By this sword, he that PISTOL, sheathing his sword “Sword” is an oath, and 100 BARDOLPH Corporal Nym, an thou wilt be friends, be PISTOL, to Nym A noble shalt thou have, and present 105 NYM I shall have my noble? PISTOL In cash, most justly paid. NYM Well, then, that’s the humor of ’t. Nym and Bardolph sheathe their swords. Enter Hostess. HOSTESS As ever you come of women, come in quickly NYM The King hath run bad humors on the knight, PISTOL Nym, thou hast spoke the right. His heart is 120 NYM The King is a good king, but it must be as it may; PISTOL Let us condole the knight, for, lambkins, we They exit. | Mistress Quickly, Nim, and Pistol agree that Falstaff is dying of a broken heart because King Henry unfriended him. |