Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 3 of Much Ado About Nothing from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Claudio, Prince, and three or four Lords with tapers, and Musicians. CLAUDIO Is this the monument of Leonato? FIRST LORD It is, my lord. CLAUDIO, reading an Epitaph. "Done to death by slanderous tongues Was the Hero that here lies. Death, in guerdon of her wrongs, 5 Gives her fame which never dies. So the life that died with shame Lives in death with glorious fame." He hangs up the scroll. Hang thou there upon the tomb, Praising her when I am dumb. 10 Now music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn. Song "Pardon, goddess of the night, Those that slew thy virgin knight, For the which with songs of woe, Round about her tomb they go. 15 Midnight, assist our moan. Help us to sigh and groan Heavily, heavily. Graves, yawn and yield your dead, Till death be utterèd, 20 Heavily, heavily." CLAUDIO Now, unto thy bones, goodnight. Yearly will I do this rite.	Claudio and Don Pedro meet in the churchyard at Hero’s family tomb. Claudio has brought with him the epitaph that Leonato asked him to write. He reads it aloud, and it basically says—in simplistic rhymes—that Hero was killed by lies, but that she will be glorified in death. (His poetry is as bad as Benedick's.) There’s some singing about how Hero was a virgin knight of that virgin goddess, the moon, and then Claudio announces he’ll come to Hero’s tomb and read (bad) poetry every year.
PRINCE Good morrow, masters. Put your torches out. The wolves have preyed, and look, the gentle day 25 Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray. Thanks to you all, and leave us. Fare you well. CLAUDIO Good morrow, masters. Each his several way. Lords and Musicians exit. PRINCE Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds, 30 And then to Leonato’s we will go. CLAUDIO And Hymen now with luckier issue speed ’s, Than this for whom we rendered up this woe. They exit.	Prince Don Pedro notes that the sun is coming up. They need to change out of their funeral clothes and into some wedding clothes, because it’s party time! They exit, with Claudio saying, "Man, I hope this goes better than the last time I tried to get married, like two days ago."

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Claudio, Prince, and three or four Lords with
tapers, and Musicians.

CLAUDIO Is this the monument of Leonato?

FIRST LORD It is, my lord.

CLAUDIO, reading an Epitaph.

"Done to death by slanderous tongues
Was the Hero that here lies.
Death, in guerdon of her wrongs, 5
Gives her fame which never dies.
So the life that died with shame
Lives in death with glorious fame."

He hangs up the scroll.

Hang thou there upon the tomb,
Praising her when I am dumb. 10
Now music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.

Song
"Pardon, goddess of the night,
Those that slew thy virgin knight,
For the which with songs of woe,
Round about her tomb they go. 15
Midnight, assist our moan.
Help us to sigh and groan
Heavily, heavily.
Graves, yawn and yield your dead,
Till death be utterèd, 20
Heavily, heavily."

CLAUDIO
Now, unto thy bones, goodnight.
Yearly will I do this rite.

Claudio and Don Pedro meet in the churchyard at Hero’s family tomb.

Claudio has brought with him the epitaph that Leonato asked him to write. He reads it aloud, and it basically says—in simplistic rhymes—that Hero was killed by lies, but that she will be glorified in death. (His poetry is as bad as Benedick's.)

There’s some singing about how Hero was a virgin knight of that virgin goddess, the moon, and then Claudio announces he’ll come to Hero’s tomb and read (bad) poetry every year.

PRINCE
Good morrow, masters. Put your torches out.
The wolves have preyed, and look, the gentle day 25
Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about
Dapples the drowsy east with spots of gray.
Thanks to you all, and leave us. Fare you well.

CLAUDIO
Good morrow, masters. Each his several way.

Lords and Musicians exit.

PRINCE
Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds, 30
And then to Leonato’s we will go.

CLAUDIO
And Hymen now with luckier issue speed ’s,
Than this for whom we rendered up this woe.

They exit.

Prince Don Pedro notes that the sun is coming up. They need to change out of their funeral clothes and into some wedding clothes, because it’s party time!

They exit, with Claudio saying, "Man, I hope this goes better than the last time I tried to get married, like two days ago."

Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 3 of Much Ado About Nothing from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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