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Act 3, Scene 1
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Translation Act 3, Scene 2
Enter DUKE and TURIO
DUKE
Sir Turio, fear not but that she will love you,Now Valentine is banish'd from her sight.
DUKE
Sir Turio, don't be worried! She will love you now that Valentine is banished and out of her sight.
Turio
Since his exile she hath despised me most,Forsworn my company and rail'd at me,That I am desperate of obtaining her.
TURIO
Since his departure, she has hated me the most. She's rejected my company, and ranted so abusively at me that I have no chance in gaining her favor.
DUKE
This weak impress of love is as a figure Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat Dissolves to water and doth lose his form. A little time will melt her frozen thoughts And worthless Valentine shall be forgot.
DUKE
This weak impression of love is a shape cut out ice, which will dissolve into water and lose its form if you heat it for an hour. A little time will melt her frozen thoughts, and she'll forget all about worthless Valentine.
Enter PROTEUS
DUKE
How now, Sir Proteus! Is your countrymanAccording to our proclamation gone?
DUKE
How are you, Sir Proteus? Is your friend gone, just like our announcement says?
PROTEUS
Gone, my good lord.
PROTEUS
He's gone, my good lord.
DUKE
My daughter takes his going grievously.
DUKE
My daughter grieves over his departure.
PROTEUS
A little time, my lord, will kill that grief.
PROTEUS
It will take just a little time for her grief to be over, my lord.
DUKE
So I believe; but Turio thinks not so. Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee— For thou hast shown some sign of good desert— Makes me the better to confer with thee.
DUKE
I believe so too, but Turio doesn't think so. Since you've shown some signs that you deserve the good opinion I have of you, I feel more inclined to talk to you.
PROTEUS
Longer than I prove loyal to your graceLet me not live to look upon your grace.
PROTEUs
I will prove my loyalty to your Grace. If not, don't let me live any longer to look upon your face.
DUKE
Thou know'st how willingly I would effectThe match between Sir Turio and my daughter.
DUKE
You know how willingly I would bring about the marriage between Sir Turio and my daughter.
PROTEUS
I do, my lord.
PROTEUS
I do, my lord.
DUKE
And also, I think, thou art not ignorantHow she opposes her against my will.
DUKE
And I also think that you are quite aware of how vehemently she disagrees with my plan for her future.
PROTEUS
She did, my lord, when Valentine was here.
PROTEUs
She did disagree when Valentine was here, my lord.
DUKE
Ay, and perversely she persevers so. What might we do to make the girl forget The love of Valentine and love Sir Turio?
DUKE
Yes, and she continues to do so. What could we do to make her forget her love for Valentine, and to love Sir Turio instead?
PROTEUS
The best way is to slander Valentine With falsehood, cowardice and poor descent, Three things that women highly hold in hate.
PROTEUS
The best way is to speak badly of Valentine—speak of his falsehood, cowardice, and low social status. Women hate these three things very much.
DUKE
Ay, but she'll think that it is spoke in hate.
DUKE
Yes, but she'll think that this criticism is motivated by hatred.
PROTEUS
Ay, if his enemy deliver it:Therefore it must with circumstance be spokenBy one whom she esteemeth as his friend.
PROTEUS
Yes, but only if Valentine's enemy says these things to her. That's why someone she considers as his friend should speak about this with detailed evidence.
DUKE
Then you must undertake to slander him.
DUKE
Then you have to speak badly of him.
PROTEUS
And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do:'Tis an ill office for a gentleman,Especially against his very friend.
PROTEUS
I am very reluctant to do that, my lord. It doesn't suit a gentleman, especially if he does it against his best friend.
DUKE
Where your good word cannot advantage him, Your slander never can endamage him; Therefore the office is indifferent, Being entreated to it by your friend.
DUKE
Since your good words can't help him, your bad words can't hurt him. Therefore, your position is indifferent, since I am asking you to do it as a friend.
PROTEUS
You have prevail'd, my lord; if I can do it By ought that I can speak in his dispraise, She shall not long continue love to him. But say this weed her love from Valentine, It follows not that she will love Sir Turio.
PROTEUS
You have won me over, my lord. If I can do it by saying things in order to damage his reputation, she won't continue to love him. But, even if we root out her love for Valentine, it doesn't necessarily mean that she will then love Sir Turio.
TURIO
Therefore, as you unwind her love from him, Lest it should ravel and be good to none, You must provide to bottom it on me; Which must be done by praising me as much As you in worth dispraise Sir Valentine.
TURIO
Therefore, as you untangle her from her love for Valentine—unless it should get tangled up and be of no use to any of us—you must prepare to wind her around me. This must be done by praising me just as much as you speak badly of Sir Valentine.
DUKE
And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this kind, Because we know, on Valentine's report, You are already Love's firm votary And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. Upon this warrant shall you have access Where you with Silvia may confer at large; For she is lumpish, heavy, melancholy, And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you; Where you may temper her by your persuasion To hate young Valentine and love my friend.
DUKE
And Proteus, we trust you with all of this because we know—from Valentine—that you are already a great preacher of love, and wouldn't go against it and change your mind all of a sudden. I authorize you to have access to Silvia; you may speak together as much as you want, since she is dull, gloomy, and melancholy. She'll be happy to see you, her friend. There you may mold her by your persuasion to hate young Valentine, and to love my friend Turio.
PROTEUS
As much as I can do, I will effect: But you, Sir Turio, are not sharp enough; You must lay lime to tangle her desires By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes Should be full-fraught with serviceable vows.
PROTEUS
I will do as much as I can.
[To TURIO] But you, Sir Turio, are not eager enough. You must lay a trap to catch her desires with longing love poems, whose carefully-constructed rhymes should be entirely filled with vows of service.
DUKE
Ay,Much is the force of heaven-bred poesy.
DUKE
Yes, that's the poetry inspired by heaven.
PROTEUS
Say that upon the altar of her beauty You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart: Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears Moist it again, and frame some feeling line That may discover such integrity: For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews, Whose golden touch could soften steel and stones, Make tigers tame and huge leviathans Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. After your dire-lamenting elegies, Visit by night your lady's chamber-window With some sweet concert; to their instruments Tune a deploring dump: the night's dead silence Will well become such sweet-complaining grievance. This, or else nothing, will inherit her.
PROTEUS
Say to her that you sacrifice your tears, your sighs, and your heart on the altar of her beauty. Write until your pen is dry, and make it wet again with your tears. Compose some emotional poetry that may reveal your absolute devotion. Indeed, Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' tendons. When he played, his golden touch could melt steel and stones, make tigers tame, and huge sea monsters abandon the unfathomed parts of the sea. After sending your deeply sorrowful, yearning love poems, come to the window of your lady's room at night with a group of musicians. Sing a melancholic melody to the music of their instruments. The night's dead silence will be perfect for such a sweet lament. If this doesn't win her over, nothing will.
DUKE
This discipline shows thou hast been in love.
DUKE
This teaching shows that you have been in love.
TURIO
And thy advice this night I'll put in practise. Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver, Let us into the city presently To sort some gentlemen well skill'd in music. I have a sonnet that will serve the turn To give the onset to thy good advice.
TURIO
And I'll put your advice to practice tonight. Therefore, sweet Proteus, my giver of directions: let's go to the city at once, to choose some gentlemen who are skilled musicians. I have a sonnet that will work; it will do the trick, according to your good advice.
DUKE
About it, gentlemen!
DUKE
Get on with it, gentlemen!
PROTEUS
We'll wait upon your grace till after supper,And afterward determine our proceedings.
PROTEUS
We'll wait for your Grace until after dinner, and then we'll determine what to do afterwards.
DUKE
Even now about it! I will pardon you.
DUKE
So get on with it now! I excuse you.
Exeunt
