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Act 2, Scene 3
Troilus and Cressida Translation Act 3, Scene 1
Enter a Servant and PANDARUS
PANDARUS
Friend, you! pray you, a word: do not you followthe young Lord Paris?
PANDARUS
You there, friend! I wish to speak with you, aren't you follower of the young lord Paris?
SERVANT
Ay, sir, when he goes before me.
SERVANT
Yes, sir, I follow him when he walks in front of me.
PANDARUS
You depend upon him, I mean?
PANDARUS
He provides your livelihood, I mean?
SERVANT
Sir, I do depend upon the lord.
SERVANT
Sir, I am provided for by the lord.
PANDARUS
You depend upon a noble gentleman; I must needspraise him.
PANDARUS
You are provided for by a noble gentleman, who deserves praise.
SERVANT
The lord be praised!
SERVANT
The lord be praised.
PANDARUS
You know me, do you not?
PANDARUS
You know who I am, right?
SERVANT
Faith, sir, superficially.
SERVANT
Honestly, sir, only vaguely.
PANDARUS
Friend, know me better; I am the Lord Pandarus.
PANDARUS
Friend, we should know each other better. I am the lord Pandarus.
SERVANT
I hope I shall know your honour better.
SERVANT
I hope we can be better friends.
PANDARUS
I do desire it.
PANDARUS
I hope so.
SERVANT
You are in the state of grace.
SERVANT
Are you in a state of grace?
PANDARUS
Grace! not so, friend: honour and lordship are my titles.
PANDARUS
A grace? No, friend, I am called 'your honor' and am only a lord.
Music within
PANDARUS
What music is this?
PANDARUS
What is this music?
SERVANT
I do but partly know, sir: it is music in parts.
SERVANT
I only partly know, sir, but the music has many parts.
PANDARUS
Know you the musicians?
PANDARUS
Do you know the musicians?
SERVANT
Wholly, sir.
SERVANT
Yes, sir.
PANDARUS
Who play they to?
PANDARUS
Who are they playing for?
SERVANT
To the hearers, sir.
SERVANT
They are playing to the people that are listening, sir.
PANDARUS
At whose pleasure, friend
PANDARUS
For whose pleasure, friend?
SERVANT
At mine, sir, and theirs that love music.
SERVANT
Well it pleases me, sir, and anyone else that loves music.
PANDARUS
Command, I mean, friend.
PANDARUS
Not "pleasure," I meant "command," friend.
SERVANT
Who shall I command, sir?
SERVANT
Who will I command, sir?
PANDARUS
Friend, we understand not one another: I am toocourtly and thou art too cunning. At whose requestdo these men play?
PANDARUS
Friend, this conversation isn't working, my language is too courtly and you are too quick-witted. Who has asked these people to play?
SERVANT
That's to 't indeed, sir: marry, sir, at the request of Paris my lord, who's there in person; with him, the mortal Venus, the heart-blood of beauty, love's invisible soul,—
SERVANT
That's it, sir. To tell you the truth, sir, they play because Paris asked them to. He's there listening to them now. With him, the human Venus, the real expression of ideal beauty, love itself...
PANDARUS
Who, my cousin Cressida?
PANDARUS
You mean my cousin Cressida?
SERVANT
No, sir, Helen: could you not find out that by herattributes?
SERVANT
No, sir, I mean Helen. Could you not tell by my description?
PANDARUS
It should seem, fellow, that thou hast not seen the Lady Cressida. I come to speak with Paris from the Prince Troilus: I will make a complimental assault upon him, for my business seethes.
PANDARUS
You've clearly not seen Lady Cressida, man. I am here to speak with Paris on behalf of Prince Troilus, I will go on a charm offensive as my business with him is boiling hot.
SERVANT
Sodden business! there's a stewed phrase indeed!
SERVANT
Is your business wet? Your language itself is over-cooked.
Enter PARIS and HELEN, attended
PANDARUS
Fair be to you, my lord, and to all this fair company! fair desires, in all fair measure, fairly guide them! especially to you, fair queen! fair thoughts be your fair pillow!
PANDARUS
I hope you and your companions are all well, my lord! I hope you are are not troubled by your thoughts, especially you beautiful queen, may you rest easily.
HELEN
Dear lord, you are full of fair words.
HELEN
Good sir, you speak very kindly.
PANDARUS
You speak your fair pleasure, sweet queen. Fairprince, here is good broken music.
PANDARUS
You speak well, sweet queen. Sweet prince, I like the pieces of this music.
PARIS
You have broke it, cousin: and, by my life, you shall make it whole again; you shall piece it out with a piece of your performance. Nell, he is full of harmony.
PARIS
Well it is in pieces, cousin, now that you have broken it up. I swear it shall be up to you to make it whole again with a piece of performance of your own. My love, he is full of sweet sounds.
PANDARUS
Truly, lady, no.
PANDARUS
Honestly, my lady, I'm not.
HELEN
O, sir,—
HELEN
Oh, but sir do sing for us...
PANDARUS
Rude, in sooth; in good sooth, very rude.
PANDARUS
Honestly, I am a very bad singer.
PARIS
Well said, my lord! well, you say so in fits.
PARIS
You speak well, my lord, speaking with such a rhythm.
PANDARUS
I have business to my lord, dear queen. My lord,will you vouchsafe me a word?
PANDARUS
I have business with Paris, dear queen. My lord could I have a word with you?
HELEN
Nay, this shall not hedge us out: we'll hear yousing, certainly.
HELEN
No, you won't come between us in this way. You owe me a song for sure!
PANDARUS
Well, sweet queen. you are pleasant with me. But,marry, thus, my lord: my dear lord and most esteemedfriend, your brother Troilus,—
PANDARUS
Sweet queen, you are trying to wind me up aren't you? But listen to this, lord Paris, your brother Troilus, my lord and most esteemed friend...
HELEN
My Lord Pandarus; honey-sweet lord,—
HELEN
My lord Pandarus, sweet lord...
PANDARUS
Go to, sweet queen, to go:—commends himself mostaffectionately to you,—
PANDARUS
Please, sweet queen, shhh... (Troilus) wanted you to know that he is very fond of you (Paris)...
HELEN
You shall not bob us out of our melody: if you do,our melancholy upon your head!
HELEN
You won't cheat me out of a song. If you do I shan't forgive you!
PANDARUS
Sweet queen, sweet queen! that's a sweet queen, i' faith.
PANDARUS
Sweet queen, sweet queen! Please don't be upset with me, I beg you.
HELEN
And to make a sweet lady sad is a sour offence.
HELEN
To upset a sweet lady is a sour offense.
PANDARUS
Nay, that shall not serve your turn; that shall not, in truth, la. Nay, I care not for such words; no, no. And, my lord, he desires you, that if the king call for him at supper, you will make his excuse.
PANDARUS
No, that won't work, it really won't. No, I don't care for such words, no and no. Anyway, Troilus wants you to excuse him if the king asks to see him at supper, and asks that you would give an excuse for him.
HELEN
My Lord Pandarus,—
HELEN
My lord Pandarus...
PANDARUS
What says my sweet queen, my very very sweet queen?
PANDARUS
What is it my sweet queen, my very very sweet queen?
PARIS
What exploit's in hand? where sups he to-night?
PARIS
What is he up to, where will he be eating tonight?
HELEN
Nay, but, my lord,—
HELEN
No, my lord listen to me...
PANDARUS
What says my sweet queen? My cousin will fall outwith you. You must not know where he sups.
PANDARUS
What is it sweet queen? My cousin will fall out with you. I cannot say where he will be eating.
PARIS
I'll lay my life, with my disposer Cressida.
PARIS
I'll bet my life Cressida's stolen him away from my company.
PANDARUS
No, no, no such matter; you are wide: come, yourdisposer is sick.
PANDARUS
No, no, nothing of the sort, you couldn't be further from the truth. Be reasonable, anyway Cressida is unwell.
PARIS
Well, I'll make excuse.
PARIS
Sure, I'll make an excuse for him.
PANDARUS
Ay, good my lord. Why should you say Cressida? no,your poor disposer's sick.
PANDARUS
Ah, thank you my lord. Why did you think it was Cressida? It couldn't be her, because she's ill.
PARIS
I spy.
PARIS
I spy...
PANDARUS
You spy! what do you spy? Come, give me aninstrument. Now, sweet queen.
PANDARUS
You spy! What do you spy? Quickly, give me an instrument. Now I will play, sweet queen.
HELEN
Why, this is kindly done.
HELEN
Oh, suddenly you are very keen to play.
PANDARUS
My niece is horribly in love with a thing you have,sweet queen.
PANDARUS
My niece is jealous of you, sweet queen.
HELEN
She shall have it, my lord, if it be not my lord Paris.
HELEN
Whatever she wants I am sure she'll have it, so long as it isn't Paris.
PANDARUS
He! no, she'll none of him; they two are twain.
PANDARUS
Ah she doesn't want anything to do with him, those two are so different.
HELEN
Falling in, after falling out, may make them three.
HELEN
They could still fall in love and fall out again, such falling in and out could make the two of them into three of them.
PANDARUS
Come, come, I'll hear no more of this; I'll singyou a song now.
PANDARUS
Oh be civil, I'll hear no more of this. I'll sing a song for you now.
HELEN
Ay, ay, prithee now. By my troth, sweet lord, thouhast a fine forehead.
HELEN
Yes, yes, play now. Honestly, sweet lord, you do look so handsome and smart.
PANDARUS
Ay, you may, you may.
PANDARUS
Yes, you may treat me like that.
HELEN
Let thy song be love: this love will undo us all.O Cupid, Cupid, Cupid!
HELEN
Sing a love song. Love will be the ruin of us all. Oh, Cupid, Cupid, Cupid.
PANDARUS
Love! ay, that it shall, i' faith.
PANDARUS
Ah, yes. It will be about love.
PARIS
Ay, good now, love, love, nothing but love.
PARIS
Ah wonderful, sing about nothing but love, love, love.
PANDARUS
In good troth, it begins so.
PANDARUS
Truly I will, and now I begin.
Sings
PANDARUS
Love, love, nothing but love, still more! For, O, love's bow Shoots buck and doe: The shaft confounds, Not that it wounds, But tickles still the sore. These lovers cry Oh! oh! they die! Yet that which seems the wound to kill, Doth turn oh! oh! to ha! ha! he! So dying love lives still: Oh! oh! a while, but ha! ha! ha! Oh! oh! groans out for ha! ha! ha! Heigh-ho!
PANDARUS
Love, love, nothing but love, even now!
Because, oh, love's bow
Shoots buck and doe.
The arrow confuses,
But doesn't hurt,
It tickles the wound.
The lovers cry "Oh! Oh! I am dying!"
But the arrow that seems to pierce the wound,
Turns moaning into laughter,
Letting the dying lovers live on:
At first they moan, then they laugh,
And those that moan long to laugh.
So it is!
HELEN
In love, i' faith, to the very tip of the nose.
HELEN
This is love alright, summed up perfectly.
PARIS
He eats nothing but doves, love, and that breeds hot blood. Hot blood begets hot thoughts, and hot thoughts beget hot deeds, and hot deeds is love.
PARIS
Love eats nothing but doves, and that causes a hotness in the blood. Hot blood leads to passionate thoughts. Passionate thoughts cause lustful actions. And lustful actions are love.
PANDARUS
Is this the generation of love? hot blood, hot thoughts, and hot deeds? Why, they are vipers: is love a generation of vipers? Sweet lord, who's a-field to-day?
PANDARUS
Is this really where love comes from? Hot blood, heated thoughts, and lustful actions? These things sound like a can of worms. Is love a can of worms? Sweet lord, who is out on the battlefield today?
PARIS
Hector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the gallantry of Troy: I would fain have armed to-day, but my Nell would not have it so. How chance my brother Troilus went not?
PARIS
Hector, Deiphobus, Helenus, Antenor, and all the knights of Troy. I was eager to go out today, but my sweetheart wouldn't let me. How come my brother Troilus didn't go out?
HELEN
He hangs the lip at something: you know all, Lord Pandarus.
HELEN
He's keeping tight-lipped, I'm sure you know why, Lord Pandarus.
PANDARUS
Not I, honey-sweet queen. I long to hear how theysped to-day. You'll remember your brother's excuse?
PANDARUS
I don't, sweet queen. I wonder how the battle has gone today. Remember to excuse Troilus from dinner?
PARIS
To a hair.
PARIS
I will excuse his whole body.
PANDARUS
Farewell, sweet queen.
PANDARUS
Goodbye, sweet queen.
HELEN
Commend me to your niece.
HELEN
Say hello to your niece for me.
PANDARUS
I will, sweet queen.
PANDARUS
I will, sweet queen.
Exit
A retreat sounded
PARIS
They're come from field: let us to Priam's hall, To greet the warriors. Sweet Helen, I must woo you To help unarm our Hector: his stubborn buckles, With these your white enchanting fingers touch'd, Shall more obey than to the edge of steel Or force of Greekish sinews; you shall do more Than all the island kings,—disarm great Hector.
PARIS
They are leaving the battlefield. Let's go to Priam's hall to greet the soldiers. Sweet Helen, would you mind helping Hector out of his armor, your delicate white hands will open the buckles on his armor more easily than any weapon or Greek would. Go do something no Greek king has done, disarm great Hector.
HELEN
'Twill make us proud to be his servant, Paris; Yea, what he shall receive of us in duty Gives us more palm in beauty than we have, Yea, overshines ourself.
HELEN
I'd be glad to help him, Paris. Doing him this service will enhance my beauty. Yes the act of service will outshine my beautiful self.
PARIS
Sweet, above thought I love thee.
PARIS
Sweetheart, I love you more than I can say.
Exeunt
