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Act 5, Scene 2
Troilus and Cressida Translation Act 5, Scene 3
Enter HECTOR and ANDROMACHE
ANDROMACHE
When was my lord so much ungently temper'd,To stop his ears against admonishment?Unarm, unarm, and do not fight to-day.
ANDROMACHE
Since when have you been so angry, husband, that you won't listen to my advice? Take off your armor, put down your weapons, and don't go out to fight today.
HECTOR
You train me to offend you; get you in:By all the everlasting gods, I'll go!
HECTOR
You're provoking me want to upset you. Go back inside, by all the gods, I swear I will go out and fight.
ANDROMACHE
My dreams will, sure, prove ominous to the day.
ANDROMACHE
I am sure my dreams predict something bad happening today.
HECTOR
No more, I say.
HECTOR
Stop speaking, enough.
Enter CASSANDRA
CASSANDRA
Where is my brother Hector?
CASSANDRA
Where is my brother Hector?
ANDROMACHE
Here, sister; arm'd, and bloody in intent. Consort with me in loud and dear petition, Pursue we him on knees; for I have dream'd Of bloody turbulence, and this whole night Hath nothing been but shapes and forms of slaughter.
ANDROMACHE
Here he is, sister, in his armor and intent on fighting. Join my loud and clear pleas, let's follow him on our knees. I have had dreams of a bloody disaster, for the whole night, nothing but dreams about different kinds of slaughter.
CASSANDRA
O, 'tis true.
CASSANDRA
Oh, it is true.
HECTOR
Ho! bid my trumpet sound!
HECTOR
Ha! Tell them to blow my trumpet!
CASSANDRA
No notes of sally, for the heavens, sweet brother.
CASSANDRA
For heaven's sake, don't make any suggestion that you will go out there, sweet brother.
HECTOR
Be gone, I say: the gods have heard me swear.
HECTOR
Go away, I say. The gods have heard my promise.
CASSANDRA
The gods are deaf to hot and peevish vows:They are polluted offerings, more abhorr'dThan spotted livers in the sacrifice.
CASSANDRA
The gods are deaf to unwise and angry promises. They aren't proper promises or offerings to the gods, and are bad sacrifices.
ANDROMACHE
O, be persuaded! do not count it holy To hurt by being just: it is as lawful, For we would give much, to use violent thefts, And rob in the behalf of charity.
ANDROMACHE
Oh, listen to her! Don't think it is holy to let yourself be injured for being just. It is as holy as stealing for the purpose of charity.
CASSANDRA
It is the purpose that makes strong the vow;But vows to every purpose must not hold:Unarm, sweet Hector.
CASSANDRA
It is only the reason behind a promise that makes it justified. Any old promise does not need to be binding. Disarm, sweet Hector.
HECTOR
Hold you still, I say; Mine honour keeps the weather of my fate: Life every man holds dear; but the brave man Holds honour far more precious-dear than life.
HECTOR
Stop there, I said. My honor is more important to me than my destiny. Every man values his life, but a brave man values his honor far more.
Enter TROILUS
HECTOR
How now, young man! mean'st thou to fight to-day?
HECTOR
Hello there, young man! Are you planning to fight today?
ANDROMACHE
Cassandra, call my father to persuade.
ANDROMACHE
Cassandra, bring my father here to help persuade them.
Exit CASSANDRA
HECTOR
No, faith, young Troilus; doff thy harness, youth; I am to-day i' the vein of chivalry: Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong, And tempt not yet the brushes of the war. Unarm thee, go, and doubt thou not, brave boy, I'll stand to-day for thee and me and Troy.
HECTOR
No, honestly, young Troilus, take off your armor, young man. I am going out today as a knight should. You should let your young body grow older, don't take the risks of war yet. Disarm yourself and go, and don't doubt, brave boy, I'll fight hard enough today for you, me and all of Troy.
TROILUS
Brother, you have a vice of mercy in you,Which better fits a lion than a man.
TROILUS
Brother your mercy isn't appropriate here. You aren't a lion, you are a man.
HECTOR
What vice is that, good Troilus? chide me for it.
HECTOR
What inappropriate mercy have I shown, good Troilus? Tell me off for it.
TROILUS
When many times the captive Grecian falls,Even in the fan and wind of your fair sword,You bid them rise, and live.
TROILUS
Many times when a Greek soldier was defenseless in front of your sword, and you let them get up and live.
HECTOR
O,'tis fair play.
HECTOR
Oh, this is just fair play.
TROILUS
Fool's play, by heaven, Hector.
TROILUS
This is how idiots fight, by heaven, Hector.
HECTOR
How now! how now!
HECTOR
Woah, woah.
TROILUS
For the love of all the gods, Let's leave the hermit pity with our mothers, And when we have our armours buckled on, The venom'd vengeance ride upon our swords, Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth.
TROILUS
For the love of all the gods, leave your pity at home with our mothers, when we are armed, we carry vengeance in our swords, and we must use them to do sad work, without becoming sad about it.
HECTOR
Fie, savage, fie!
HECTOR
No, savage, you're wrong!
TROILUS
Hector, then 'tis wars.
TROILUS
Hector, this is a war.
HECTOR
Troilus, I would not have you fight to-day.
HECTOR
Troilus, I don't want you to fight today.
TROILUS
Who should withhold me? Not fate, obedience, nor the hand of Mars Beckoning with fiery truncheon my retire; Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees, Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears; Not you, my brother, with your true sword drawn, Opposed to hinder me, should stop my way, But by my ruin.
TROILUS
What is going to stop me? Fate won't, nor would obedience, nor the hand of Mars if he used a burning weapon to make me go back. Not my father or mother begging on their knees and their eyes full of tears. Not you, brother, if you drew your sword to fight me, unless you managed to kill me first.
Re-enter CASSANDRA, with PRIAM
CASSANDRA
Lay hold upon him, Priam, hold him fast: He is thy crutch; now if thou lose thy stay, Thou on him leaning, and all Troy on thee, Fall all together.
CASSANDRA
Grab him, Priam, hold him still. He is like your crutch, he supports you. Now if you let him go all of Troy will fall down with you.
PRIAM
Come, Hector, come, go back: Thy wife hath dream'd; thy mother hath had visions; Cassandra doth foresee; and I myself Am like a prophet suddenly enrapt To tell thee that this day is ominous: Therefore, come back.
PRIAM
Come, Hector, go back inside. Your wife has dreamed, your mother has had visions, Cassandra foresees, and even I feel like a prophet and feel inspired to tell you that today is ominous. Therefore, come back inside.
HECTOR
AEneas is a-field; And I do stand engaged to many Greeks, Even in the faith of valour, to appear This morning to them.
HECTOR
Aeneas has gone to battle. And I have promised myself to many Greeks, bound with a oath of bravery, to go out there this morning.
PRIAM
Ay, but thou shalt not go.
PRIAM
Yes, but you should not go.
HECTOR
I must not break my faith. You know me dutiful; therefore, dear sir, Let me not shame respect; but give me leave To take that course by your consent and voice, Which you do here forbid me, royal Priam.
HECTOR
I must not break my promise. You know that I am honest. Therefore, dear sir, don't make me disrespect you by ignoring you. Allow me to go out with your blessing, royal Priam.
CASSANDRA
O Priam, yield not to him!
CASSANDRA
Oh Priam, don't let him go!
ANDROMACHE
Do not, dear father.
ANDROMACHE
Don't, dear father.
HECTOR
Andromache, I am offended with you:Upon the love you bear me, get you in.
HECTOR
Andromache, I'm upset with you. If you love me, go inside.
Exit ANDROMACHE
TROILUS
This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girlMakes all these bodements.
TROILUS
This foolish, dreaming, superstitious girl is the person making all these bad predictions.
CASSANDRA
O, farewell, dear Hector! Look, how thou diest! look, how thy eye turns pale! Look, how thy wounds do bleed at many vents! Hark, how Troy roars! how Hecuba cries out! How poor Andromache shrills her dolours forth! Behold, distraction, frenzy and amazement, Like witless antics, one another meet, And all cry, Hector! Hector's dead! O Hector!
CASSANDRA
Oh, goodbye, dear Hector! I can see you dying! I can see your eyes turning pale! I can see blood pouring from your many wounds! I can hear Troy screaming! I can hear Hecuba crying! Your wife, Andromache, is screaming with grief! I see confusion, hatred, shock, and awful things all coming for you! Everyone will scream: "Hector! Hector's dead! Oh Hector!"
TROILUS
Away! away!
TROILUS
Go away, go away!
CASSANDRA
Farewell: yet, soft! Hector! take my leave:Thou dost thyself and all our Troy deceive.
CASSANDRA
Goodbye, still living Hector! Let me go, you are going to ruin yourself and all of Troy.
Exit
HECTOR
You are amazed, my liege, at her exclaim: Go in and cheer the town: we'll forth and fight, Do deeds worth praise and tell you them at night.
HECTOR
You are in shock, my liege, at what she has said. Go in and make the town happy, we'll go out and fight, and perform great deeds that we can tell you about tonight.
PRIAM
Farewell: the gods with safety stand about thee!
PRIAM
Goodbye. May the gods watch over you.
Exeunt severally PRIAM and HECTOR. Alarums
TROILUS
They are at it, hark! Proud Diomed, believe,I come to lose my arm, or win my sleeve.
TROILUS
The men outside are fighting, listen! Proud Diomedes believe me that I will either lose my arm or regain my sleeve!
Enter PANDARUS
PANDARUS
Do you hear, my lord? do you hear?
PANDARUS
Have you heard, my lord? Have you head?
TROILUS
What now?
TROILUS
What is it?
PANDARUS
Here's a letter come from yond poor girl.
PANDARUS
A letter has come from the poor girl.
TROILUS
Let me read.
TROILUS
Let me read it.[TROILUS reads the letter]
PANDARUS
A whoreson tisick, a whoreson rascally tisick so troubles me, and the foolish fortune of this girl; and what one thing, what another, that I shall leave you one o' these days: and I have a rheum in mine eyes too, and such an ache in my bones that, unless a man were cursed, I cannot tell what to think on't. What says she there?
PANDARUS
A terrible cough, a really awful cough is troubling me, and the fortunes of this girl. What is true of one thing is true of the other: I will leave you one of these days. My eyes are rheumatic, and my bones ache so much. I must be cursed, because I cannot thing what else I might have. What does she say in the letter?
TROILUS
Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart:The effect doth operate another way.
TROILUS
Words, only words, nothing meaningful. What she says and the truth aren't the same.
Tearing the letter
TROILUS
Go, wind, to wind, there turn and change together.My love with words and errors still she feeds;But edifies another with her deeds.
TROILUS
Scatter and dance in the wind. She still feeds my love for her with her words, but loves another person with her actions.
Exeunt severally
