Original
Modern English
Fear me not, man; I will not break away: I’ll give thee, ere I leave thee, so much money, To warrant thee, as I am ’rested for. My wife is in a wayward mood to-day, And will not lightly trust the messenger That I should be attach’d in Ephesus, I tell you, ’twill sound harshly in her ears.
Don’t worry, man; I’m not going to run away: I’ll give you enough money, before I leave, To make sure you’re covered, since I’m being arrested. My wife is in a strange mood today, And she won’t easily trust the messenger Who says I’m being detained in Ephesus. I’m telling you, she’ll think it sounds suspicious.
Here comes my man; I think he brings the money. How now, sir! have you that I sent you for?
Here comes my man; I think he’s bringing the money. How’s it going, sir? Do you have what I asked for?
Here’s that, I warrant you, will pay them all.
Here it is, I promise, this will pay them all.
But where’s the money?
But where’s the money?
Why, sir, I gave the money for the rope.
Why, sir, I gave the money for the rope.
Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope?
Five hundred ducats, idiot, for a rope?
I’ll serve you, sir, five hundred at the rate.
I’ll serve you, sir, for five hundred at that price.
To what end did I bid thee hie thee home?
Why did I tell you to go home so quickly?
To a rope’s-end, sir; and to that end am I returned.
To get a rope, sir; and that’s why I’m back.
And to that end, sir, I will welcome you.
And that’s exactly why I’ll give you a warm welcome.
Good sir, be patient.
Please, sir, be patient.
Nay, ’tis for me to be patient; I am in adversity.
No, it’s for me to be patient; I’m the one in trouble.
Good, now, hold thy tongue.
Fine, now, keep quiet.
Nay, rather persuade him to hold his hands.
No, tell him to stop hitting me.
Thou whoreson, senseless villain!
You bastard, foolish idiot!
I would I were senseless, sir, that I might not feel your blows.
I wish I were numb, sir, so I couldn’t feel your punches.
Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is an ass.
You’re only aware of pain, like an ass.
I am an ass, indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have served him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his hands for my service but blows. When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he cools me with beating; I am waked with it when I sleep; raised with it when I sit; driven out of doors with it when I go from home; welcomed home with it when I return; nay, I bear it on my shoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and, I think when he hath lamed me, I shall beg with it from door to door.
I am an ass, truly; you can prove it by my big ears. I’ve worked for him since the day I was born, and all I’ve gotten in return for my service are beatings. When I’m cold, he warms me with punches; when I’m warm, he cools me I’m punished with beatings; it wakes me up when I sleep; it lifts me up when I sit; it forces me out of the house when I leave; it greets me when I return home; no, I carry it on my shoulders like a beggar carries her child; and I think when it has hurt me enough, I’ll beg with it from house to house.
Come, go along; my wife is coming yonder.
Come, let’s go; my wife is coming over there.
Mistress, ’respice finem,’ respect your end; or rather, the prophecy like the parrot, ’beware the rope’s-end.’
Mistress, ’think of the end,’ remember the outcome; or rather, like the parrot in the prophecy, ’watch out for the rope’s end.’
Wilt thou still talk?
Are you going to keep talking?
How say you now? is not your husband mad?
What do you think now? Isn’t your husband crazy?
His incivility confirms no less. Good Doctor Pinch, you are a conjurer; Establish him in his true sense again, And I will please you what you will demand.
His rudeness proves that he’s just as bad. Good Doctor Pinch, you’re a magician; Make him see clearly again, and I’ll do whatever you ask of me.
Alas, how fiery and how sharp he looks!
Oh, how fiery and fierce he looks!
Mark how he trembles in his ecstasy!
Look at how he shakes in his madness!
Give me your hand and let me feel your pulse.
Give me your hand so I can feel your pulse.
There is my hand, and let it feel your ear.
Here’s my hand, and you can feel my ear.
I charge thee, Satan, housed within this man, To yield possession to my holy prayers And to thy state of darkness hie thee straight: I conjure thee by all the saints in heaven!
I command you, Satan, who lives inside this man, To leave him and listen to my holy prayers and go back to your dark place immediately: I order you by all the saints in heaven!
Peace, doting wizard, peace! I am not mad.
Enough, foolish sorcerer, enough! I am not crazy.
O, that thou wert not, poor distressed soul!
Oh, I wish you weren’t, poor tortured soul!
You minion, you, are these your customers? Did this companion with the saffron face Revel and feast it at my house to-day, Whilst upon me the guilty doors were shut And I denied to enter in my house?
You servant, you, are these your customers? Did this man with the yellow face Party and eat at my house today, While my doors were locked against me And I was turned away from entering my own house?
O husband, God doth know you dined at home; Where would you had remain’d until this time, Free from these slanders and this open shame!
Oh husband, God knows you ate at home; I wish you had stayed there until now, Free from these accusations and this public embarrassment!
Dined at home! Thou villain, what sayest thou?
Ate at home! You liar, what are you saying?
Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home.
Sir, honestly, you did not eat at home.
Were not my doors lock’d up and I shut out?
Were my doors not locked and I shut out?
Perdie, your doors were lock’d and you shut out.
Indeed, your doors were locked and you were shut out.
And did not she herself revile me there?
And didn’t she herself insult me there?
Sans fable, she herself reviled you there.
Honestly, she did insult you there.
Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and scorn me?
Didn’t her kitchen maid mock, tease, and scorn me?
Certes, she did; the kitchen-vestal scorn’d you.
Certainly, she did; the kitchen maid mocked you.
And did not I in rage depart from thence?
And didn’t I leave in anger from there?
In verity you did; my bones bear witness, That since have felt the vigour of his rage.
Indeed you did; my body bears witness, That since then, it has felt the force of your anger.
Is’t good to soothe him in these contraries?
Is it good to calm him in these contradictions?
It is no shame: the fellow finds his vein, And yielding to him humours well his frenzy.
It’s not shameful: the man finds his way, And giving in to him suits his madness.
Thou hast suborn’d the goldsmith to arrest me.
You’ve bribed the goldsmith to have me arrested.
Alas, I sent you money to redeem you, By Dromio here, who came in haste for it.
Alas, I sent you money to set you free, By Dromio here, who came rushing for it.
Money by me! heart and goodwill you might; But surely master, not a rag of money.
Money from me? I could offer you my heart and goodwill, But I swear, master, I don’t have a single coin.
Went’st not thou to her for a purse of ducats?
Didn’t you go to her for a bag of money?
He came to me and I deliver’d it.
He came to me, and I gave it to him.
And I am witness with her that she did.
And I can confirm, I saw her give it to him.
God and the rope-maker bear me witness That I was sent for nothing but a rope!
God and the rope-maker can testify That I was sent for nothing but a rope!
Mistress, both man and master is possess’d; I know it by their pale and deadly looks: They must be bound and laid in some dark room.
Mistress, both man and master are possessed; I can tell by their pale and lifeless faces: They must be tied up and locked in a dark room.
Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth to-day? And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?
Tell me, why did you lock me out today? And why are you refusing to give me the bag of gold?
I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth.
I didn’t, my dear husband, lock you out.
And, gentle master, I received no gold; But I confess, sir, that we were lock’d out.
And, dear master, I didn’t receive any gold; But I admit, sir, that we were locked out.
Dissembling villain, thou speak’st false in both.
Lying scoundrel, you’re lying about both things.
Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all; And art confederate with a damned pack To make a loathsome abject scorn of me: But with these nails I’ll pluck out these false eyes That would behold in me this shameful sport.
Lying prostitute, you’re a liar in everything; And you’re working with a wicked crew To make me a disgusting joke and a laughingstock: But with these hands, I’ll tear out these false eyes That would dare witness such a shameful act against me.
O, bind him, bind him! let him not come near me.
Oh, bind him, bind him! Don’t let him come near me.
More company! The fiend is strong within him.
More people! The devil is strong in him.
Ay me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks!
Oh, poor man, how pale and sick he looks!
What, will you murder me? Thou gaoler, thou, I am thy prisoner: wilt thou suffer them To make a rescue?
What, are you going to kill me? You jailer, you, I am your prisoner: will you let them Try to break me free?
Masters, let him go He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him.
Let him go, masters. He’s my prisoner, and you can’t have him.
Go bind this man, for he is frantic too.
Go tie this man up, he’s out of his mind too.
What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer? Hast thou delight to see a wretched man Do outrage and displeasure to himself?
What are you going to do, you annoying officer? Do you enjoy seeing a miserable man Hurt and upset himself?
He is my prisoner: if I let him go, The debt he owes will be required of me.
He’s my prisoner: if I let him go, I’ll have to pay the debt he owes.
I will discharge thee ere I go from thee: Bear me forthwith unto his creditor, And, knowing how the debt grows, I will pay it. Good master doctor, see him safe convey’d Home to my house. O most unhappy day!
I’ll take care of it before I leave you: Take me straight to his creditor, And, knowing how much the debt is, I’ll pay it. Good doctor, make sure he gets safely back To my house. Oh, what a terrible day!
O most unhappy strumpet!
Oh, what a miserable woman!
Master, I am here entered in bond for you.
Master, I’m here on bond for you.
Out on thee, villain! wherefore dost thou mad me?
Damn you, scoundrel! Why are you making me mad?
Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, good master: cry ’The devil!’
Will you be bound for nothing? Go ahead, be crazy, good master: shout ‘The devil!’
God help, poor souls, how idly do they talk!
God help, poor souls, how they talk so foolishly!
Go bear him hence. Sister, go you with me.
Take him away. Sister, come with me.
Say now, whose suit is he arrested at?
Now tell me, whose debt is he being arrested for?
One Angelo, a goldsmith: do you know him?
A goldsmith named Angelo: do you know him?
I know the man. What is the sum he owes?
I know him. How much does he owe?
Two hundred ducats.
Two hundred ducats.
Say, how grows it due?
How did it get to be so much?
Due for a chain your husband had of him.
It’s for a chain your husband bought from him.
He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not.
He ordered a chain for me, but he never got it.
When as your husband all in rage to-day Came to my house and took away my ring-- The ring I saw upon his finger now-- Straight after did I meet him with a chain.
When your husband, all angry today, Came to my house and took my ring— The same ring I saw on his finger just now— Soon after, I saw him with a chain.
It may be so, but I did never see it. Come, gaoler, bring me where the goldsmith is: I long to know the truth hereof at large.
That may be, but I never saw it. Come, jailer, take me to the goldsmith: I’m eager to know the full truth of this.
God, for thy mercy! they are loose again.
God have mercy! They’re loose again.
And come with naked swords. Let’s call more help to have them bound again.
And they come with drawn swords. Let’s call for more help to get them tied up again.
Away! they’ll kill us.
Get away! They’ll kill us.
I see these witches are afraid of swords.
I see these women are scared of swords.
She that would be your wife now ran from you.
The one who wanted to marry you just ran from you.
Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff from thence: I long that we were safe and sound aboard.
Let’s go to the Centaur; let’s get our things from there: I wish we were already safe and sound on board.
Faith, stay here this night; they will surely do us no harm: you saw they speak us fair, give us gold: methinks they are such a gentle nation that, but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still and turn witch.
Honestly, let’s stay here tonight; they won’t hurt us: You saw how kindly they spoke to us, gave us gold: They seem like such a nice people that, if it weren’t for the mountain of crazy women trying to marry me, I might even want to stay and become one of them.
I will not stay to-night for all the town; Therefore away, to get our stuff aboard.
I won’t stay here tonight, no matter what the town says; So let’s go, and get our things on board.