Original
Modern English
Tut! I have the best armour of the world. Would it were day!
Ugh! I have the best armor in the world. I wish it were daytime!
You have an excellent armour; but let my horse have his due.
You have excellent armor, but let my horse get the respect it deserves.
It is the best horse of Europe.
It’s the best horse in all of Europe.
Will it never be morning?
Will it ever be morning?
My lord of Orleans, and my lord high constable, you talk of horse and armour?
My lord of Orleans, and my lord high constable, you talk about horses and armor?
You are as well provided of both as any prince in the world.
You’re as well-equipped as any prince in the world.
What a long night is this! I will not change my horse with any that treads but on four pasterns. Ca, ha! he bounds from the earth, as if his entrails were hairs; le cheval volant, the Pegasus, chez les narines de feu! When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.
What a long night this is! I wouldn’t trade my horse for any that only has four hooves. Ha! He jumps off the ground like his insides are made of hair; like the flying horse, Pegasus, coming out of the fiery nostrils! When I ride him, I soar, I am like a hawk: he flies through the air; the earth sings when his hooves touch it; even the most basic part of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.
He’s of the colour of the nutmeg.
He’s the color of nutmeg.
And of the heat of the ginger. It is a beast for Perseus: he is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in Patient stillness while his rider mounts him: he is indeed a horse; and all other jades you may call beasts.
And as hot as ginger. He’s a beast fit for Perseus: he’s all air and fire; the dull elements of earth and water never show in him, except when he’s standing still while his rider mounts: he’s truly a horse; all other nags you can call beasts.
Indeed, my lord, it is a most absolute and excellent horse.
Truly, my lord, it’s a most perfect and exceptional horse.
It is the prince of palfreys; his neigh is like the bidding of a monarch and his countenance enforces homage.
It’s the king of riding horses; his neigh sounds like the command of a king, and his appearance demands respect.
No more, cousin.
No more, cousin.
Nay, the man hath no wit that cannot, from the rising of the lark to the lodging of the lamb, vary deserved praise on my palfrey: it is a theme as fluent as the sea: turn the sands into eloquent tongues, and my horse is argument for them all: ’tis a subject for a sovereign to reason on, and for a sovereign’s sovereign to ride on; and for the world, familiar to us and unknown to lay apart their particular functions and wonder at him. I once writ a sonnet in his praise and began thus: ’Wonder of nature,’--
No, a man is a fool if he can’t, from the first light of dawn to the settling of the lamb, find ways to praise my horse: it’s a topic as endless as the sea: turn the sands into flowing I speak of languages, and my horse proves my point: it’s a subject for a king to discuss, and for a king’s king to ride on; and for the world, both familiar and unknown, to set aside their individual roles and marvel at him. I once wrote a poem in his honor and began like this: ‘Marvel of nature,’--
I have heard a sonnet begin so to one’s mistress.
I’ve heard a poem start that way, for a lover.
Then did they imitate that which I composed to my courser, for my horse is my mistress.
Then they must have copied what I wrote about my horse, because my horse is my lover.
Your mistress bears well.
Your lover rides well.
Me well; which is the prescript praise and perfection of a good and particular mistress.
She rides me well, which is the correct praise and perfection of a good and proper lover.
Nay, for methought yesterday your mistress shrewdly shook your back.
No, because I thought yesterday your lover very roughly shook you off.
So perhaps did yours.
Maybe yours did too.
Mine was not bridled.
Mine wasn’t saddled.
O then belike she was old and gentle; and you rode, like a kern of Ireland, your French hose off, and in your straight strossers.
Ah, so perhaps she was old and gentle; and you rode, like an Irish peasant, with your French pants off, and in your tight breeches.
You have good judgment in horsemanship.
You know your horses well.
Be warned by me, then: they that ride so and ride not warily, fall into foul bogs. I had rather have my horse to my mistress.
Let me warn you: those who ride carelessly like that fall into deep mud. I’d rather have my horse as my lover.
I had as lief have my mistress a jade.
I’d rather have my lover be a nag.
I tell thee, constable, my mistress wears his own hair.
I tell you, constable, my lover has her own hair.
I could make as true a boast as that, if I had a sow to my mistress.
I could make the same claim if I had a pig for my lover.
’Le chien est retourne a son propre vomissement, et la truie lavee au bourbier;’ thou makest use of any thing.
‘The dog returns to his own vomit, and the washed sow to the mire’; you’ll make use of anything.
Yet do I not use my horse for my mistress, or any such proverb so little kin to the purpose.
But I don’t use my horse for my lover, or any such saying that’s so far from the point.
My lord constable, the armour that I saw in your tent to-night, are those stars or suns upon it?
My lord constable, the armor I saw in your tent tonight, are those stars or suns on it?
Stars, my lord.
Stars, my lord.
Some of them will fall to-morrow, I hope.
Some of them will fall tomorrow, I hope.
And yet my sky shall not want.
And yet my sky won’t be empty.
That may be, for you bear a many superfluously, and ’twere more honour some were away.
That may be, since you have so many extra, and it would be more honorable if some of them were gone.
Even as your horse bears your praises; who would trot as well, were some of your brags dismounted.
Just like your horse carries your praises; who would trot as well if some of your boasts were taken off.
Would I were able to load him with his desert! Will it never be day? I will trot to-morrow a mile, and my way shall be paved with English faces.
I wish I could load him with what he deserves! Will it never be day? I’ll ride a mile tomorrow, and my path will be paved with English faces.
I will not say so, for fear I should be faced out of my way: but I would it were morning; for I would fain be about the ears of the English.
I won’t say that, for fear I’ll be laughed out of my way: but I wish it were morning; because I’d like to be going after the English.
Who will go to hazard with me for twenty prisoners?
Who will risk it with me for twenty prisoners?
You must first go yourself to hazard, ere you have them.
You must first go yourself and risk it, before you can get them.
’Tis midnight; I’ll go arm myself.
It’s midnight; I’ll go arm myself.
The Dauphin longs for morning.
The Dauphin can’t wait for morning.
He longs to eat the English.
He’s eager to eat the English.
I think he will eat all he kills.
I think he’ll eat all he kills.
By the white hand of my lady, he’s a gallant prince.
By my lady’s white hand, he’s a brave prince.
Swear by her foot, that she may tread out the oath.
Swear by her foot, so she can step on the oath.
He is simply the most active gentleman of France.
He’s clearly the most active man in France.
Doing is activity; and he will still be doing.
Action shows activity; and he’ll always be acting.
He never did harm, that I heard of.
He never did any harm, that I know of.
Nor will do none to-morrow: he will keep that good name still.
And he won’t tomorrow: he’ll keep his good reputation.
I know him to be valiant.
I know him to be brave.
I was told that by one that knows him better than you.
Someone who knows him better than you told me that.
What’s he?
Who’s that?
Marry, he told me so himself; and he said he cared not who knew it
Well, he told me himself; and he said he didn’t care who knew it.
He needs not; it is no hidden virtue in him.
He doesn’t need to; it’s not some hidden virtue of his.
By my faith, sir, but it is; never any body saw it but his lackey: ’tis a hooded valour; and when it appears, it will bate.
Honestly, sir, it is; no one has seen it except his servant: it’s like a secret kind of courage, and when it shows, it will fade.
Ill will never said well.
Evil can never be said well.
I will cap that proverb with ’There is flattery in friendship.’
I’ll finish that saying with, “There’s flattery in friendship.”
And I will take up that with ’Give the devil his due.’
And I’ll counter that with, “Give the devil his due.”
Well placed: there stands your friend for the devil: have at the very eye of that proverb with ’A pox of the devil.’
Well done: your friend stands for the devil in that saying; now hit the heart of it with, “A pox on the devil.”
You are the better at proverbs, by how much ’A fool’s bolt is soon shot.’
You’re better at proverbs, just like “A fool’s arrow is quickly shot.”
You have shot over.
You missed.
’Tis not the first time you were overshot.
This isn’t the first time you’ve missed.
My lord high constable, the English lie within fifteen hundred paces of your tents.
My lord high constable, the English are only fifteen hundred paces from your tents.
Who hath measured the ground?
Who measured the ground?
The Lord Grandpre.
Lord Grandpre.
A valiant and most expert gentleman. Would it were day! Alas, poor Harry of England! he longs not for the dawning as we do.
A brave and skilled man. I wish it were daylight! Poor Harry of England! He doesn’t look forward to the morning like we do.
What a wretched and peevish fellow is this king of England, to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge!
What a miserable and whiny king of England, to be stuck with his dull-witted followers so far from what he knows!
If the English had any apprehension, they would run away.
If the English had any sense, they’d run away.
That they lack; for if their heads had any intellectual armour, they could never wear such heavy head-pieces.
They don’t have any; if their heads had any real brains, they couldn’t wear such heavy helmets.
That island of England breeds very valiant creatures; their mastiffs are of unmatchable courage.
That island of England produces very brave creatures; even their dogs are full of unmatched courage.
Foolish curs, that run winking into the mouth of a Russian bear and have their heads crushed like rotten apples! You may as well say, that’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.
Foolish dogs, that run blindly into the jaws of a Russian bear and have their heads crushed like rotten apples! You might as well say that’s a brave flea that dares eat breakfast on a lion’s lips.
Just, just; and the men do sympathize with the mastiffs in robustious and rough coming on, leaving their wits with their wives: and then give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves and fight like devils.
Exactly, exactly; and the men act like the mastiffs in their rough charge, leaving their brains with their wives: then, give them huge meals of beef and iron and steel, and they’ll eat like wolves and fight like demons.
Ay, but these English are shrewdly out of beef.
Yes, but these English are seriously short of beef.
Then shall we find to-morrow they have only stomachs to eat and none to fight. Now is it time to arm: come, shall we about it?
Then, tomorrow, we’ll see they only have the stomach to eat and not to fight. Now’s the time to arm: come on, shall we get to it?
It is now two o’clock: but, let me see, by ten We shall have each a hundred Englishmen.
It’s now two o’clock: but, let me think, by ten we’ll have a hundred Englishmen each.