Original
Modern English
My lord of Salisbury, we have stay’d ten days, And hardly kept our countrymen together, And yet we hear no tidings from the king; Therefore we will disperse ourselves: farewell.
My lord Salisbury, we’ve been here for ten days, And we’ve barely managed to keep our men together, And still we hear nothing from the king; So we’re going to break up and leave: goodbye.
Stay yet another day, thou trusty Welshman: The king reposeth all his confidence in thee.
Stay one more day, you loyal Welshman: The king trusts you completely.
’Tis thought the king is dead; we will not stay. The bay-trees in our country are all wither’d And meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven; The pale-faced moon looks bloody on the earth And lean-look’d prophets whisper fearful change; Rich men look sad and ruffians dance and leap, The one in fear to lose what they enjoy, The other to enjoy by rage and war: These signs forerun the death or fall of kings. Farewell: our countrymen are gone and fled, As well assured Richard their king is dead.
It’s believed the king is dead; we won’t stay. The bay trees in our land are all dying, And strange lights in the sky scare the stars; The pale moon looks red over the earth And skinny prophets whisper of terrible change; The rich are worried, and criminals dance and celebrate, The rich fear losing what they have, The criminals celebrate war and violence: These are signs that the death or fall of kings is near. Goodbye: our men have run away, Sure that Richard, their king, is dead.
Ah, Richard, with the eyes of heavy mind I see thy glory like a shooting star Fall to the base earth from the firmament. Thy sun sets weeping in the lowly west, Witnessing storms to come, woe and unrest: Thy friends are fled to wait upon thy foes, And crossly to thy good all fortune goes.
Ah, Richard, with a heart full of sorrow I see your glory fall like a shooting star Down to the earth from the heavens. Your sun sets crying in the western sky, A sign of storms, misery, and unrest ahead: Your friends have fled to join your enemies, And everything goes against you, even luck.