Original
Modern English
Fellows, stand fast; I see a passenger.
Guys, stay where you are; I see someone coming.
If there be ten, shrink not, but down with ’em.
If there are ten, don’t back down, take them down.
Stand, sir, and throw us that you have about ye: If not: we’ll make you sit and rifle you.
Stop right there, sir, and hand over what you’ve got: If not, we’ll make you sit down and rob you.
Sir, we are undone; these are the villains That all the travellers do fear so much.
Sir, we’re done for; these are the criminals That all travelers are so afraid of.
My friends,--
My friends,--
That’s not so, sir: we are your enemies.
That’s not true, sir: we’re your enemies.
Peace! we’ll hear him.
Quiet! Let’s hear him out.
Ay, by my beard, will we, for he’s a proper man.
Yes, by my beard, we’ll listen, because he’s a fine man.
Then know that I have little wealth to lose: A man I am cross’d with adversity; My riches are these poor habiliments, Of which if you should here disfurnish me, You take the sum and substance that I have.
Then know that I have little money to lose: I’m a man troubled by misfortune; My wealth is these poor clothes, And if you take them from me, You’ll take everything I have.
Whither travel you?
Where are you headed?
To Verona.
To Verona.
Whence came you?
Where did you come from?
From Milan.
From Milan.
Have you long sojourned there?
Have you been there long?
Some sixteen months, and longer might have stay’d, If crooked fortune had not thwarted me.
About sixteen months, and I could have stayed longer, If bad luck hadn’t gotten in my way.
What, were you banish’d thence?
What, were you exiled from there?
I was.
Yes, I was.
For what offence?
For what crime?
For that which now torments me to rehearse: I kill’d a man, whose death I much repent; Bu t yet I slew him manfully in fight, Without false vantage or base treachery.
For what I’m ashamed to talk about: I killed a man, and I deeply regret his death; But I killed him fairly in battle, Without cheating or dishonesty.
Why, ne’er repent it, if it were done so. But were you banish’d for so small a fault?
Well, don’t regret it if you did it that way. But were you really exiled for such a small crime?
I was, and held me glad of such a doom.
Yes, and I was glad to accept that punishment.
Have you the tongues?
Do you speak multiple languages?
My youthful travel therein made me happy, Or else I often had been miserable.
My travels in my youth made me fluent, Or else I’d often have been miserable.
By the bare scalp of Robin Hood’s fat friar, This fellow were a king for our wild faction!
By Robin Hood’s friar, this guy would be a king for our gang!
We’ll have him. Sirs, a word.
We’ll take him. Gentlemen, a word.
Master, be one of them; it’s an honourable kind of thievery.
Master, join them; it’s a respectable form of thievery.
Peace, villain!
Quiet, you scoundrel!
Tell us this: have you any thing to take to?
Tell us this: do you have anything to steal?
Nothing but my fortune.
Nothing but my luck.
Know, then, that some of us are gentlemen, Such as the fury of ungovern’d youth Thrust from the company of awful men: Myself was from Verona banished For practising to steal away a lady, An heir, and near allied unto the duke.
Know this, that some of us are gentlemen, But we were cast out because of the wildness Of our reckless youth: I was banished from Verona For trying to kidnap a lady, A wealthy woman, closely related to the duke.
And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, Who, in my mood, I stabb’d unto the heart.
And I was banished from Mantua, for a crime, I killed a man who offended me in my anger.
And I for such like petty crimes as these, But to the purpose--for we cite our faults, That they may hold excus’d our lawless lives; And partly, seeing you are beautified With goodly shape and by your own report A linguist and a man of such perfection As we do in our quality much want--
And I for smaller crimes like these, But to get to the point—our reason for telling you our faults Is that we hope you’ll excuse our lawless ways; And also, seeing how you’re so well-shaped And, by your own account, a learned man Of such skill that we, in our situation, lack—
Indeed, because you are a banish’d man, Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you: Are you content to be our general? To make a virtue of necessity And live, as we do, in this wilderness?
Truly, because you’re an exiled man, We want to speak with you above the others: Would you be willing to be our leader? To turn necessity into virtue And live, as we do, in this wilderness?
What say’st thou? wilt thou be of our consort? Say ay, and be the captain of us all: We’ll do thee homage and be ruled by thee, Love thee as our commander and our king.
What do you say? Will you join us? Say yes, and be the leader of us all: We’ll honor you and follow your command, Love you as our captain and king.
But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest.
But if you reject our offer, you’ll die.
Thou shalt not live to brag what we have offer’d.
You won’t live long enough to boast about what we offered.
I take your offer and will live with you, Provided that you do no outrages On silly women or poor passengers.
I accept your offer and will live with you, On the condition that you don’t harm Innocent women or poor travelers.
No, we detest such vile base practises. Come, go with us, we’ll bring thee to our crews, And show thee all the treasure we have got, Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose.
No, we hate such disgusting actions. Come, join us, we’ll take you to our group, And show you all the treasure we have, Which, along with us, will be at your disposal.