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Original Text
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Modern Translation
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ROSENCRANTZ:
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Happily he's the second time come to them; for
they say an old man is twice a child.
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ROSENCRANTZ:
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Happily this is the second time he uses them, for they
say an old man is twice a child.
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HAMLET:
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I will prophesy he comes to tell me of the players.(385)
Mark it. You say right, sir; o' Monday morning; 'twas so
indeed.
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HAMLET:
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I predict he comes to tell me of the players, listen. You
say right, sir. On Monday morning, it was true indeed.
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POLONIUS:
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My lord, I have news to tell you.
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POLONIUS:
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My lord, I have news to tell you
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HAMLET:
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My lord, I have news to tell you. When Roscius was
an actor in Rome—(390)
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HAMLET:
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My lord, I have news to tell you. When Roscius the
famous actor, was in Rome. . .
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POLONIUS:
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The actors are come hither, my lord.
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POLONIUS:
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The actors have come here, my lord.
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HAMLET:
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Buzz, buzz!
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HAMLET:
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Buzz, buzz!
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POLONIUS:
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Upon my honour—
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POLONIUS:
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Upon my honor.
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HAMLET:
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Then came each actor on his ass—
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HAMLET:
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Then each actor came on his ass.
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POLONIUS:
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The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy,(395)
history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral,
tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral; scene
individable, or poem unlimited. Seneca cannot be too
heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty,
these are the only men.(400)
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POLONIUS:
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The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy,
history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral,
tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral,
scene individable, or poem unlimited. Seneca cannot be
too heavy nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and
the liberty, these are the only men.
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HAMLET:
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O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst
thou!
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HAMLET:
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O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure you had!
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POLONIUS:
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What treasure had he, my lord?
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POLONIUS:
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What treasure did he have, my lord?
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HAMLET:
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Why,
‘One fair daughter, and no more,(405)
The which he loved passing well.’
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HAMLET:
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Why,
“One fair daughter, and no more,
The which he loved passing well.”
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POLONIUS:
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Still on my daughter.
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POLONIUS:
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Still harping on my daughter.
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HAMLET:
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Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah?
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HAMLET:
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Am I not in the right, old Jephthah?
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POLONIUS:
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If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter
that I love passing well.
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POLONIUS:
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If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter that I
love passing well.
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HAMLET:
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Nay, that follows not.(410)
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HAMLET:
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No, that doesn’t follow.
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POLONIUS:
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What follows then, my lord?
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POLONIUS:
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What follows, then, my lord?
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HAMLET:
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Why,
As by lot, God wot,
and then, you know,
It came to pass, as most like it was.—(415)
The first row of the pious chanson will show you more;
for look where my abridgment comes.
Enter [four or five] Players.
You are welcome, masters; welcome, all. I am glad to see
thee well. Welcome, good friends. O, my old friend, why,
thy face is valanced since I saw thee last. Com'st' thou to'(420)
beard me in Denmark? What, my young lady and mistress?
By'r lady, your ladyship is nearer to heaven than
when I saw you last by the altitude of a chopine. Pray
God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not
cracked within the ring. Masters, you are all welcome.(425)
We'll e'en to't like French falconers, fly at any thing we see.
We'll have a speech straight. Come, give us a taste of your
quality. Come, a passionate speech.
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HAMLET:
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Why,
“As by lot, God knows,”
and then, you know,
”It came to pass, as most like it was.”
The first line of the
holy song will show you more, for look
where my means of whiling away the time comes.
You are welcome, masters, welcome, all. I am glad to
see you well. Welcome, good friends. O, my old friend!
Your face is bearded since I saw you last, do you come
to beard me in Denmark? What, my young lady and
mistress! By our lady, your ladyship is taller than when I
saw you last, by the height of a high-heeled shoe. Pray
God, your voice, like a an unused gold coin, can’t be
cracked within the ring. Masters, you are all welcome.
We'll act up like French falconers: fly at
anything we see. We'll have a speech right now. Come,
give us a bit of your quality. Come, a passionate speech.
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PLAYER:
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What speech, my good lord?
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PLAYER:
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What speech, my lord?
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HAMLET:
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I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was never(430)
acted; or if it was, not above once; for the play, I remember,
pleased not the million, 'twas caviary to the general; but
it was—as I received it, and others, whose judgments in
such matters cried in the top of mine—an excellent play,
well digested in the scenes, set down with as much mod-(435)
esty as cunning. I remember one said there were no sal-
lets in the lines to make the matter savoury, nor no mat-
ter in the phrase that might indict the author of affecta-
tion; but called it an honest method, as wholesome as
sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine. One(440)
speech in't I chiefly loved; 'twas Æneas' tale to Dido, and
thereabout of it especially where he speaks of Priam's
slaughter. If it live in your memory, begin at this line—let
me see, let me see—
The rugged Pyrrhus, like th' Hyrcanian beast—(445)
'tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus—
The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose sable arms,
Black as his purpose, did the night resemble
When he lay couched in the ominous horse,
Hath now this dread and black complexion smear'd(450)
With heraldry more dismal. Head to foot
Now is he total gules, horridly trick'd
With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons.
Baked and impasted with the parching streets,
That lend a tyrannous and a damned light(455)
To their lord's murder. Roasted in wrath and fire,
And thus o'er-sized with coagulate gore,
With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus
Old grandsire Priam seeks.
So, proceed you.(460)
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HAMLET:
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I heard you do a speech once, but it was never acted, or
if it was, not more than once, for the play, I remember,
didn’t please the crowd, it was caviar to the particular, but
it was, as I took it, and others, whose judgments in such
matters far exceed mine, an excellent play, well
organized in the scenes, set down with as much modesty
as skill. I remember, one said
there were no mixes in the lines to make the matter
spicy, and no matter in the phrase that might accuse the
author of putting on airs, but called it an honest effort, as
wholesome as it was sweet, and, by very much, more
handsome than fine. One speech in it I loved best. It was
Aeneas' tale to Dido, and in it, especially where he
speaks of Priam's slaughter. If you can remember it,
begin at this line, let me see, let me see.
”The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast,…”
That’s not it. It begins with Pyrrhus.
”The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose hairy arms were as
Black as his purpose, who looked like the night
When he lay couched in the forbidding horse,
Now has this dread and black complexion smeared
With an announcement more dismal, head to foot
He is now totally red, horridly dressed
With the blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons,
Baked and thickly painted by the hot dry streets
That lend a tyrannous and a damned light
To their vile murders. Roasted by anger and fire,
And like this oversized with coagulating blood,
With eyes like precious red gems, the hellish Pyrrhus
Looks for Old grandfather Priam.”
So, you carry on.
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POLONIUS:
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'Fore God, my lord, well spoken, with good accent
and good discretion.
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POLONIUS:
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By God, my lord, well spoken, with good accent and good
judgment.
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PLAYER:
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'Anon he finds him,
Striking too short at Greeks. His antique sword,
Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls,(465)
Repugnant to command. Unequal match'd,
Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide;
But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword
The unnerved father falls. Then senseless Ilium,
Seeming to feel this blow, with flaming top(470)
Stoops to his base, and with a hideous crash
Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear. For lo! his sword,
Which was declining on the milky head
Of reverend Priam, seem'd i' the air to stick.
So, as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood,(475)
And like a neutral to his will and matter,
Did nothing.
But as we often see, against some storm,
A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still,
The bold winds speechless, and the orb below(480)
As hush as death—anon the dreadful thunder
Doth rend the region; so, after Pyrrhus' pause,
Aroused vengeance sets him new a-work;
And never did the Cyclops' hammers fall
On Mars's armour, forged for proof eterne,(485)
With less remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword
Now falls on Priam.
Out, out, thou strumpet, Fortune! All you gods,
In general synod take away her power;
Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel,(490)
And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven,
As low as to the fiends!
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PLAYER:
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Eventually he finds him,
Striking too short at the Greeks. His old sword,
Rebelling against his arm, lies where it falls,
Resisting his commands. Not matched equally,
Pyrrhus lunges at Priam, strikes wild in rage,
But, with the whiff and wind of his fierce sword,
The shaken father falls. Then senseless Priam,
Seeming to feel this blow, flaming at his top
Stoops to his base, and, with a hideous crash,
Cuts off prisoner Pyrrhus' ear. Behold! his sword,
Which was declining on the milky head
Of reverend Priam, seemed in the air to stick.
So, like a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood,
And, as if not giving in to his will and body,
Did nothing.
But, as we often see a silence in the heavens,
After some storm, the gales stand still,
The bold winds speechless, and the earth below
As hushed as death, and eventually the dreadful thunder
Tears the region, so, after Pyrrhus' pause,
A roused anger renews him and he begins to work,
And never did the One-eyed monster’s hammers fall
On the god of war’s amour, forged for eternal strength,
With less sorrow than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword
Now falls on Priam.
Out, out, you loose woman, Fortune! All you gods,
In general meeting, take away her power,
Break all the spokes and curved rims from her wheel,
And bowl the hub of the wheel down the hill of heaven,
As low as you can to kill the fiends!
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POLONIUS:
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This is too long.
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POLONIUS:
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This is too long.
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HAMLET:
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It shall to the barber's, with your beard. Prithee say
on. He's for a jig or a tale of bawdry, or he sleeps. Say on;(495)
come to Hecuba.
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HAMLET:
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It shall go to the barber's, to be cut with your beard. I beg
you, continue. He's for a jig or a dirty tale, or he sleeps.
Continue, come to Hecuba.
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PLAYER:
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But who, O who, had seen the mobled queen—
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PLAYER:
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But who, O who had seen the wrapped up queen,
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HAMLET:
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‘The mobled queen’?
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HAMLET:
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”The wrapped up queen.”
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POLONIUS:
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That's good! ‘mobled queen’ is good.
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POLONIUS:
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That's good! “Wrapped up queen” is good.
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PLAYER:
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Run barefoot up and down, threatening the flames(500)
With bisson rheum; a clout upon that head
Where late the diadem stood, and for a robe,
About her lank and all o'erteemed loins,
A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up—
Who this had seen, with tongue in venom steep'd(505)
'Gainst Fortune's state would treason have pronounced.
But if the gods themselves did see her then,
When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport
In mincing with his sword her husband's limbs,
The instant burst of clamour that she made(510)
Unless things mortal move them not at all
Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven
And passion in the gods.
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PLAYER:
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Run barefoot up and down, threatening the flames
With blind tears, a cloth on that head
Where lately the crown had stood, and for a robe,
About her thin loins, exhausted from child-bearing,
A blanket, caught up in the panic of fear,
Whoever had seen this, with a very poisoned tongue,
Would have pronounced treason against Fortune's state.
But if the gods themselves saw her then,
When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport
By chopping her husband’s limbs with his sword,
The instant burst of noise that she made,
Unless mortal events can’t move them at all,
Would have made the burning eyes of heaven milk,
And rouse passion in the gods.
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POLONIUS:
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Look, whether he has not turned his colour, and
has tears in's eyes. Prithee no more!(515)
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POLONIUS:
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Look, where he has turned pale, and has tears in his
eyes. I beg you, no more!
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HAMLET:
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'tis well. I'll have thee speak out the rest of this
soon. Good my lord, will you see the players well
bestow'd? Do you hear? Let them be well used; for they
are the abstract and brief chronicles of the time. After
your death you were better have a bad epitaph than their(520)
ill report while you live.
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HAMLET:
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It is well. I’ll have you speak out the rest of this soon.
My good lord, will you see the players well taken care of?
Do you hear me? Let them be well used, for they are the
short stories and brief history of the time. After you die, it
would be better to have a bad epitaph then than their ill
report while you live now.
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POLONIUS:
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My lord, I will use them according to their
desert.
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POLONIUS:
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My lord, I will use them according to their class.
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HAMLET:
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God's bodykins, man, much better! Use every
man after his desert, and who shall 'scape whipping? Use(525)
them after your own honour and dignity. The less they
deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in.
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HAMLET:
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God’s bodkin, man, better. Use every man according to
his class, and who should escape whipping? Use them
according to your class. The less they deserve it, the
more credit it is to you. Take them in.
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