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Original Text
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Modern Translation
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QUEEN:
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O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.
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QUEEN:
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O Hamlet, you cut my heart in two.
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HAMLET:
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O, throw away the worser part of it,
And live the purer with the other half,
Good night—but go not to my uncle's bed.
Assume a virtue, if you have it not.(175)
That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat
Of habits evil, is angel yet in this,
That to the use of actions fair and good
He likewise gives a frock or livery,
That aptly is put on. Refrain to-night,(180)
And that shall lend a kind of easiness
To the next abstinence; the next more easy;
For use almost can change the stamp of nature,
And [either master] the devil, or throw him out
With wondrous potency. Once more, good night;(185)
And when you are desirous to be blest,
I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord,
I do repent; but heaven hath pleas'd it so,
To punish me with this, and this with me,
That I must be their scourge and minister.(190)
I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him. So again, good night.
I must be cruel, only to be kind;
Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.
One word more, good lady.(195)
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HAMLET:
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O, throw away the worse part of it,
And live the purer life with the other half.
Good night. but don’t go to my uncle's bed,
Act as though you have a virtue if you don’t have it.
That monster habit, who eats all sense,
Of all evil habits is an angel in this,
That in order to use fair and good actions,
He likewise gives a dress or uniform
That is ready to wear. Refrain from sex tonight,
And that make it much easier
To abstain from it the next time. The next more easy,
For use can almost change what is natural,
And can either curb the devil or throw him out
With wondrous effectiveness. Once more, goodnight.
And when you want to be blessed,
I’ll beg blessing from you. For this same lord
[Pointing to Polonius.]
I am sorry, but heaven has decided it to be this way,
To punish me with this act, and punish this act with me,
That I must be their whip and whip-er.
I will hide him, and will answer the death
I gave him well. So again, goodnight.
I must be cruel, only to be kind.
Thus bad begins, and worse still remains.
One word more, good lady.
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QUEEN:
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What shall I do?
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QUEEN:
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What shall I do?
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HAMLET:
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Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:
Let the bloat King tempt you again to bed;
Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse;
And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,(200)
Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers,
Make you to ravel all this matter out,
That I essentially am not in madness,
But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know;
For who that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,(205)
Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib
Such dear concernings hide? Who would do so?
No, in despite of sense and secrecy,
Unpeg the basket on the house's top,
Let the birds fly, and like the famous ape,(210)
To try conclusions, in the basket creep
And break your own neck down.
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HAMLET:
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Not this, by no means, that I bid you do.
Do not let the bloated king tempt you again to bed,
Pinch your cheek wantonly, call you his mouse,
Or let him, for a pair of disgusting kisses,
Or stroking your neck with his damned fingers,
Make you to tell what has happened,
That I essentially am not crazy,
But crazy by design. Don’t think it’s good to tell him,
For who except a queen, fair, sober, wise,
Would hide from a frog, from a bat, a cat,
Such dear concerns? Who would do so?
No, in spite of sense and secrecy,
Don’t open the basket on the roof,
Let the birds fly, and, like the famous ape
To test conclusions, don’t creep into the basket
And break your own neck.
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QUEEN:
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Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath,
And breath of life, I have no life to breathe
What thou hast said to me.(215)
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QUEEN:
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Be assured, if words are made of breath,
And breath is made of life, I have no life to breathe
What you have said to me.
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HAMLET:
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I must to England; you know that?
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HAMLET:
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I must go to England, you know that?
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QUEEN:
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Alack,
I had forgot! 'tis so concluded on.
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QUEEN:
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Alack,
I had forgotten. It’s been decided
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HAMLET:
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There's letters seal'd; and my two schoolfellows,
Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd,(220)
They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way
And marshal me to knavery. Let it work;
For 'tis the sport to have the enginer
Hoist with his own petar; and ' shall go hard
But I will delve one yard below their mines(225)
And blow them at the moon. O, 'tis most sweet
When in one line two crafts directly meet.
This man shall set me packing:
I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room.
Mother, good night. Indeed, this counsellor(230)
Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,
Who was in life a foolish prating knave.
Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.
Good night, mother.
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HAMLET:
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There are letters sealed and my two schoolfellows,
Whom I will trust as I will trust black snakes with fangs,
They bear the order that they must go with me
And get me involved in trickery. Let it be,
Because it’s the sport to have the swordsman
Killed with his own sword, and it won’t be easy
But I will dig one yard below their mines
And blow them at the moon. O, it is most sweet,
When you can kill two birds with one stone.
This man shall get me packing.
I’ll lug the guts into the next room.
Mother, goodnight. Indeed, this counselor
Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,
Who was a foolish gabby rogue in life.
Come, sir, to finish up with you.
Good night, mother.
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The exit, [Hamlet, tugging in Polonius.]
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