The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra: Act 4, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 4 of The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Antony and Cleopatra, with Charmian, and others. ANTONY, calling Eros! Mine armor, Eros! CLEOPATRA Sleep a little. ANTONY No, my chuck.—Eros, come, mine armor, Eros. Enter Eros, carrying armor. Come, good fellow, put thine iron on. If fortune be not ours today, it is 5 Because we brave her. Come. CLEOPATRA Nay, I’ll help too. What’s this for? ANTONY Ah, let be, let be! Thou art The armorer of my heart. False, false. This, this! 10 CLEOPATRA Sooth, la, I’ll help. Thus it must be. ANTONY Well, well, We shall thrive now.—Seest thou, my good fellow? Go, put on thy defenses. EROS Briefly, sir. 15 CLEOPATRA Is not this buckled well?	It’s early morning, and Antony calls to his man Eros to help him put on his armor, while Cleopatra calls him back to bed. As Eros dresses him in armor, Cleopatra tries to help, but Antony says she is the armor around his heart. She helps anyway.
ANTONY Rarely, rarely. He that unbuckles this, till we do please To daff ’t for our repose, shall hear a storm.— Thou fumblest, Eros, and my queen’s a squire 20 More tight at this than thou. Dispatch.—O love, That thou couldst see my wars today, and knew’st The royal occupation, thou shouldst see A workman in ’t. Enter an armed Soldier. Good morrow to thee. Welcome. 25 Thou look’st like him that knows a warlike charge. To business that we love we rise betime And go to ’t with delight. SOLDIER A thousand, sir, Early though ’t be, have on their riveted trim 30 And at the port expect you. Shout. Trumpets flourish.	Antony says the man that undoes his armor that day will feel his rage— Antony is confident about his manliness. He wishes Cleopatra could see him at war today, as she would see him in his truest form, as a workman at his trade. When an armed soldier enters, Antony compliments him for looking ready for war. The soldier announces that a thousand men wait on Antony at the port, with more on the way.
Enter Captains and Soldiers. CAPTAIN The morn is fair. Good morrow, general. ALL Good morrow, general. ANTONY ’Tis well blown, lads. This morning, like the spirit of a youth 35 That means to be of note, begins betimes. So, so.—Come, give me that. This way.—Well said.— Fare thee well, dame. He kisses her. Whate’er becomes of me, This is a soldier’s kiss. Rebukable 40 And worthy shameful check it were to stand On more mechanic compliment. I’ll leave thee Now like a man of steel.—You that will fight, Follow me close. I’ll bring you to ’t.—Adieu. Antony, Eros, Captains, and Soldiers exit.	Things are generally looking up at Camp Antony. He's in high spirits—this is his home turf, being soldierly and warish and such. He kisses Cleopatra’s hand like a gallant fellow, and tells her he leaves her as a man of steel (meaning he’s the man around here). We get a glimpse of what Antony the soldier was like before he became Cleopatra's Antony in Egypt.
CHARMIAN Please you retire to your chamber? 45 CLEOPATRA Lead me. He goes forth gallantly. That he and Caesar might Determine this great war in single fight, Then Antony—but now—. Well, on. They exit.	As Antony leads his men to war, Charmian leads Cleopatra back to her bed.