: Act 2, Scene 1 Translation
A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 1 of from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
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Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Valentine and Speed, carrying a glove. SPEED VALENTINE Not mine. My gloves are on. SPEED VALENTINE SPEED, calling Madam Sylvia! Madam Sylvia! VALENTINE How now, sirrah? SPEED She is not within hearing, sir. VALENTINE Why, sir, who bade you call her? 10 SPEED Your Worship, sir, or else I mistook. VALENTINE Well, you’ll still be too forward. SPEED And yet I was last chidden for being too slow. VALENTINE Go to, sir. Tell me, do you know Madam SPEED She that your Worship loves? VALENTINE Why, how know you that I am in love? SPEED Marry, by these special marks: first, you have VALENTINE Are all these things perceived in me? SPEED They are all perceived without you. VALENTINE Without me? They cannot. 35 SPEED Without you? Nay, that’s certain, for without VALENTINE But tell me, dost thou know my Lady SPEED She that you gaze on so as she sits at supper? VALENTINE Hast thou observed that? Even she I mean. 45 SPEED Why, sir, I know her not. VALENTINE Dost thou know her by my gazing on her SPEED Is she not hard-favored, sir? VALENTINE Not so fair, boy, as well-favored. 50 SPEED Sir, I know that well enough. VALENTINE What dost thou know? SPEED That she is not so fair as, of you, well-favored. VALENTINE I mean that her beauty is exquisite but her SPEED That’s because the one is painted, and the other VALENTINE How painted? And how out of count? SPEED Marry, sir, so painted to make her fair, that no VALENTINE How esteem’st thou me? I account of her SPEED You never saw her since she was deformed. VALENTINE How long hath she been deformed? SPEED Ever since you loved her. 65 VALENTINE I have loved her ever since I saw her, and SPEED If you love her, you cannot see her. VALENTINE Why? SPEED Because love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes, 70 VALENTINE What should I see then? SPEED Your own present folly and her passing deformity; 75 VALENTINE Belike, boy, then you are in love, for last SPEED True, sir, I was in love with my bed. I thank you, VALENTINE In conclusion, I stand affected to her. SPEED I would you were set, so your affection would 85 VALENTINE Last night she enjoined me to write some SPEED And have you? VALENTINE I have. 90 SPEED Are they not lamely writ? VALENTINE No, boy, but as well as I can do them. | Back in Milan, Speed helps Valentine put on his gloves and finds a third glove that belongs to Sylvia—the girl with whom Valentine has recently fallen head over heels in love. Speed teases Valentine about his crush and says that Valentine's been moping around like a lovesick puppy: sighing, folding his arms, singing love songs, refusing to eat, and crying like a girl weeping over her dead grandmother (he seriously says that). Then Speed proceeds to insult Valentine and Sylvia by implying that Sylvia is ugly but Valentine thinks she's beautiful because he's wearing love goggles. Regardless, Valentine says he definitely likes her. And last night she asked him to write a love letter to someone she loves. Speed asks him if he did it, and Valentine says he did the best he could. |
Enter Sylvia. SPEED, aside O excellent motion! O exceeding puppet! VALENTINE Madam and mistress, a thousand SPEED, aside O, give ye good ev’n! Here’s a million of SYLVIA Sir Valentine, and servant, to you two 100 SPEED, aside He should give her interest, and she VALENTINE He gives her a paper. SYLVIA VALENTINE SYLVIA VALENTINE SYLVIA She holds out the paper. And yet I thank you, SPEED, aside VALENTINE SYLVIA She again offers him the paper. VALENTINE Madam, they are for you. SYLVIA VALENTINE, taking the paper SYLVIA VALENTINE If it please me, madam? What then? SYLVIA Sylvia exits. | Sylvia enters and lovelorn Valentine proceeds to shower her with compliments. She returns the affection, which Speed notices, though it seems to go over Valentine's head. Valentine says he wrote the love letter for her, but he didn't like writing to someone he doesn't know on her behalf. In fact, he wouldn't have done it, but because she asked, he couldn't say no. Sylvia reads the letter and is disappointed with how unemotional it is. Valentine, the goofball, didn't get that she was flirting and asking him to write the letter to himself. From her. With lots of gooey love. She shoves the letter back at Valentine, telling him to try again—this time, the letter should be more passionate. When he's done writing, he should read it over and make sure it pleases him. Valentine still doesn't get it. Why should the letter please him when it's being written for some anonymous bloke? |
SPEED, aside VALENTINE How now, sir? What, are you reasoning 145 SPEED Nay, I was rhyming. ’Tis you that have the VALENTINE To do what? SPEED To be a spokesman from Madam Sylvia. 150 VALENTINE To whom? SPEED To yourself. Why, she woos you by a figure. VALENTINE What figure? SPEED By a letter, I should say. VALENTINE Why, she hath not writ to me! 155 SPEED What need she when she hath made you write VALENTINE No, believe me. SPEED No believing you indeed, sir. But did you perceive VALENTINE She gave me none, except an angry word. SPEED Why, she hath given you a letter. VALENTINE That’s the letter I writ to her friend. SPEED And that letter hath she delivered, and there an VALENTINE I would it were no worse. SPEED I’ll warrant you, ’tis as well. VALENTINE I have dined. SPEED Ay, but hearken, sir, though the chameleon love They exit. | Poor Valentine continues to be baffled by Sylvia's behavior until Speed explains why Sylvia is so upset. He says that Valentine has written to Sylvia, sure, but she may not be able to write back—either because she doesn't have time, because she's too modest, or because she's worried that a messenger would read her letter and her reputation would be ruined. So...she's been very clever in getting Valentine to write to himself (except that Valentine has been a bit slow to pick up on her strategy). Speed announces it's dinner time, but Valentine isn't hungry. He's full of love. Speed says that's great, buddy, but I need real food. So they go. |