Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Helicanus, to him two Sailors, one from the
Tyrian ship and one from Mytilene. TYRIAN SAILOR, (to Sailor from Mytilene)
Where is Lord Helicanus? He can resolve you.
O, here he is.—
Sir, there is a barge put off from Mytilene,
And in it is Lysimachus, the Governor,
Who craves to come aboard. What is your will? 5 HELICANUS
That he have his. Sailor from Mytilene exits.
Call up some gentlemen. TYRIAN SAILOR Ho, gentlemen, my lord calls. Enter two or three Gentlemen. GENTLEMANDoth your Lordship call? HELICANUS Gentlemen, 10
There is some of worth would come aboard.
I pray, greet him fairly. | Cut to Pericles's ship, which has just landed off the coast of Meteline. |
Enter Lysimachus, with Lords and Sailor from Mytilene. SAILOR FROM MYTILENE, to Lysimachus Sir,
This is the man that can, in aught you would,
Resolve you. 15 LYSIMACHUS, to Helicanus
Hail, reverend sir. The gods preserve you. HELICANUS And you, to outlive the age I am,
And die as I would do. LYSIMACHUS You wish me well.
Being on shore, honoring of Neptune’s triumphs, 20
Seeing this goodly vessel ride before us,
I made to it to know of whence you are. HELICANUS First, what is your place? LYSIMACHUS
I am the governor of this place you lie before. HELICANUS Sir, 25
Our vessel is of Tyre, in it the King,
A man who for this three months hath not spoken
To anyone, nor taken sustenance
But to prorogue his grief. LYSIMACHUS
Upon what ground is his distemperature? 30 HELICANUS ’Twould be too tedious to repeat,
But the main grief springs from the loss
Of a belovèd daughter and a wife. LYSIMACHUS May we not see him? HELICANUS You may, 35
But bootless is your sight. He will not speak
To any. LYSIMACHUS Yet let me obtain my wish. | Lysimachus takes a small boat out to greet Pericles's entourage and welcome them to the city. Since Pericles hasn't spoken to anyone for the last three months, Helicanus chats up the Governor and tells him that Pericles is bummed about losing his daughter. |
HELICANUS
Behold him. Pericles is revealed. This was a goodly
person, 40
Till the disaster that one mortal night
Drove him to this. LYSIMACHUS
Sir king, all hail! The gods preserve you. Hail,
Royal sir! HELICANUSIt is in vain; he will not speak to you. 45 LORD
Sir, we have a maid in Mytilene,
I durst wager would win some words of him. LYSIMACHUS ’Tis well bethought.
She, questionless, with her sweet harmony
And other chosen attractions, would allure 50
And make a batt’ry through his defended ports,
Which now are midway stopped.
She is all happy as the fairest of all,
And, with her fellow maid, is now upon
The leafy shelter that abuts against 55
The island’s side. HELICANUS
Sure, all effectless; yet nothing we’ll omit
That bears recovery’s name.
Lysimachus signals to a Lord, who exits.
But since your kindness
We have stretched thus far, let us beseech you 60
That for our gold we may provision have,
Wherein we are not destitute for want,
But weary for the staleness. LYSIMACHUS O, sir, a courtesy
Which, if we should deny, the most just God 65
For every graft would send a caterpillar,
And so inflict our province. Yet once more
Let me entreat to know at large the cause
Of your king’s sorrow. HELICANUS
Sit, sir, I will recount it to you. But see, 70
I am prevented. | Lysimachus thinks he knows just the girl who can cheer up Pericles. Gee. We wonder who it is. |
Enter Lord with Marina and her companion. LYSIMACHUS O, here’s the lady that I sent for.—
Welcome, fair one.—Is ’t not a goodly presence? HELICANUS She’s a gallant lady. LYSIMACHUS
She’s such a one that, were I well assured 75
Came of a gentle kind and noble stock,
I’d wish no better choice, and think me rarely wed.—
Fair one, all goodness that consists in beauty:
Expect even here, where is a kingly patient,
If that thy prosperous and artificial feat 80
Can draw him but to answer thee in aught,
Thy sacred physic shall receive such pay
As thy desires can wish. MARINA Sir, I will use
My utmost skill in his recovery, provided 85
That none but I and my companion maid
Be suffered to come near him. LYSIMACHUS Come, let us
Leave her, and the gods make her prosperous. Lysimachus, Helicanus and others move aside. MARINA sings The Song. LYSIMACHUS, coming forward
Marked he your music? 90 MARINA No, nor looked on us. LYSIMACHUS, moving aside
See, she will speak to him. MARINA, to Pericles Hail, sir! My lord, lend ear. PERICLES Hum, ha! He pushes her away. MARINA I am a maid, my lord, 95
That ne’er before invited eyes, but have
Been gazed on like a comet. She speaks,
My lord, that may be hath endured a grief
Might equal yours, if both were justly weighed.
Though wayward Fortune did malign my state, 100
My derivation was from ancestors
Who stood equivalent with mighty kings.
But time hath rooted out my parentage,
And to the world and awkward casualties
Bound me in servitude. Aside. I will desist, 105
But there is something glows upon my cheek,
And whispers in mine ear “Go not till he speak.” | The next thing we know, Marina shows up and asks to speak with Pericles. Hoping to cheer him up, she starts to tell him her own sad story. |
PERICLES
My fortunes—parentage—good parentage,
To equal mine! Was it not thus? What say you? MARINA
I said, my lord, if you did know my parentage, 110
You would not do me violence. PERICLES I do think so.
Pray you turn your eyes upon me.
You’re like something that—What
countrywoman? 115
Here of these shores? MARINA No, nor of any shores.
Yet I was mortally brought forth, and am
No other than I appear. PERICLES
I am great with woe, and shall deliver weeping. 120
My dearest wife was like this maid, and such
A one my daughter might have been: my queen’s
Square brows, her stature to an inch;
As wandlike straight, as silver-voiced; her eyes
As jewel-like, and cased as richly; in pace 125
Another Juno; who starves the ears she feeds
And makes them hungry the more she gives them
speech.—
Where do you live? MARINA Where I am but a stranger. 130
From the deck you may discern the place. PERICLES
Where were you bred? And how achieved you these
Endowments which you make more rich to owe? MARINA
If I should tell my history, it would seem
Like lies disdained in the reporting. 135 PERICLES Prithee, speak.
Falseness cannot come from thee, for thou lookest
Modest as Justice, and thou seemest a palace
For the crownèd Truth to dwell in. I will believe thee
And make my senses credit thy relation 140
To points that seem impossible, for thou lookest
Like one I loved indeed. What were thy friends?
Didst thou not say, when I did push thee back—
Which was when I perceived thee—that thou cam’st
From good descending? 145 MARINA So indeed I did. PERICLES
Report thy parentage. I think thou said’st
Thou hadst been tossed from wrong to injury,
And that thou thought’st thy griefs might equal mine,
If both were opened. 150 MARINA Some such thing I said,
And said no more but what my thoughts
Did warrant me was likely. PERICLES Tell thy story.
If thine considered prove the thousand part 155
Of my endurance, thou art a man, and I
Have suffered like a girl. Yet thou dost look
Like Patience gazing on kings’ graves and smiling
Extremity out of act. What were thy friends?
How lost thou them? Thy name, my most kind 160
virgin,
Recount, I do beseech thee. Come, sit by me. She sits. | Pericles says Marina kind of reminds him of his dead wife and asks her about her family background. |
MARINA
My name is Marina. PERICLES O, I am mocked,
And thou by some incensèd god sent hither 165
To make the world to laugh at me! MARINA Patience, good sir,
Or here I’ll cease. PERICLES Nay, I’ll be patient.
Thou little know’st how thou dost startle me 170
To call thyself Marina. MARINA The name
Was given me by one that had some power—
My father, and a king. PERICLES How, a king’s daughter? 175
And called Marina? MARINA You said you would believe me.
But not to be a troubler of your peace,
I will end here. PERICLES But are you flesh and blood? 180
Have you a working pulse, and are no fairy
Motion? Well, speak on. Where were you born?
And wherefore called Marina? MARINA Called Marina
For I was born at sea. 185 PERICLES At sea? What mother? MARINA
My mother was the daughter of a king,
Who died the minute I was born,
As my good nurse Lychorida hath oft
Delivered weeping. 190 PERICLES O, stop there a little!
Aside. This is the rarest dream that e’er dull sleep
Did mock sad fools withal. This cannot be
My daughter, buried.—Well, where were you bred?
I’ll hear you more, to the bottom of your story, 195
And never interrupt you. MARINA
You scorn. Believe me, ’twere best I did give o’er. PERICLES
I will believe you by the syllable
Of what you shall deliver. Yet give me leave:
How came you in these parts? Where were you bred? 200 MARINA
The King my father did in Tarsus leave me,
Till cruel Cleon with his wicked wife
Did seek to murder me; and having wooed a villain
To attempt it, who, having drawn to do ’t,
A crew of pirates came and rescued me, 205
Brought me to Mytilene—But, good sir,
Whither will you have me? Why do you weep?
It may be you think me an impostor.
No, good faith.
I am the daughter to King Pericles, 210
If good King Pericles be. | Marina tells Pericles her name. She says that she's the daughter of a king and was born at sea.
Pericles is totally stunned. Family reunion. |
PERICLES Ho, Helicanus! HELICANUS Calls my lord? PERICLESThou art a grave and noble counselor,
Most wise in general. Tell me, if thou canst, 215
What this maid is, or what is like to be,
That thus hath made me weep. HELICANUS I know not;
But here’s the regent, sir, of Mytilene
Speaks nobly of her. 220 LYSIMACHUS She never would tell
Her parentage. Being demanded that,
She would sit still and weep. PERICLES
O, Helicanus! Strike me, honored sir.
Give me a gash, put me to present pain, 225
Lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me
O’erbear the shores of my mortality
And drown me with their sweetness.—O, come hither,
Thou that beget’st him that did thee beget,
Thou that wast born at sea, buried at Tarsus, 230
And found at sea again!—O, Helicanus,
Down on thy knees! Thank the holy gods as loud
As thunder threatens us. This is Marina.—
What was thy mother’s name? Tell me but that,
For truth can never be confirmed enough, 235
Though doubts did ever sleep. MARINA
First, sir, I pray, what is your title? PERICLES
I am Pericles of Tyre. But tell me now
My drowned queen’s name, as in the rest you said
Thou hast been godlike perfect, the heir of kingdoms, 240
And another life to Pericles thy father. MARINA
Is it no more to be your daughter than
To say my mother’s name was Thaisa?
Thaisa was my mother, who did end
The minute I began. 245 PERICLES
Now, blessing on thee! Rise. Thou ’rt my child.—
Give me fresh garments.—Mine own Helicanus,
She is not dead at Tarsus, as she should
Have been, by savage Cleon. She shall tell thee all,
When thou shalt kneel, and justify in knowledge 250
She is thy very princess. Who is this? HELICANUS
Sir, ’tis the Governor of Mytilene,
Who, hearing of your melancholy state,
Did come to see you. PERICLES, to Lysimachus I embrace you.— 255
Give me my robes.—I am wild in my beholding.
They put fresh garments on him.
O heavens bless my girl! But hark, what music?
Tell Helicanus, my Marina, tell him o’er
Point by point, for yet he seems to doubt,
How sure you are my daughter.—But what music? 260 HELICANUS My lord, I hear none. PERICLES None?
The music of the spheres!—List, my Marina. LYSIMACHUS
It is not good to cross him. Give him way. PERICLES Rarest sounds! Do you not hear? 265 LYSIMACHUS
Music, my lord? I hear— PERICLES Most heavenly music.
It nips me unto list’ning, and thick slumber
Hangs upon mine eyes. Let me rest. He sleeps. | Pericles can't believe what's happening, so he starts grilling Marina and asking her a bunch of questions. Now Pericles is absolutely exhausted. Eventually, he falls into a deep sleep. |
LYSIMACHUS
A pillow for his head. So, leave him all. 270 Lysimachus and others begin to exit. Well, my companion friends, if this but answer
To my just belief, I’ll well remember you. All but Pericles exit. Diana descends. DIANA
My temple stands in Ephesus. Hie thee thither
And do upon mine altar sacrifice.
There, when my maiden priests are met together, 275
Before the people all,
Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife.
To mourn thy crosses, with thy daughter’s, call,
And give them repetition to the life.
Or perform my bidding, or thou livest in woe; 280
Do ’t, and happy, by my silver bow.
Awake, and tell thy dream. She ascends. PERICLES Celestial Dian,
Goddess argentine, I will obey thee.—
Helicanus! 285 | In his dreams, the goddess Diana tells Pericles to get to her temple in Ephesus ASAP. When he gets there, she wants him to go to the altar and tell his life story. (You remember who's chilling at the temple in Ephesus, right?) |
Enter Helicanus, Lysimachus, Marina, and
Attendants. HELICANUS Sir. PERICLES
My purpose was for Tarsus, there to strike
The inhospitable Cleon, but I am
For other service first. Toward Ephesus
Turn our blown sails. Eftsoons I’ll tell thee why.— 290
Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore,
And give you gold for such provision
As our intents will need? LYSIMACHUS Sir,
With all my heart. And when you come ashore, 295
I have another suit. PERICLES You shall prevail
Were it to woo my daughter, for it seems
You have been noble towards her. LYSIMACHUS
Sir, lend me your arm. 300 PERICLES Come, my Marina. They exit. |
Pericles wakes up and announces that he's going on a road trip, but first he wants a hot shower and a nice meal. As they head to shore, Lysimachus pulls Pericles aside and says he wants to talk to him about something. Pericles guesses that Lysimachus wants to marry his daughter and gives the dude permission right then and there. |