As You Like It: Act 3, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 4 of As You Like It from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Rosalind, dressed as Ganymede, and Celia, dressed as Aliena. ROSALIND Never talk to me. I will weep. CELIA Do, I prithee, but yet have the grace to consider that tears do not become a man. ROSALIND But have I not cause to weep? CELIA As good cause as one would desire. Therefore 5 weep. ROSALIND His very hair is of the dissembling color. CELIA Something browner than Judas’s. Marry, his kisses are Judas’s own children. ROSALIND I’ faith, his hair is of a good color. 10 CELIA An excellent color. Your chestnut was ever the only color. ROSALIND And his kissing is as full of sanctity as the touch of holy bread. CELIA He hath bought a pair of cast lips of Diana. A 15 nun of winter’s sisterhood kisses not more religiously. The very ice of chastity is in them. ROSALIND But why did he swear he would come this morning, and comes not? CELIA Nay, certainly, there is no truth in him. 20 ROSALIND Do you think so? CELIA Yes, I think he is not a pickpurse nor a horse-stealer, but for his verity in love, I do think him as concave as a covered goblet or a worm-eaten nut. ROSALIND Not true in love? 25 CELIA Yes, when he is in, but I think he is not in. ROSALIND You have heard him swear downright he was. CELIA “Was” is not “is.” Besides, the oath of a lover is no stronger than the word of a tapster. They are 30 both the confirmer of false reckonings. He attends here in the forest on the Duke your father. ROSALIND I met the Duke yesterday and had much question with him. He asked me of what parentage I was. I told him, of as good as he. So he laughed 35 and let me go. But what talk we of fathers when there is such a man as Orlando? CELIA O, that’s a brave man. He writes brave verses, speaks brave words, swears brave oaths, and breaks them bravely, quite traverse, athwart the heart of 40 his lover, as a puny tilter that spurs his horse but on one side breaks his staff like a noble goose; but all’s brave that youth mounts and folly guides. Enter Corin. Who comes here?	Still in the forest with Celia, Rosalind gushes for a bit over Orlando, who has such pretty red-brown hair. Rosalind, however, is upset—Orlando promised to show up that morning to pretend-woo "Ganymede" and still hasn't arrived. Celia suggests that maybe he's no longer in love with Rosalind. Celia points out that love is fickle, and tells Rosalind she heard that Orlando has been passing time in the forest with the exiled Duke Senior, Rosalind's own father. Rosalind reveals that she met her father in the woods yesterday, joked with him a little bit, and left, never revealing she was actually his daughter and not a country boy. What? This seems like big news, right? Not to Rosalind. She sighs that there's no reason to discuss her father when there's Orlando to discuss instead.
CORIN Mistress and master, you have oft inquired 45 After the shepherd that complained of love, Who you saw sitting by me on the turf, Praising the proud disdainful shepherdess That was his mistress. CELIA, as Aliena Well, and what of him? 50 CORIN If you will see a pageant truly played Between the pale complexion of true love And the red glow of scorn and proud disdain, Go hence a little, and I shall conduct you If you will mark it. 55 ROSALIND, aside to Celia O come, let us remove. The sight of lovers feedeth those in love. As Ganymede, to Corin. Bring us to this sight, and you shall say I’ll prove a busy actor in their play. 60 They exit.	Corin enters and asks Ganymede and Aliena (Rosalind and Celia) if they'd like to see a funny scene: a faithful lover being scorned and destroyed. They'll get this tasty little entertainment treat if they just follow him. Rosalind is eager to see it, as at the moment she's all about love—apparently in any form.

Original Text

Translated Text

Source: Folger Shakespeare Library

Enter Rosalind, dressed as Ganymede, and Celia,
dressed as Aliena.

ROSALIND Never talk to me. I will weep.

CELIA Do, I prithee, but yet have the grace to consider
that tears do not become a man.

ROSALIND But have I not cause to weep?

CELIA As good cause as one would desire. Therefore 5
weep.

ROSALIND His very hair is of the dissembling color.

CELIA Something browner than Judas’s. Marry, his
kisses are Judas’s own children.

ROSALIND I’ faith, his hair is of a good color. 10

CELIA An excellent color. Your chestnut was ever the
only color.

ROSALIND And his kissing is as full of sanctity as the
touch of holy bread.

CELIA He hath bought a pair of cast lips of Diana. A 15
nun of winter’s sisterhood kisses not more religiously.
The very ice of chastity is in them.

ROSALIND But why did he swear he would come this
morning, and comes not?

CELIA Nay, certainly, there is no truth in him. 20

ROSALIND Do you think so?

CELIA Yes, I think he is not a pickpurse nor a horse-stealer,
but for his verity in love, I do think him as
concave as a covered goblet or a worm-eaten nut.

ROSALIND Not true in love? 25

CELIA Yes, when he is in, but I think he is not in.

ROSALIND You have heard him swear downright he
was.

CELIA “Was” is not “is.” Besides, the oath of a lover is
no stronger than the word of a tapster. They are 30
both the confirmer of false reckonings. He attends
here in the forest on the Duke your father.

ROSALIND I met the Duke yesterday and had much
question with him. He asked me of what parentage
I was. I told him, of as good as he. So he laughed 35
and let me go. But what talk we of fathers when
there is such a man as Orlando?

CELIA O, that’s a brave man. He writes brave verses,
speaks brave words, swears brave oaths, and breaks
them bravely, quite traverse, athwart the heart of 40
his lover, as a puny tilter that spurs his horse but on
one side breaks his staff like a noble goose; but all’s
brave that youth mounts and folly guides.

Enter Corin.

Who comes here?

Still in the forest with Celia, Rosalind gushes for a bit over Orlando, who has such pretty red-brown hair.

Rosalind, however, is upset—Orlando promised to show up that morning to pretend-woo "Ganymede" and still hasn't arrived. Celia suggests that maybe he's no longer in love with Rosalind.

Celia points out that love is fickle, and tells Rosalind she heard that Orlando has been passing time in the forest with the exiled Duke Senior, Rosalind's own father.

Rosalind reveals that she met her father in the woods yesterday, joked with him a little bit, and left, never revealing she was actually his daughter and not a country boy. What? This seems like big news, right?

Not to Rosalind. She sighs that there's no reason to discuss her father when there's Orlando to discuss instead.

CORIN
Mistress and master, you have oft inquired 45
After the shepherd that complained of love,
Who you saw sitting by me on the turf,
Praising the proud disdainful shepherdess
That was his mistress.

CELIA, as Aliena Well, and what of him? 50

CORIN
If you will see a pageant truly played
Between the pale complexion of true love
And the red glow of scorn and proud disdain,
Go hence a little, and I shall conduct you
If you will mark it. 55

ROSALIND, aside to Celia O come, let us remove.
The sight of lovers feedeth those in love.
As Ganymede, to Corin.
Bring us to this sight, and you shall say
I’ll prove a busy actor in their play. 60

They exit.

Corin enters and asks Ganymede and Aliena (Rosalind and Celia) if they'd like to see a funny scene: a faithful lover being scorned and destroyed.

They'll get this tasty little entertainment treat if they just follow him.

Rosalind is eager to see it, as at the moment she's all about love—apparently in any form.

As You Like It: Act 3, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 4 of As You Like It from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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