Coriolanus: Act 5, Scene 2 Translation

Enter Menenius to the Watch, or Guard.

FIRST WATCH Stay! Whence are you?

SECOND WATCH Stand, and go back.

MENENIUS
You guard like men; ’tis well. But by your leave,
I am an officer of state and come
To speak with Coriolanus. 5

FIRST WATCH From whence?

MENENIUS From Rome.

FIRST WATCH
You may not pass; you must return. Our general
Will no more hear from thence.

SECOND WATCH
You’ll see your Rome embraced with fire before 10
You’ll speak with Coriolanus.

MENENIUS Good my friends,
If you have heard your general talk of Rome
And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks
My name hath touched your ears. It is Menenius. 15

FIRST WATCH
Be it so; go back. The virtue of your name
Is not here passable.

MENENIUS I tell thee, fellow,
Thy general is my lover. I have been
The book of his good acts, whence men have read 20
His fame unparalleled happily amplified;
For I have ever verified my friends—
Of whom he’s chief—with all the size that verity
Would without lapsing suffer. Nay, sometimes,
Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground, 25
I have tumbled past the throw, and in his praise
Have almost stamped the leasing. Therefore, fellow,
I must have leave to pass.

FIRST WATCH Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in
his behalf as you have uttered words in your own, 30
you should not pass here, no, though it were as virtuous
to lie as to live chastely. Therefore, go back.

MENENIUS Prithee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius,
always factionary on the party of your
general. 35

SECOND WATCH Howsoever you have been his liar, as
you say you have, I am one that, telling true under
him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore, go back.

MENENIUS Has he dined, can’st thou tell? For I would
not speak with him till after dinner. 40

FIRST WATCH You are a Roman, are you?

MENENIUS I am, as thy general is.

FIRST WATCH Then you should hate Rome as he does.
Can you, when you have pushed out your gates the
very defender of them, and, in a violent popular 45
ignorance given your enemy your shield, think to
front his revenges with the easy groans of old
women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or
with the palsied intercession of such a decayed
dotant as you seem to be? Can you think to blow 50
out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in
with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived.
Therefore, back to Rome and prepare for
your execution. You are condemned. Our general
has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon. 55

MENENIUS Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he
would use me with estimation.

FIRST WATCH Come, my captain knows you not.

MENENIUS I mean thy general.

FIRST WATCH My general cares not for you. Back, I say, 60
go, lest I let forth your half pint of blood. Back!
That’s the utmost of your having. Back!

MENENIUS Nay, but fellow, fellow—

Enter Coriolanus with Aufidius.

CORIOLANUS What’s the matter?

MENENIUS to First Watch Now, you companion, I’ll 65
say an errand for you. You shall know now that I
am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack
guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus.
Guess but by my entertainment with him
if thou stand’st not i’ th’ state of hanging or of some 70
death more long in spectatorship and crueler in
suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for
what’s to come upon thee. (To Coriolanus.) The
glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular
prosperity and love thee no worse than thy old 75
father Menenius does! O my son, my son! (He
weeps.) Thou art preparing fire for us; look thee,
here’s water to quench it. I was hardly moved to
come to thee; but being assured none but myself
could move thee, I have been blown out of your 80
gates with sighs, and conjure thee to pardon Rome
and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods
assuage thy wrath and turn the dregs of it upon
this varlet here, this, who, like a block, hath denied
my access to thee.

CORIOLANUS Away!

MENENIUS How? Away?

CORIOLANUS
Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs
Are servanted to others. Though I owe
My revenge properly, my remission lies 90
In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison rather
Than pity note how much. Therefore, begone.
Mine ears against your suits are stronger than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee, 95Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

He gives Menenius a paper.

And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,
I will not hear thee speak.—This man, Aufidius,
Was my beloved in Rome; yet thou behold’st.

AUFIDIUS You keep a constant temper. 100

They exit. 

The Guard and Menenius remain.

FIRST WATCH Now, sir, is your name Menenius?

SECOND WATCH ’Tis a spell, you see, of much power. You
know the way home again.

FIRST WATCH Do you hear how we are shent for keeping
your Greatness back? 105

SECOND WATCH What cause do you think I have to
swoon?

MENENIUS I neither care for th’ world nor your general.
For such things as you, I can scarce think
there’s any, you’re so slight. He that hath a will to 110
die by himself fears it not from another. Let your
general do his worst. For you, be that you are,
long; and your misery increase with your age! I say
to you, as I was said to, away! He exits.

FIRST WATCH A noble fellow, I warrant him. 115

SECOND WATCH The worthy fellow is our general. He’s
the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken.

Watch exit.