Henry IV Part 2: Act 5, Scene 5 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 5 of Henry IV Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter two Grooms. FIRST GROOM More rushes, more rushes. SECOND GROOM The trumpets have sounded twice. FIRST GROOM ’Twill be two o’clock ere they come from the coronation. Dispatch, dispatch. Grooms exit.	On a public street near Westminster Abbey, two Grooms (workers) cover the ground with rushes in preparation for the new king's procession.
Trumpets sound, and the King and his train pass over the stage. After them enter Falstaff, Shallow, Pistol, Bardolph, and the Page. FALSTAFF Stand here by me, Master Robert Shallow. I 5 will make the King do you grace. I will leer upon him as he comes by, and do but mark the countenance that he will give me. PISTOL God bless thy lungs, good knight! FALSTAFF Come here, Pistol, stand behind me.—O, if I 10 had had time to have made new liveries, I would have bestowed the thousand pound I borrowed of you. But ’tis no matter. This poor show doth better. This doth infer the zeal I had to see him. SHALLOW It doth so. 15 FALSTAFF It shows my earnestness of affection— SHALLOW It doth so. FALSTAFF My devotion— SHALLOW It doth, it doth, it doth. FALSTAFF As it were, to ride day and night, and not to 20 deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience to shift me— SHALLOW It is best, certain. FALSTAFF But to stand stained with travel and sweating with desire to see him, thinking of nothing else, 25 putting all affairs else in oblivion, as if there were nothing else to be done but to see him. PISTOL ’Tis semper idem, for obsque hoc nihil est; ’tis all in every part. SHALLOW ’Tis so indeed. 30	Falstaff, Shallow, Pistol, Bardolph, and the Page stand on the street so they can watch the newly crowned king as he makes his way through the streets of London. Falstaff brags to his pals that Hal will give him a special look as he passes by. Falstaff also wishes he had time to have some new clothes made but, he reasons that his presence will be enough to show his support of Hal.
PISTOL My knight, I will inflame thy noble liver, and make thee rage. Thy Doll and Helen of thy noble thoughts is in base durance and contagious prison, haled thither by most mechanical and dirty hand. Rouse up revenge from ebon den with fell Alecto’s 35 snake, for Doll is in. Pistol speaks nought but truth. FALSTAFF I will deliver her. Shouts within. The trumpets sound. PISTOL There roared the sea, and trumpet-clangor sounds.	Pistol informs Falstaff that Doll Tearsheet and Mistress Quickly have been imprisoned and Falstaff brags that he'll set them free them.
Enter the King and his train. FALSTAFF God save thy Grace, King Hal, my royal Hal. PISTOL The heavens thee guard and keep, most royal 40 imp of fame! FALSTAFF God save thee, my sweet boy!	King Henry V enters with his retinue (Prince John, Clarence, Gloucester, the Lord Chief Justice and some other important men). When Falstaff spots the king he shouts.Hal ignores him and Falstaff tries again.
KING My Lord Chief Justice, speak to that vain man. CHIEF JUSTICE, to Falstaff Have you your wits? Know you what ’tis you speak? 45 FALSTAFF, to the King My king, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart!	Hal turns to his main man, the Lord Chief Justice, and tells him to deal with the foolish old man that's trying to talk to the king. (Ouch.) The LCJ turns to Falstaff and asks him what he thinks he's doing – Falstaff's got no business trying to speak to the king. Falstaff ignores the LCJ and addresses Hal again.
KING I know thee not, old man. Fall to thy prayers. How ill white hairs becomes a fool and jester. I have long dreamt of such a kind of man, So surfeit-swelled, so old, and so profane; 50 But being awaked, I do despise my dream. Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace; Leave gormandizing. Know the grave doth gape For thee thrice wider than for other men. Reply not to me with a fool-born jest. 55 Presume not that I am the thing I was, For God doth know—so shall the world perceive— That I have turned away my former self. So will I those that kept me company. When thou dost hear I am as I have been, 60 Approach me, and thou shalt be as thou wast, The tutor and the feeder of my riots. Till then I banish thee, on pain of death, As I have done the rest of my misleaders, Not to come near our person by ten mile. 65 For competence of life I will allow you, That lack of means enforce you not to evils. And, as we hear you do reform yourselves, We will, according to your strengths and qualities, Give you advancement. To the Lord Chief Justice. 70 Be it your charge, my lord, To see performed the tenor of my word.— Set on.	Then, in one of the most painful moments of the play, Hal turns to Falstaff and says he doesn't know who Falstaff is. Hal continues to deliver a speech about how Falstaff shouldn't presume to know him – Hal's no longer a wild boy. Now that he's king, he's important, which means that Falstaff is no longer fit company. Hal then banishes Falstaff and orders him to stay ten miles away from him.
King and his train exit. FALSTAFF Master Shallow, I owe you a thousand pound. SHALLOW Yea, marry, Sir John, which I beseech you to 75 let me have home with me. FALSTAFF That can hardly be, Master Shallow. Do not you grieve at this. I shall be sent for in private to him. Look you, he must seem thus to the world. Fear not your advancements. I will be the man yet 80 that shall make you great. SHALLOW I cannot well perceive how, unless you should give me your doublet and stuff me out with straw. I beseech you, good Sir John, let me have five hundred of my thousand. 85 FALSTAFF Sir, I will be as good as my word. This that you heard was but a color. SHALLOW A color that I fear you will die in, Sir John. FALSTAFF Fear no colors. Go with me to dinner.— Come, lieutenant Pistol.—Come, Bardolph.—I 90 shall be sent for soon at night.	As Hal turns and moves on, Falstaff tries to play off the insult. He tells Justice Shallow that Hal had to act that way in public but he'll probably send for Falstaff privately. Apparently, Falstaff has borrowed some money from Justice Shallow and has promised him some kind of advancement in the king's service. Since it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon, Shallow asks for his money back. Falstaff, of course, doesn't have it.
Enter the Lord Chief Justice and Prince John, with Officers. CHIEF JUSTICE Go, carry Sir John Falstaff to the Fleet. Take all his company along with him. FALSTAFF My lord, my lord — CHIEF JUSTICE I cannot now speak. I will hear you soon.— 95 Take them away. PISTOL Si fortuna me tormenta, spero me contenta. All but John of Lancaster and Chief Justice exit.	Just then, the Lord Chief Justice enters with some officers and commands them to take Falstaff and all his cronies to Fleet Prison in London. Falstaff objects and the LCJ dismisses him, saying that he'll deal with Falstaff later.
JOHN OF LANCASTER I like this fair proceeding of the King’s. He hath intent his wonted followers Shall all be very well provided for, 100 But all are banished till their conversations Appear more wise and modest to the world. CHIEF JUSTICE And so they are. JOHN OF LANCASTER The King hath called his parliament, my lord. CHIEF JUSTICE He hath. 105 JOHN OF LANCASTER I will lay odds that, ere this year expire, We bear our civil swords and native fire As far as France. I heard a bird so sing, Whose music, to my thinking, pleased the King. Come, will you hence? 110 They exit.	As the men are escorted to prison, Prince John and the LCJ are left alone on stage. Prince John says he's happy about Hal's decision. Hal has made private arrangements to ensure that Falstaff and the others will be well provided for but, they're banished until they can shape up. (That's not likely to happen soon so it looks like Falstaff's banished forever.) Prince John also notes that Hal has called Parliament to order and predicts that before the year is over, English soldiers will be fighting on French soil. (Hmm. Sounds like there's going to be a sequel to this play…)

Original Text

Translated Text

Source: Folger Shakespeare Library

Enter two Grooms.

FIRST GROOM More rushes, more rushes.

SECOND GROOM The trumpets have sounded twice.

FIRST GROOM ’Twill be two o’clock ere they come
from the coronation. Dispatch, dispatch.

Grooms exit.

On a public street near Westminster Abbey, two Grooms (workers) cover the ground with rushes in preparation for the new king's procession.

Trumpets sound, and the King and his train pass over
the stage. After them enter Falstaff, Shallow, Pistol,
Bardolph, and the Page.

FALSTAFF Stand here by me, Master Robert Shallow. I 5
will make the King do you grace. I will leer upon
him as he comes by, and do but mark the countenance
that he will give me.

PISTOL God bless thy lungs, good knight!

FALSTAFF Come here, Pistol, stand behind me.—O, if I 10
had had time to have made new liveries, I would
have bestowed the thousand pound I borrowed of
you. But ’tis no matter. This poor show doth better.
This doth infer the zeal I had to see him.

SHALLOW It doth so. 15

FALSTAFF It shows my earnestness of affection—

SHALLOW It doth so.

FALSTAFF My devotion—

SHALLOW It doth, it doth, it doth.

FALSTAFF As it were, to ride day and night, and not to 20
deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience
to shift me—

SHALLOW It is best, certain.

FALSTAFF But to stand stained with travel and sweating
with desire to see him, thinking of nothing else, 25
putting all affairs else in oblivion, as if there were
nothing else to be done but to see him.

PISTOL ’Tis semper idem, for obsque hoc nihil est; ’tis
all in every part.

SHALLOW ’Tis so indeed. 30

Falstaff, Shallow, Pistol, Bardolph, and the Page stand on the street so they can watch the newly crowned king as he makes his way through the streets of London. Falstaff brags to his pals that Hal will give him a special look as he passes by.

Falstaff also wishes he had time to have some new clothes made but, he reasons that his presence will be enough to show his support of Hal.

PISTOL My knight, I will inflame thy noble liver, and
make thee rage. Thy Doll and Helen of thy noble
thoughts is in base durance and contagious prison,
haled thither by most mechanical and dirty hand.
Rouse up revenge from ebon den with fell Alecto’s 35
snake, for Doll is in. Pistol speaks nought but truth.

FALSTAFF I will deliver her.

Shouts within. The trumpets sound.

PISTOL
There roared the sea, and trumpet-clangor sounds.

Pistol informs Falstaff that Doll Tearsheet and Mistress Quickly have been imprisoned and Falstaff brags that he'll set them free them.

Enter the King and his train.

FALSTAFF
God save thy Grace, King Hal, my royal Hal.

PISTOL
The heavens thee guard and keep, most royal 40
imp of fame!

FALSTAFF God save thee, my sweet boy!

King Henry V enters with his retinue (Prince John, Clarence, Gloucester, the Lord Chief Justice and some other important men).

When Falstaff spots the king he shouts.Hal ignores him and Falstaff tries again.

KING
My Lord Chief Justice, speak to that vain man.

CHIEF JUSTICE, to Falstaff
Have you your wits? Know you what ’tis you
speak? 45

FALSTAFF, to the King
My king, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart!

Hal turns to his main man, the Lord Chief Justice, and tells him to deal with the foolish old man that's trying to talk to the king. (Ouch.)

The LCJ turns to Falstaff and asks him what he thinks he's doing – Falstaff's got no business trying to speak to the king.

Falstaff ignores the LCJ and addresses Hal again.

KING
I know thee not, old man. Fall to thy prayers.
How ill white hairs becomes a fool and jester.
I have long dreamt of such a kind of man,
So surfeit-swelled, so old, and so profane; 50
But being awaked, I do despise my dream.
Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace;
Leave gormandizing. Know the grave doth gape
For thee thrice wider than for other men.
Reply not to me with a fool-born jest. 55
Presume not that I am the thing I was,
For God doth know—so shall the world perceive—
That I have turned away my former self.
So will I those that kept me company.
When thou dost hear I am as I have been, 60
Approach me, and thou shalt be as thou wast,
The tutor and the feeder of my riots.
Till then I banish thee, on pain of death,
As I have done the rest of my misleaders,
Not to come near our person by ten mile. 65
For competence of life I will allow you,
That lack of means enforce you not to evils.
And, as we hear you do reform yourselves,
We will, according to your strengths and qualities,
Give you advancement. To the Lord Chief Justice. 70
Be it your charge, my lord,
To see performed the tenor of my word.—
Set on.

Then, in one of the most painful moments of the play, Hal turns to Falstaff and says he doesn't know who Falstaff is.

Hal continues to deliver a speech about how Falstaff shouldn't presume to know him – Hal's no longer a wild boy. Now that he's king, he's important, which means that Falstaff is no longer fit company.

Hal then banishes Falstaff and orders him to stay ten miles away from him.

King and his train exit.

FALSTAFF Master Shallow, I owe you a thousand pound.

SHALLOW Yea, marry, Sir John, which I beseech you to 75
let me have home with me.

FALSTAFF That can hardly be, Master Shallow. Do not
you grieve at this. I shall be sent for in private to
him. Look you, he must seem thus to the world.
Fear not your advancements. I will be the man yet 80
that shall make you great.

SHALLOW I cannot well perceive how, unless you
should give me your doublet and stuff me out with
straw. I beseech you, good Sir John, let me have five
hundred of my thousand. 85

FALSTAFF Sir, I will be as good as my word. This that
you heard was but a color.

SHALLOW A color that I fear you will die in, Sir John.

FALSTAFF Fear no colors. Go with me to dinner.—
Come, lieutenant Pistol.—Come, Bardolph.—I 90
shall be sent for soon at night.

As Hal turns and moves on, Falstaff tries to play off the insult. He tells Justice Shallow that Hal had to act that way in public but he'll probably send for Falstaff privately.

Apparently, Falstaff has borrowed some money from Justice Shallow and has promised him some kind of advancement in the king's service. Since it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon, Shallow asks for his money back. Falstaff, of course, doesn't have it.

Enter the Lord Chief Justice and Prince John, with
Officers.

CHIEF JUSTICE
Go, carry Sir John Falstaff to the Fleet.
Take all his company along with him.

FALSTAFF My lord, my lord —

CHIEF JUSTICE
I cannot now speak. I will hear you soon.— 95
Take them away.

PISTOL Si fortuna me tormenta, spero me contenta.

All but John of Lancaster and
Chief Justice exit.

Just then, the Lord Chief Justice enters with some officers and commands them to take Falstaff and all his cronies to Fleet Prison in London. Falstaff objects and the LCJ dismisses him, saying that he'll deal with Falstaff later.

JOHN OF LANCASTER
I like this fair proceeding of the King’s.
He hath intent his wonted followers
Shall all be very well provided for, 100
But all are banished till their conversations
Appear more wise and modest to the world.

CHIEF JUSTICE And so they are.

JOHN OF LANCASTER
The King hath called his parliament, my lord.

CHIEF JUSTICE He hath. 105

JOHN OF LANCASTER
I will lay odds that, ere this year expire,
We bear our civil swords and native fire
As far as France. I heard a bird so sing,
Whose music, to my thinking, pleased the King.
Come, will you hence? 110

They exit.

As the men are escorted to prison, Prince John and the LCJ are left alone on stage. Prince John says he's happy about Hal's decision. Hal has made private arrangements to ensure that Falstaff and the others will be well provided for but, they're banished until they can shape up. (That's not likely to happen soon so it looks like Falstaff's banished forever.)

Prince John also notes that Hal has called Parliament to order and predicts that before the year is over, English soldiers will be fighting on French soil. (Hmm. Sounds like there's going to be a sequel to this play…)

Henry IV Part 2: Act 5, Scene 5 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 5 of Henry IV Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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