Henry VI Part 2: Act 3, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 3 of Henry VI Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter King Henry, Salisbury and Warwick, to the Cardinal in bed, raving and staring. KING HENRY How fares my lord? Speak, Beaufort, to thy sovereign. CARDINAL If thou be’st Death, I’ll give thee England’s treasure, Enough to purchase such another island, So thou wilt let me live and feel no pain. KING HENRY Ah, what a sign it is of evil life, 5 Where Death’s approach is seen so terrible! WARWICK Beaufort, it is thy sovereign speaks to thee.	Henry, Warwick, and Salisbury visit Cardinal Beaufort on his deathbed. Cardinal Beaufort thinks Henry is Death itself and asks if he will leave. No can do: Henry is not Death, and he's going to stick around.
CARDINAL Bring me unto my trial when you will. Died he not in his bed? Where should he die? Can I make men live, whe’er they will or no? 10 O, torture me no more! I will confess. Alive again? Then show me where he is. I’ll give a thousand pound to look upon him. He hath no eyes! The dust hath blinded them. Comb down his hair. Look, look. It stands upright, 15 Like lime-twigs set to catch my wingèd soul. Give me some drink, and bid the apothecary Bring the strong poison that I bought of him. KING HENRY O, Thou eternal mover of the heavens, Look with a gentle eye upon this wretch! 20 O, beat away the busy meddling fiend That lays strong siege unto this wretch’s soul, And from his bosom purge this black despair!	Then Beaufort mentions Gloucester and says he will confess. Just bring him some food, drink, and medicine to help him. Henry notices that Beaufort is in a lot of pain: that means he has done wrong and is guilty.
WARWICK See how the pangs of death do make him grin! SALISBURY Disturb him not. Let him pass peaceably. 25 KING HENRY Peace to his soul, if God’s good pleasure be!— Lord Card’nal, if thou think’st on heaven’s bliss, Hold up thy hand; make signal of thy hope. The Cardinal dies. He dies and makes no sign. O, God forgive him! WARWICK So bad a death argues a monstrous life. 30 KING HENRY Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all. Close up his eyes, and draw the curtain close, And let us all to meditation. After the curtains are closed around the bed, they exit. The bed is removed.	The other men notice it, too—Beaufort is not dying peacefully. Then Henry tells him to give a signal of hope, but Beaufort dies without making the sign. Henry figures that means Beaufort needs to be forgiven. While Warwick judges Beaufort for the horrible life he lived, Henry chides him. We're all sinners, Henry says. Let's go meditate.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter King Henry, Salisbury and Warwick, to the
Cardinal in bed, raving and staring.

KING HENRY
How fares my lord? Speak, Beaufort, to thy sovereign.

CARDINAL
If thou be’st Death, I’ll give thee England’s treasure,
Enough to purchase such another island,
So thou wilt let me live and feel no pain.

KING HENRY
Ah, what a sign it is of evil life, 5
Where Death’s approach is seen so terrible!

WARWICK
Beaufort, it is thy sovereign speaks to thee.

Henry, Warwick, and Salisbury visit Cardinal Beaufort on his deathbed.

Cardinal Beaufort thinks Henry is Death itself and asks if he will leave. No can do: Henry is not Death, and he's going to stick around.

CARDINAL
Bring me unto my trial when you will.
Died he not in his bed? Where should he die?
Can I make men live, whe’er they will or no? 10
O, torture me no more! I will confess.
Alive again? Then show me where he is.
I’ll give a thousand pound to look upon him.
He hath no eyes! The dust hath blinded them.
Comb down his hair. Look, look. It stands upright, 15
Like lime-twigs set to catch my wingèd soul.
Give me some drink, and bid the apothecary
Bring the strong poison that I bought of him.

KING HENRY
O, Thou eternal mover of the heavens,
Look with a gentle eye upon this wretch! 20
O, beat away the busy meddling fiend
That lays strong siege unto this wretch’s soul,
And from his bosom purge this black despair!

Then Beaufort mentions Gloucester and says he will confess. Just bring him some food, drink, and medicine to help him.

Henry notices that Beaufort is in a lot of pain: that means he has done wrong and is guilty.

WARWICK
See how the pangs of death do make him grin!

SALISBURY
Disturb him not. Let him pass peaceably. 25

KING HENRY
Peace to his soul, if God’s good pleasure be!—
Lord Card’nal, if thou think’st on heaven’s bliss,
Hold up thy hand; make signal of thy hope.

The Cardinal dies.

He dies and makes no sign. O, God forgive him!

WARWICK
So bad a death argues a monstrous life. 30

KING HENRY
Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.
Close up his eyes, and draw the curtain close,
And let us all to meditation.

After the curtains are closed around
the bed, they exit. The bed is removed.

The other men notice it, too—Beaufort is not dying peacefully. Then Henry tells him to give a signal of hope, but Beaufort dies without making the sign. Henry figures that means Beaufort needs to be forgiven.

While Warwick judges Beaufort for the horrible life he lived, Henry chides him. We're all sinners, Henry says. Let's go meditate.

Henry VI Part 2: Act 3, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 3 of Henry VI Part 2 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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