Julius Caesar: Act 5, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 3 of Julius Caesar from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Alarums. Enter Cassius carrying a standard and Titinius. CASSIUS O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly! Myself have to mine own turned enemy. This ensign here of mine was turning back; I slew the coward and did take it from him.	Cassius and Titinius are watching the battle from another part of the field. Cassius says that when his standard-bearer (the guy who carries his battle flag) tried to run away, Cassius killed him and took up the flag himself. This guy is merciless!
TITINIUS O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early, 5 Who, having some advantage on Octavius, Took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil, Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.	Titinius notes that Brutus came down on Octavius's army too early. Though they were initially weaker, Octavius's men now appear to be overtaking Brutus's, and Antony is enclosing Cassius's. The situation is looking pretty dire for Cassius and Brutus.
Enter Pindarus. PINDARUS Fly further off, my lord, fly further off! Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord. 10 Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off. CASSIUS This hill is far enough.—Look, look, Titinius, Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?	Pindarus comes to Cassius and Titinius with the news that Antony has invaded Cassius's tents. He tries to get Cassius to run away, but Cassius is distracted by a fire and some troops in the distance.
TITINIUS They are, my lord. CASSIUS Titinius, if thou lovest me, 15 Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops And here again, that I may rest assured Whether yond troops are friend or enemy. TITINIUS I will be here again even with a thought. He exits. 20 CASSIUS Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill. My sight was ever thick. Regard Titinius And tell me what thou not’st about the field. Pindarus goes up. This day I breathèd first. Time is come round, And where I did begin, there shall I end; 25 My life is run his compass.—Sirrah, what news?	Cassius sends Titinius off on horseback to see whether the troops are friends or enemies. He also sends Pindarus higher up the hill to watch and report on Titinius' progress. Cassius then notes to himself that his birthday is a good day to die, his life having come full circle.
PINDARUS, above. O my lord! CASSIUS What news? PINDARUS Titinius is enclosèd round about With horsemen that make to him on the spur, 30 Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him. Now Titinius! Now some light. O, he lights too. He’s ta’en. Shout. And hark, they shout for joy.	Cassius is resigned to his fate, but he still fights on. Pindarus reports on Titinius play by play. A horde of horsemen has surrounded Titinius. Now they've overtaken him. And now they're shouting with joy. It looks like the worst has happened.
CASSIUS Come down, behold no more.— 35 O, coward that I am to live so long To see my best friend ta’en before my face! Pindarus comes down. Come hither, sirrah. In Parthia did I take thee prisoner, And then I swore thee, saving of thy life, 40 That whatsoever I did bid thee do Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath. Now be a freeman, and with this good sword, That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search this 45 bosom. Stand not to answer. Here, take thou the hilts, And, when my face is covered, as ’tis now, Guide thou the sword. Pindarus stabs him. Caesar, thou art revenged 50 Even with the sword that killed thee. He dies.	Cassius calls for Pindarus to stop watching. He laments that he's such a coward to have sent his best friend Titinius to his death. Pindarus returns to Cassius' side, and Cassius reminds him how he took him prisoner at Parthia and spared his life on the condition that he do whatever Cassius asked him to. Cassius then tells Pindarus how to make himself a free man: he should kill him with the very blade he used to kill Caesar. Pindarus stabs Cassius, who dies declaring that Caesar is avenged by the same sword that killed him.
PINDARUS So I am free, yet would not so have been, Durst I have done my will.—O Cassius!— Far from this country Pindarus shall run, Where never Roman shall take note of him. 55 He exits.	Pindarus, now hovering around Cassius' body, claims that this wasn't the way he wanted to gain his freedom, and that if he had his own will (and hadn't been Cassius' servant), he wouldn't have done it. He declares that he'll run far away so no Roman will ever see (or enslave) him again.
Enter Titinius and Messala. MESSALA It is but change, Titinius, for Octavius Is overthrown by noble Brutus’ power, As Cassius’ legions are by Antony. TITINIUS These tidings will well comfort Cassius. MESSALA Where did you leave him? 60 TITINIUS All disconsolate, With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill. MESSALA Is not that he that lies upon the ground? TITINIUS He lies not like the living. O my heart! MESSALA Is not that he? 65 TITINIUS No, this was he, Messala, But Cassius is no more. O setting sun, As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night, So in his red blood Cassius’ day is set. The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone; 70 Clouds, dews, and dangers come. Our deeds are done. Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. MESSALA Mistrust of good success hath done this deed. O hateful error, melancholy’s child, 75 Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men The things that are not? O error, soon conceived, Thou never com’st unto a happy birth But kill’st the mother that engendered thee!	Messala then enters the scene with Titinius (who—surprise!—is not dead), announcing the new state of the battle: they're basically even on both sides. Brutus has overtaken Octavius' forces, while Antony's forces have beaten Cassius' men. The men are stoked to tell Cassius that all isn't lost, but then they see his dead body, which is in no condition to accept good news. A lot of grief ensues.
TITINIUS What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus? 80 MESSALA Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet The noble Brutus, thrusting this report Into his ears. I may say “thrusting it,” For piercing steel and darts envenomèd Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus 85 As tidings of this sight.	Titinius wonders where Pindarus is, and Messala tells him to find him while he, Messala, goes off unhappily to inform Brutus of Cassius' death.
TITINIUS Hie you, Messala, And I will seek for Pindarus the while. Messala exits. Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? Did I not meet thy friends, and did not they 90 Put on my brows this wreath of victory And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts? Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything. But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow. 95 Laying the garland on Cassius’ brow. Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I Will do his bidding.—Brutus, come apace, And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.— By your leave, gods, this is a Roman’s part. Come, Cassius’ sword, and find Titinius’ heart! 100 He dies on Cassius’ sword.	Titinius looks around for Pindarus and realizes that Cassius must have misunderstood what had happened on the hilltop. He thought Titinius was killed, but the troops Pindarus and Cassius saw were friends of Brutus and Cassius on horseback. The shouts Pindarus heard were shouts of joy for Cassius's side. They overtook Titinius to put a wreath of victory on his head, which Brutus then wanted the rider to give to Cassius. Titinius still has the doomed crown, so he places on dead Cassius' head and then stabs himself with Cassius' sword. The body count is mounting.
Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, young Cato, Strato, Volumnius, and Lucilius, Labeo, and Flavius. BRUTUS Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie? MESSALA Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it. BRUTUS Titinius’ face is upward. CATO He is slain. BRUTUS O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet; 105 Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords In our own proper entrails. Low alarums. CATO Brave Titinius!— Look whe’er he have not crowned dead Cassius.	Messala and Brutus arrive just in time to find that Titinius has played Ultimate Mourning and killed himself. Brutus cries out that Caesar is still mighty. The people who plotted against him is dropping like flies.
BRUTUS Are yet two Romans living such as these?— 110 The last of all the Romans, fare thee well. It is impossible that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow.—Friends, I owe more tears To this dead man than you shall see me pay.— 115 I shall find time, Cassius; I shall find time.— Come, therefore, and to Thasos send his body. His funerals shall not be in our camp, Lest it discomfort us.—Lucilius, come.— And come, young Cato. Let us to the field.— 120 Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on. ’Tis three o’clock, and, Romans, yet ere night We shall try fortune in a second fight. They exit.	Brutus laments that two of Rome's bravest men should lie here this way. He prophetically calls Cassius "the last of all the Romans," meaning the last of the old school Romans that prefer death to subjugation. Brutus says he knows he ought to cry over Cassius, but now is not the time for crying. And they can't hold funerals for these guys right now, either. That won't do much for troop morale. Still, it's only 3 o'clock, which means there's time to try their luck against the enemy again, in the hopes something might be accomplished before dinnertime. Brutus gathers his remaining friends for the fight.