The Merchant of Venice: Act 2, Scene 5 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 5 of The Merchant of Venice from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Shylock, the Jew, and Lancelet, his man that was, the Clown. SHYLOCK Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge, The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.— What, Jessica!—Thou shalt not gormandize As thou hast done with me—what, Jessica!— And sleep, and snore, and rend apparel out.— 5 Why, Jessica, I say! LANCELET Why, Jessica! SHYLOCK Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call. LANCELET Your Worship was wont to tell me I could do nothing without bidding. 10 Enter Jessica. JESSICA Call you? What is your will? SHYLOCK I am bid forth to supper, Jessica. There are my keys.—But wherefore should I go? I am not bid for love. They flatter me. But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon 15 The prodigal Christian.—Jessica, my girl, Look to my house.—I am right loath to go. There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money bags tonight. LANCELET I beseech you, sir, go. My young master 20 doth expect your reproach. SHYLOCK So do I his. LANCELET And they have conspired together—I will not say you shall see a masque, but if you do, then it was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on 25 Black Monday last, at six o’clock i’ th’ morning, falling out that year on Ash Wednesday was four year in th’ afternoon. SHYLOCK What, are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica, Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum 30 And the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife, Clamber not you up to the casements then, Nor thrust your head into the public street To gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces, But stop my house’s ears (I mean my casements). 35 Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter My sober house. By Jacob’s staff I swear I have no mind of feasting forth tonight. But I will go.—Go you before me, sirrah. Say I will come. 40 LANCELET I will go before, sir. Aside to Jessica. Mistress, look out at window for all this. There will come a Christian by Will be worth a Jewess’ eye. He exits. SHYLOCK What says that fool of Hagar’s offspring, ha? 45 JESSICA His words were “Farewell, mistress,” nothing else. SHYLOCK The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder, Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day More than the wildcat. Drones hive not with me, Therefore I part with him, and part with him 50 To one that I would have him help to waste His borrowed purse. Well, Jessica, go in. Perhaps I will return immediately. Do as I bid you. Shut doors after you. Fast bind, fast find— 55 A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. He exits. JESSICA Farewell, and if my fortune be not crossed, I have a father, you a daughter, lost. She exits.	Shylock tells Lancelet he'll soon see regret becoming Bassanio's servant. Bassanio won't let him eat and lay around all day the way Shylock has. He calls Jessica and tells her she'll have to look after the house while he's at dinner. He's kind of worried because he dreamed about money bags, which is supposedly a bad omen. Lancelet teases Shylock about his superstition, making up some silly omens of his own, but Shylock ignores him and warns Jessica of some revels that will fill the street that night. She's not to put her head outside the window or let any foolish merriment seep into his house. More on this under Music in the Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory section. As Lancelet exits, he whispers to Jessica to watch for Lorenzo tonight. Shylock asks what he said, but Jessica covers, and Shylock does on about how Lancelet's departure is no great loss, as he was lazy and slept too much anyway. If anything, Shylock is grateful that Lancelet will assist Bassanio in wasting his borrowed cash. As he leaves, he again reminds Jessica to lock up the doors and stay inside. Alone, Jessica declares she will soon have a new father, and her father will be rid of a daughter.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Shylock, the Jew, and Lancelet,
his man that was, the Clown.

SHYLOCK
Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio.—
What, Jessica!—Thou shalt not gormandize
As thou hast done with me—what, Jessica!—
And sleep, and snore, and rend apparel out.— 5
Why, Jessica, I say!

LANCELET Why, Jessica!

SHYLOCK
Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.

LANCELET Your Worship was wont to tell me I could
do nothing without bidding. 10

Enter Jessica.

JESSICA Call you? What is your will?

SHYLOCK
I am bid forth to supper, Jessica.
There are my keys.—But wherefore should I go?
I am not bid for love. They flatter me.
But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon 15
The prodigal Christian.—Jessica, my girl,
Look to my house.—I am right loath to go.
There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
For I did dream of money bags tonight.

LANCELET I beseech you, sir, go. My young master 20
doth expect your reproach.

SHYLOCK So do I his.

LANCELET And they have conspired together—I will
not say you shall see a masque, but if you do, then it
was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on 25
Black Monday last, at six o’clock i’ th’ morning,
falling out that year on Ash Wednesday was four
year in th’ afternoon.

SHYLOCK
What, are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica,
Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum 30
And the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife,
Clamber not you up to the casements then,
Nor thrust your head into the public street
To gaze on Christian fools with varnished faces,
But stop my house’s ears (I mean my casements). 35
Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter
My sober house. By Jacob’s staff I swear
I have no mind of feasting forth tonight.
But I will go.—Go you before me, sirrah.
Say I will come. 40

LANCELET I will go before, sir. Aside to Jessica. Mistress,
look out at window for all this.
There will come a Christian by
Will be worth a Jewess’ eye.

He exits.

SHYLOCK
What says that fool of Hagar’s offspring, ha? 45

JESSICA
His words were “Farewell, mistress,” nothing else.

SHYLOCK
The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,
Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day
More than the wildcat. Drones hive not with me,
Therefore I part with him, and part with him 50
To one that I would have him help to waste
His borrowed purse. Well, Jessica, go in.
Perhaps I will return immediately.
Do as I bid you. Shut doors after you.
Fast bind, fast find— 55
A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.

He exits.

JESSICA
Farewell, and if my fortune be not crossed,
I have a father, you a daughter, lost.

She exits.

Shylock tells Lancelet he'll soon see regret becoming Bassanio's servant. Bassanio won't let him eat and lay around all day the way Shylock has.

He calls Jessica and tells her she'll have to look after the house while he's at dinner. He's kind of worried because he dreamed about money bags, which is supposedly a bad omen.

Lancelet teases Shylock about his superstition, making up some silly omens of his own, but Shylock ignores him and warns Jessica of some revels that will fill the street that night. She's not to put her head outside the window or let any foolish merriment seep into his house. More on this under Music in the Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory section.

As Lancelet exits, he whispers to Jessica to watch for Lorenzo tonight.

Shylock asks what he said, but Jessica covers, and Shylock does on about how Lancelet's departure is no great loss, as he was lazy and slept too much anyway.

If anything, Shylock is grateful that Lancelet will assist Bassanio in wasting his borrowed cash. As he leaves, he again reminds Jessica to lock up the doors and stay inside.

Alone, Jessica declares she will soon have a new father, and her father will be rid of a daughter.

The Merchant of Venice: Act 2, Scene 5 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 5 of The Merchant of Venice from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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