Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Act 2, Scene 3 Translation

Enter the King Simonides, Thaisa, Marshal, Ladies,
Lords, Attendants, and Knights in armor, from tilting.

SIMONIDES Knights,
To say you’re welcome were superfluous.
To place upon the volume of your deeds,
As in a title page, your worth in arms
Were more than you expect or more than ’s fit, 5
Since every worth in show commends itself.
Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feast.
You are princes and my guests.

THAISA, to Pericles But you my knight and guest,
To whom this wreath of victory I give 10
And crown you king of this day’s happiness.

She places a wreath on Pericles’ head.

PERICLES
’Tis more by fortune, lady, than my merit.

SIMONIDES
Call it by what you will, the day is yours,
And here, I hope, is none that envies it.
In framing an artist, Art hath thus decreed, 15
To make some good but others to exceed,
And you are her labored scholar.—Come, queen o’
the feast,
For, daughter, so you are; here, take your place.—
Marshal, the rest as they deserve their grace. 20

KNIGHTS
We are honored much by good Simonides.

SIMONIDES
Your presence glads our days. Honor we love,
For who hates honor hates the gods above.

MARSHAL, to Pericles Sir, yonder is your place.

PERICLES Some other is more fit. 25

FIRST KNIGHT
Contend not, sir, for we are gentlemen
Have neither in our hearts nor outward eyes
Envies the great, nor shall the low despise.

PERICLES
You are right courteous knights.

SIMONIDES Sit, sir, sit. They sit. 30
Aside. By Jove I wonder, that is king of thoughts,
These cates resist me, he not thought upon.

THAISA, aside
By Juno, that is queen of marriage,
All viands that I eat do seem unsavory,
Wishing him my meat.—Sure, he’s a gallant 35
gentleman.

SIMONIDES
He’s but a country gentleman;
Has done no more than other knights have done;
Has broken a staff or so. So let it pass.

THAISA, aside
To me he seems like diamond to glass. 40

PERICLES, aside
Yon king’s to me like to my father’s picture,
Which tells in that glory once he was—
Had princes sit like stars about his throne,
And he the sun for them to reverence.
None that beheld him but like lesser lights 45
Did vail their crowns to his supremacy;
Where now his son’s like a glowworm in the night,
The which hath fire in darkness, none in light;
Whereby I see that Time’s the king of men.
He’s both their parent, and he is their grave, 50
And gives them what he will, not what they crave.

SIMONIDES What, are you merry, knights?

KNIGHTS
Who can be other in this royal presence?

SIMONIDES
Here, with a cup that’s stored unto the brim,
As do you love, fill to your mistress’ lips. 55
We drink this health to you. He drinks.

KNIGHTS We thank your Grace.

SIMONIDES
Yet pause awhile. Yon knight doth sit too melancholy,
As if the entertainment in our court
Had not a show might countervail his worth.— 60
Note it not you, Thaisa?

THAISA What is ’t to me, my father?

SIMONIDES
O, attend, my daughter. Princes in this
Should live like gods above, who freely give
To everyone that come to honor them. 65
And princes not doing so are like to gnats,
Which make a sound but, killed, are wondered at.
Therefore, to make his entrance more sweet,
Here, say we drink this standing-bowl of wine to him.
He drinks.

THAISA
Alas, my father, it befits not me 70
Unto a stranger knight to be so bold.
He may my proffer take for an offense,
Since men take women’s gifts for impudence.

SIMONIDES How?
Do as I bid you, or you’ll move me else. 75

THAISA, aside
Now, by the gods, he could not please me better.

SIMONIDES
And furthermore tell him we desire to know of him
Of whence he is, his name and parentage.

THAISA, going to Pericles
The King, my father, sir, has drunk to you.

PERICLES I thank him. 80

THAISA
Wishing it so much blood unto your life.

PERICLES
I thank both him and you, and pledge him freely.
He drinks to Simonides.

THAISA
And further, he desires to know of you
Of whence you are, your name and parentage.

PERICLES
A gentleman of Tyre, my name Pericles. 85
My education been in arts and arms,
Who, looking for adventures in the world,
Was by the rough seas reft of ships and men,
And after shipwrack driven upon this shore.

THAISA, returning to her place
He thanks your Grace; names himself Pericles, 90
A gentleman of Tyre,
Who only by misfortune of the seas,
Bereft of ships and men, cast on this shore.

SIMONIDES
Now, by the gods, I pity his misfortune,
And will awake him from his melancholy.— 95
Come, gentlemen, we sit too long on trifles
And waste the time which looks for other revels.
Even in your armors, as you are addressed,
Will well become a soldiers’ dance.
I will not have excuse with saying this: 100
“Loud music is too harsh for ladies’ heads,”
Since they love men in arms as well as beds.
They dance.
So, this was well asked, ’twas so well performed.
Come, sir. He presents Pericles to Thaisa.
Here’s a lady that wants breathing too, 105
And I have heard you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip,
And that their measures are as excellent.

PERICLES
In those that practice them they are, my lord.

SIMONIDES
O, that’s as much as you would be denied 110
Of your fair courtesy. They dance.
Unclasp, unclasp!
Thanks, gentlemen, to all; all have done well;
To Pericles. But you the best.—Pages and lights, to
conduct 115
These knights unto their several lodgings. To
Pericles. Yours, sir,
We have given order be next our own.

PERICLES I am at your Grace’s pleasure.

SIMONIDES
Princes, it is too late to talk of love, 120
And that’s the mark I know you level at.
Therefore each one betake him to his rest,
Tomorrow all for speeding do their best.

They exit.