Richard II: Act 1, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 4 of Richard II from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Scene 4 Enter the King with Green and Bagot, at one door, and the Lord Aumerle at another. KING RICHARD We did observe.—Cousin Aumerle, How far brought you high Hereford on his way? AUMERLE I brought high Hereford, if you call him so, But to the next highway, and there I left him. KING RICHARD And say, what store of parting tears were shed? 5	Aumerle reports to King Richard that he just escorted Bolingbroke to the edge of town, where things got a little awkward. Richard wants every juicy detail and is all, "Did anyone cry when Bolingbroke left?"
AUMERLE Faith, none for me, except the northeast wind, Which then blew bitterly against our faces, Awaked the sleeping rheum and so by chance Did grace our hollow parting with a tear. KING RICHARD What said our cousin when you parted with him? 10 AUMERLE “Farewell.” And, for my heart disdainèd that my tongue Should so profane the word, that taught me craft To counterfeit oppression of such grief That words seemed buried in my sorrow’s grave. 15 Marry, would the word “farewell” have lengthened hours And added years to his short banishment, He should have had a volume of farewells. But since it would not, he had none of me. 20	Aumerle says he didn't cry, but a northeast wind might have made his eyes water. (Yep, Aumerle's being sarcastic all right.) Aumerle then tells the king that all Bolingbroke said in the end was "Farewell." Aumerle claims he didn't say anything back because he didn't want to be a phony by wishing him good luck. Instead, he pretended to be too sad to talk. (It's hard to tell whether this is true, or whether he's hiding his real feelings.)
KING RICHARD He is our cousin, cousin, but ’tis doubt, When time shall call him home from banishment, Whether our kinsman come to see his friends. Ourself and Bushy, Bagot here and Green, Observed his courtship to the common people, 25 How he did seem to dive into their hearts With humble and familiar courtesy, What reverence he did throw away on slaves, Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles And patient underbearing of his fortune, 30 As ’twere to banish their affects with him. Off goes his bonnet to an oysterwench; A brace of draymen bid God speed him well And had the tribute of his supple knee, With “Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends,” 35 As were our England in reversion his And he our subjects’ next degree in hope.	Richard is a teensy bit worried. The commoners really like Bolingbroke, who's sort of a man of the people. Banishing Bolingbroke could turn out to be a seriously bad PR move for Richard.
GREEN Well, he is gone, and with him go these thoughts. Now for the rebels which stand out in Ireland, Expedient manage must be made, my liege, 40 Ere further leisure yield them further means For their advantage and your Highness’ loss. KING RICHARD We will ourself in person to this war. And, for our coffers, with too great a court And liberal largess, are grown somewhat light, 45 We are enforced to farm our royal realm, The revenue whereof shall furnish us For our affairs in hand. If that come short, Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters, Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich, 50 They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold And send them after to supply our wants, For we will make for Ireland presently. Enter Bushy. Bushy, what news?	Green chimes in that Richard's got much bigger fish to fry: the rebels in Ireland are acting up again. Richard snaps out of it and is all, "Ugh. Those Irish rebels are such a pain. Looks like I'll have to go to war myself." There's just one tiny problem: Richard is broke because he's spent so much money decorating his palace, buying fancy clothes, and tricking out his coaches with fancy rims and the best horses. It turns out there's not a lot of cash leftover for a war. We find out that Richard also did a dangerous thing: he basically mortgaged his right to tax the people in order to get a little extra money fast. This means he's letting his deputies collect money from the richest men. How the heck is he going to raise any money now?
BUSHY Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord, 55 Suddenly taken, and hath sent posthaste To entreat your Majesty to visit him. KING RICHARD Where lies he? BUSHY At Ely House. KING RICHARD Now put it, God, in the physician’s mind 60 To help him to his grave immediately! The lining of his coffers shall make coats To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars. Come, gentlemen, let’s all go visit him. Pray God we may make haste and come too late. 65 ALL Amen! They exit.	A man named Bushy comes in to announce that John of Gaunt is sick. Richard says the timing is perfect. Hopefully Gaunt will hurry up and die so Richard can snatch up his land and money and use it to fund the war in Ireland. Brain Snack: Legally Richard doesn't actually have a right to take Gaunt's land when the old man dies. According to a system called "primogeniture," the eldest son gets to inherit all of his father's land, wealth, and titles. So technically all of Gaunt's property should go to his oldest son, Henry Bolingbroke. This is important.

Original Text

Translated Text

Source: Folger Shakespeare Library

Scene 4

Enter the King with Green and Bagot, at one door,
and the Lord Aumerle at another.

KING RICHARD We did observe.—Cousin Aumerle,
How far brought you high Hereford on his way?

AUMERLE
I brought high Hereford, if you call him so,
But to the next highway, and there I left him.

KING RICHARD
And say, what store of parting tears were shed? 5

Aumerle reports to King Richard that he just escorted Bolingbroke to the edge of town, where things got a little awkward.

Richard wants every juicy detail and is all, "Did anyone cry when Bolingbroke left?"

AUMERLE
Faith, none for me, except the northeast wind,
Which then blew bitterly against our faces,
Awaked the sleeping rheum and so by chance
Did grace our hollow parting with a tear.

KING RICHARD
What said our cousin when you parted with him? 10

AUMERLE “Farewell.”
And, for my heart disdainèd that my tongue
Should so profane the word, that taught me craft
To counterfeit oppression of such grief
That words seemed buried in my sorrow’s grave. 15
Marry, would the word “farewell” have lengthened
hours
And added years to his short banishment,
He should have had a volume of farewells.
But since it would not, he had none of me. 20

Aumerle says he didn't cry, but a northeast wind might have made his eyes water. (Yep, Aumerle's being sarcastic all right.)

Aumerle then tells the king that all Bolingbroke said in the end was "Farewell." Aumerle claims he didn't say anything back because he didn't want to be a phony by wishing him good luck. Instead, he pretended to be too sad to talk. (It's hard to tell whether this is true, or whether he's hiding his real feelings.)

KING RICHARD
He is our cousin, cousin, but ’tis doubt,
When time shall call him home from banishment,
Whether our kinsman come to see his friends.
Ourself and Bushy, Bagot here and Green,
Observed his courtship to the common people, 25
How he did seem to dive into their hearts
With humble and familiar courtesy,
What reverence he did throw away on slaves,
Wooing poor craftsmen with the craft of smiles
And patient underbearing of his fortune, 30
As ’twere to banish their affects with him.
Off goes his bonnet to an oysterwench;
A brace of draymen bid God speed him well
And had the tribute of his supple knee,
With “Thanks, my countrymen, my loving friends,” 35
As were our England in reversion his
And he our subjects’ next degree in hope.

Richard is a teensy bit worried. The commoners really like Bolingbroke, who's sort of a man of the people. Banishing Bolingbroke could turn out to be a seriously bad PR move for Richard.

GREEN
Well, he is gone, and with him go these thoughts.
Now for the rebels which stand out in Ireland,
Expedient manage must be made, my liege, 40
Ere further leisure yield them further means
For their advantage and your Highness’ loss.

KING RICHARD
We will ourself in person to this war.
And, for our coffers, with too great a court
And liberal largess, are grown somewhat light, 45
We are enforced to farm our royal realm,
The revenue whereof shall furnish us
For our affairs in hand. If that come short,
Our substitutes at home shall have blank charters,
Whereto, when they shall know what men are rich, 50
They shall subscribe them for large sums of gold
And send them after to supply our wants,
For we will make for Ireland presently.

Enter Bushy.

Bushy, what news?

Green chimes in that Richard's got much bigger fish to fry: the rebels in Ireland are acting up again.

Richard snaps out of it and is all, "Ugh. Those Irish rebels are such a pain. Looks like I'll have to go to war myself."

There's just one tiny problem: Richard is broke because he's spent so much money decorating his palace, buying fancy clothes, and tricking out his coaches with fancy rims and the best horses. It turns out there's not a lot of cash leftover for a war.

We find out that Richard also did a dangerous thing: he basically mortgaged his right to tax the people in order to get a little extra money fast. This means he's letting his deputies collect money from the richest men. How the heck is he going to raise any money now?

BUSHY
Old John of Gaunt is grievous sick, my lord, 55
Suddenly taken, and hath sent posthaste
To entreat your Majesty to visit him.

KING RICHARD Where lies he?

BUSHY At Ely House.

KING RICHARD
Now put it, God, in the physician’s mind 60
To help him to his grave immediately!
The lining of his coffers shall make coats
To deck our soldiers for these Irish wars.
Come, gentlemen, let’s all go visit him.
Pray God we may make haste and come too late. 65

ALL Amen!

They exit.

A man named Bushy comes in to announce that John of Gaunt is sick.

Richard says the timing is perfect. Hopefully Gaunt will hurry up and die so Richard can snatch up his land and money and use it to fund the war in Ireland.

Brain Snack: Legally Richard doesn't actually have a right to take Gaunt's land when the old man dies. According to a system called "primogeniture," the eldest son gets to inherit all of his father's land, wealth, and titles. So technically all of Gaunt's property should go to his oldest son, Henry Bolingbroke. This is important.

Richard II: Act 1, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 4 of Richard II from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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