The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra: Act 3, Scene 10 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 10 of The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Canidius marcheth with his land army one way over the stage, and Taurus the lieutenant of Caesar the other way. After their going in is heard the noise of a sea fight. Alarum. Enter Enobarbus. ENOBARBUS Naught, naught, all naught! I can behold no longer. Th’ Antoniad, the Egyptian admiral, With all their sixty, fly and turn the rudder. To see ’t mine eyes are blasted.	Stage directions show Taurus with Caesar’s army and Canidius with Antony’s army as they both cross paths. We can hear the battle off-stage, but Enobarbus comes in to deliver the horrifying news: in the middle of the battle, just when fortune could have gone one way or the other, Cleopatra’s ship turned sail and ran away.
SCARUS Gods and goddesses, 5 All the whole synod of them! ENOBARBUS What’s thy passion? SCARUS The greater cantle of the world is lost With very ignorance. We have kissed away Kingdoms and provinces. 10 ENOBARBUS How appears the fight? SCARUS On our side, like the tokened pestilence, Where death is sure. Yon ribaudred nag of Egypt, Whom leprosy o’ertake, i’ th’ midst o’ th’ fight, When vantage like a pair of twins appeared 15 Both as the same—or, rather, ours the elder— The breeze upon her like a cow in June, Hoists sails and flies. ENOBARBUS That I beheld. Mine eyes did sicken at the sight and could not 20 Endure a further view. SCARUS She once being loofed, The noble ruin of her magic, Antony, Claps on his sea-wing and, like a doting mallard, Leaving the fight in height, flies after her. 25 I never saw an action of such shame. Experience, manhood, honor ne’er before Did violate so itself. ENOBARBUS Alack, alack.	Another soldier, Scarus, recounts the tale of the fleeing Egyptian ships and adds that when Antony saw Cleopatra flee, he turned his sails and followed her, leaving the battle to ruins and his honor to mockery.
Enter Canidius. CANIDIUS Our fortune on the sea is out of breath 30 And sinks most lamentably. Had our general Been what he knew himself, it had gone well. O, he has given example for our flight Most grossly by his own. ENOBARBUS Ay, are you thereabouts? Why then goodnight 35 indeed. CANIDIUS Toward Peloponnesus are they fled. SCARUS ’Tis easy to ’t, and there I will attend What further comes. He exits. CANIDIUS To Caesar will I render 40 My legions and my horse. Six kings already Show me the way of yielding. He exits.	Canidius enters, announcing that this defeat was due to Antony not being remotely noble. Canidius is so disgusted he's going to defect to Caesar’s side with his troops.
ENOBARBUS I’ll yet follow The wounded chance of Antony, though my reason Sits in the wind against me. 45 He exits.	Enobarbus leans toward defecting also, though he’s not too happy about it.