Pericles, Prince of Tyre: Act 4, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 2 of Pericles, Prince of Tyre from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Pander, Bawd, and Bolt. PANDER Bolt! BOLT Sir? PANDER Search the market narrowly. Mytilene is full of gallants. We lost too much money this mart by being too wenchless. 5 BAWD We were never so much out of creatures. We have but poor three, and they can do no more than they can do; and they with continual action are even as good as rotten. PANDER Therefore let’s have fresh ones, whate’er we 10 pay for them. If there be not a conscience to be used in every trade, we shall never prosper. BAWD Thou sayst true. ’Tis not our bringing up of poor bastards—as I think I have brought up some eleven— 15 BOLT Ay, to eleven, and brought them down again. But shall I search the market? BAWD What else, man? The stuff we have, a strong wind will blow it to pieces, they are so pitifully sodden. 20 PANDER Thou sayst true. There’s two unwholesome, a’ conscience. The poor Transylvanian is dead that lay with the little baggage. BOLT Ay, she quickly pooped him. She made him roast-meat for worms. But I’ll go search the 25 market. He exits.	The next thing we know, we're at a brothel in "Meteline" (a.k.a. Mytilene). (It looks and sounds a whole lot like the kind of "bawdy house" that one might come across in Shakespeare's London, though.) A pimp named Pander is talking with Bawd, who is his business partner and his wife. Pander orders another pimp named Boult to go to the marketplace to find some more girls. Bawd and Pander complain about losing money because they don't have enough prostitutes in the brothel to satisfy all their clients. Apparently, a bunch of their girls are "rotten" with STDs, so they need some "fresh" ones if they want business to pick up. Now Bawd complains about having to raise a bunch of "poor" little "bastards" because their moms can't do it themselves. Then she pats herself on the back for being so generous.
PANDER Three or four thousand chequins were as pretty a proportion to live quietly, and so give over. BAWD Why to give over, I pray you? Is it a shame to get when we are old? 30 PANDER O, our credit comes not in like the commodity, nor the commodity wages not with the danger. Therefore, if in our youths we could pick up some pretty estate, ’twere not amiss to keep our door hatched. Besides, the sore terms we stand upon 35 with the gods will be strong with us for giving o’er. BAWD Come, other sorts offend as well as we. PANDER As well as we? Ay, and better too; we offend worse. Neither is our profession any trade; it’s no calling. But here comes Bolt. 40 Enter Bolt with the Pirates and Marina.	Boult shows up with the Pirates and Marina.
BOLT Come your ways, my masters. You say she’s a virgin? PIRATE O, sir, we doubt it not. BOLT Master, I have gone through for this piece you see. If you like her, so; if not, I have lost my 45 earnest. BAWD Bolt, has she any qualities? BOLT She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent good clothes. There’s no farther necessity of qualities can make her be refused. 50 BAWD What’s her price, Bolt? BOLT I cannot be bated one doit of a thousand pieces.	Bawd and Pander decide to buy her because 1) she's a virgin, and 2) she's pretty.
PANDER Well, follow me, my masters; you shall have your money presently.—Wife, take her in. Instruct her what she has to do, that she may not be raw in 55 her entertainment. He exits with Pirates. BAWD Bolt, take you the marks of her: the color of her hair, complexion, height, her age, with warrant of her virginity, and cry “He that will give most shall have her first.” Such a maidenhead were no cheap 60 thing, if men were as they have been. Get this done as I command you. BOLT Performance shall follow. He exits.	Bawd sends Boult back to the marketplace to advertise Marina and offer her virginity to the highest bidder.
MARINA Alack that Leonine was so slack, so slow! He should have struck, not spoke. Or that these 65 pirates, Not enough barbarous, had but o’erboard thrown me For to seek my mother. BAWD Why lament you, pretty one? MARINA That I am pretty. 70 BAWD Come, the gods have done their part in you. MARINA I accuse them not. BAWD You are light into my hands, where you are like to live. MARINA The more my fault, to ’scape his hands where 75 I was to die. BAWD Ay, and you shall live in pleasure. MARINA No. BAWD Yes, indeed shall you, and taste gentlemen of all fashions. You shall fare well; you shall have the 80 difference of all complexions. What, do you stop your ears? MARINA Are you a woman? BAWD What would you have me be, an I be not a woman? 85 MARINA An honest woman, or not a woman. BAWD Marry, whip the gosling! I think I shall have something to do with you. Come, you’re a young foolish sapling, and must be bowed as I would have you. 90 MARINA The gods defend me! BAWD If it please the gods to defend you by men, then men must comfort you, men must feed you, men stir you up. Bolt’s returned. Enter Bolt. Now, sir, hast thou cried her through the market? 95 BOLT I have cried her almost to the number of her hairs. I have drawn her picture with my voice. BAWD And I prithee tell me, how dost thou find the inclination of the people, especially of the younger sort? 100 BOLT Faith, they listened to me as they would have hearkened to their father’s testament. There was a Spaniard’s mouth watered an he went to bed to her very description. BAWD We shall have him here tomorrow with his best 105 ruff on. BOLT Tonight, tonight! But, mistress, do you know the French knight that cowers i’ the hams? BAWD Who? Monsieur Verolles? BOLT Ay, he. He offered to cut a caper at the proclamation, 110 but he made a groan at it and swore he would see her tomorrow. BAWD Well, well, as for him, he brought his disease hither; here he does but repair it. I know he will come in our shadow, to scatter his crowns in the 115 sun. BOLT Well, if we had of every nation a traveler, we should lodge them with this sign. BAWD, to Marina Pray you, come hither awhile. You have fortunes coming upon you. Mark me: you 120 must seem to do that fearfully which you commit willingly, despise profit where you have most gain. To weep that you live as you do makes pity in your lovers. Seldom but that pity begets you a good opinion, and that opinion a mere profit. 125 MARINA I understand you not. BOLT O, take her home, mistress, take her home! These blushes of hers must be quenched with some present practice. BAWD Thou sayst true, i’ faith, so they must, for your 130 bride goes to that with shame which is her way to go with warrant. BOLT Faith, some do and some do not. But, mistress, if I have bargained for the joint— BAWD Thou mayst cut a morsel off the spit. 135 BOLT I may so. BAWD Who should deny it? Come, young one, I like the manner of your garments well. BOLT Ay, by my faith, they shall not be changed yet. BAWD Bolt, spend thou that in the town. (She gives him 140 money.) Report what a sojourner we have. You’ll lose nothing by custom. When Nature framed this piece, she meant thee a good turn. Therefore say what a paragon she is, and thou hast the harvest out of thine own report. 145 BOLT I warrant you, mistress, thunder shall not so awake the beds of eels as my giving out her beauty stirs up the lewdly inclined. I’ll bring home some tonight. BAWD, to Marina Come your ways. Follow me. 150 MARINA If fires be hot, knives sharp, or waters deep, Untied I still my virgin knot will keep. Diana aid my purpose! BAWD What have we to do with Diana, pray you? Will you go with us? 155 They exit.	Meanwhile, Bawd tries to give Marina advice about being a successful prostitute, but Marina's not having any of it. Marina prays to the goddess Diana to help her keep her virginity.