Independence Archives - CJTranslations

You must forget to be a woman; change command into obedience, fear and niceness … into a waggish courage

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 3.4
SPEAKER: Pisanio
CONTEXT:
IMOGEN
Where then
Hath Britain all the sun that shines? Day, night,
Are they not but in Britain? I’ the world’s volume
Our Britain seems as of it, but not in ‘t;
In a great pool a swan’s nest: prithee, think
There’s livers out of Britain.
PISANIO
I am most glad
You think of other place. The ambassador,
Lucius the Roman, comes to Milford-Haven
To-morrow: now, if you could wear a mind
Dark as your fortune is, and but disguise
That which, to appear itself, must not yet be
But by self-danger, you should tread a course
Pretty and full of view; yea, haply, near
The residence of Posthumus; so nigh at least
That though his actions were not visible, yet
Report should render him hourly to your ear
As truly as he moves.
IMOGEN
O, for such means!
Though peril to my modesty, not death on’t,
I would adventure.
PISANIO
Well, then, here’s the point:
You must forget to be a woman; change
Command into obedience, fear and niceness—
The handmaids of all women, or, more truly,
Woman it pretty self—into a waggish courage,
Ready in gibes, quick-answered, saucy, and
As quarrellous as the weasel. Nay, you must
Forget that rarest treasure of your cheek,
Exposing it—but O, the harder heart!
Alack, no remedy—to the greedy touch
Of common-kissing Titan, and forget
Your laboursome and dainty trims, wherein
You made great Juno angry.
IMOGEN
Nay, be brief
I see into thy end, and am almost
A man already.

DUTCH:
Vergeet, dat gij een vrouw zijt; ruil ‘t gebieden.
Voor dienstbaarheid, de schuchterheid en kieschheid, —
Der vrouwen gezellinnen, ja veeleer,
Haar lieflijk wezen zelf, — voor dart’len moed;
Wees spotziek, onbeschaamd, vlug met de tong,
En twistziek als een wezel;

MORE:
Niceness=Delicacy, daintiness, coyness
Quarrellous as the weasel. Weasels were kept for killing vermin. Cf. Henry IV Part 1: “A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen as you are tossed with.”
Laboursome=Elabourate, requiring much pains and industry (also laboursome petition, Hamlet)
Common-kissing=Kissing anybody and anything
Trims=Ornamental dress
Compleat:
To gibe=Boerten, gekscheeren
Quarrelsome=Krakeelachtig, twistig, twistgierig, kyfachtig
Laboursom=Lastig, verdrdietig, verveelend
Niceness=Viezigheid, keurigheid

Burgersdijk notes:
Den fellen straler van omhoog. In het oorspronkelijke wordt gesproken van the greedg touch of common-kissing Titan. De zonnegod wordt meermalen Titan genoemd.

Topics: appearance, intellect, independence, language, reply

Categories: appearance, Cymbeline, Independence, language, reply|

Caesar’s ambition, which swelled so much that it did almost stretch the sides o’ th’ world

PLAY: Cymbeline
ACT/SCENE: 3.1
SPEAKER: Cymbeline
CONTEXT:
You must know,
Till the injurious Romans did extort
This tribute from us, we were free. Caesar’s ambition,
Which swelled so much that it did almost stretch
The sides o’ th’ world, against all colour here
Did put the yoke upon ’s, which to shake off
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be.

DUTCH:
t Zij u bewust,
Wij waren , tot ons Rome met geweld
Tot cijns verplichtte, vrij; eerst Caesars eerzucht, —
Die zoo zich opblies, dat de wereld schier
Te klein haar werd

MORE:
Against all colour=Against any opposition, whatever the reason
Injurious=Detractory, hurting reputation, insulting
Tribute=Stated payment made in acknowledgment of submission, or as the price of peace, or by virtue of a treaty
Colour=Specious pretence, palliation, appearance of right
Compleat:
Injurious=Verongelykend, beledigend, smaadelyk, lasterlyk
Tribute=Tol, impost
Colour=Vaandel
Under colour of peace=Onder den schyn van vreede
Under colour of friendship=Onder den dekmantel van vriendschap

Topics: independence, free will, ambition, rights, equality

Categories: ambition, Cymbeline, equality, Independence, rights|

There is a world elsewhere

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 3.3
SPEAKER: Coriolanus
CONTEXT:
SICINIUS
We know your drift: speak what?
BRUTUS
There’s no more to be said, but he is banish’d,
As enemy to the people and his country:
It shall be so.
CITIZENS
It shall be so, it shall be so.
CORIOLANUS
You common cry of curs! whose breath I hate
As reek o’ the rotten fens, whose loves I prize
As the dead carcasses of unburied men
That do corrupt my air, I banish you;
And here remain with your uncertainty!
Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts!
Your enemies, with nodding of their plumes,
Fan you into despair! Have the power still
To banish your defenders; till at length
Your ignorance, which finds not till it feels,
Making not reservation of yourselves,
Still your own foes, deliver you as most
Abated captives to some nation
That won you without blows! Despising,
For you, the city, thus I turn my back:
There is a world elsewhere.

DUTCH:
Ook elders is een wereld!

MORE:
Plume=Feathers which serve to adorn, particularly a tuft of feathers worn as an ornament
Making not reservation (in some versions “making but reservations”)
Abated=Humbled, discouraged
Ignorance=Stupidity
Compleat:
Plume=Pluim, veder
He had a white plume of feathers upon his hat=Hy had witte pluimen op zyn hoed
To abate one’s pride=Iemands hoogmoed fnuiken

Topics: life, free will, independence, failure

Categories: Coriolanus, failure, Independence, life|

Truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 2.3
SPEAKER: Third Citizen
CONTEXT:
FIRST CITIZEN
And to make us no better thought of, a little help
will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he
himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.
THIRD CITIZEN
We have been called so of many; not that our heads
are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald,
but that our wits are so diversely coloured: and
truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of
one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south,
and their consent of one direct way should be at
once to all the points o’ the compass.
SECOND CITIZEN
Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would
fly?
THIRD CITIZEN
Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man’s
will; ’tis strongly wedged up in a block-head, but
if it were at liberty, ‘twould, sure, southward.”

DUTCH:
En waarlijk, ik geloof, dat, als al onze verstanden uit ééne hersenkas moesten te voorschijn komen, zij oost, west, noord en zuid zouden vliegen; en een afspraak van hen, om allen éénzelfden rechten weg te volgen, zou er op uitkomen, dat zij allen op eens naar al de streken van het kompas uiteenstoven.

MORE:
Proverb: A multitude of people is a beast of many heads

Stood up about=Rose up, protested/fought about
Many-headed multitude=Proverbial, referring to ficklemess of the masses
Stuck not=Did not hestitate
Wit=Mental faculty, intellectual power of any kind; understanding, judgment, imagination
Of many=By many
Consent of=Agreement on.
Consent of one direct way=Agreement to go in one direction
If all our wishes…out of one skull=To suppose all their wits to issue from one skull, and that their common consent and agreement to go all one way, should end in their flying to every point of the compass, is a just description of the variety and inconsistency of the opinions, wishes, and actions of the multitude.(M. Mason)
Compleat:
To stand up=Opstaan, verdedigen
Coloured=Geverfd, gekleurd, afgezet, geblanket
With one consent=Eendragtiglyk
Wits=Zinnen, oordeel

Topics: status, poverty and wealth, intellect, independence

Categories: Coriolanus, Independence, intellect, status|

Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man’s will

PLAY: Coriolanus
ACT/SCENE: 2.3
SPEAKER: Third Citizen
CONTEXT:
FIRST CITIZEN
And to make us no better thought of, a little help
will serve; for once we stood up about the corn, he
himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.
THIRD CITIZEN
We have been called so of many; not that our heads
are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald,
but that our wits are so diversely coloured: and
truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of
one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south,
and their consent of one direct way should be at
once to all the points o’ the compass.
SECOND CITIZEN
Think you so? Which way do you judge my wit would
fly?
THIRD CITIZEN
Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man’s
will; ’tis strongly wedged up in a block-head, but
if it were at liberty, ‘twould, sure, southward.

DUTCH:
Nu, uw verstand kan er niet zoo snel uit als dat van
een ander; het is te stevig in een harden kop vastgeklemd;
maar als het eens vrij was , ging het zeker zuidwaarts.

MORE:
Proverb: A multitude of people is a beast of many heads

Stood up about=Rose up, protested/fought about
Many-headed multitude=Proverbial, referring to ficklemess of the masses
Stuck not=Did not hestitate
Wit=Mental faculty, intellectual power of any kind; understanding, judgment, imagination
Of many=By many
Consent of=Agreement on.
Consent of one direct way=Agreement to go in one direction
If all our wishes…out of one skull=To suppose all their wits to issue from one skull, and that their common consent and agreement to go all one way, should end in their flying to every point of the compass, is a just description of the variety and inconsistency of the opinions, wishes, and actions of the multitude.(M. Mason)
Compleat:
To stand up=Opstaan, verdedigen
Coloured=Geverfd, gekleurd, afgezet, geblanket
With one consent=Eendragtiglyk
Wits=Zinnen, oordeel

Topics: status, poverty and wealth, intellect, independence

Categories: Coriolanus, Independence, intellect, status|

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