THE MERCHANT OF VENICE A line-by-line translation Act 1, Scene 1 Shakespeare Shakescleare Translation Enter ANTONIO, SALERIO, and SOLANIO ANTONIO, SALERIO, and SOLANIO enter. ANTONIO In sooth, I know not why I am so sad. It wearies me; you say it wearies you. But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuf ’tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn. And such a want-wit sadness makes of me, That I have much ado to know myself. 5 ANTONIO To tell the truth, I don't know why I am so sad. I'm tired of being sad, and you say you're tired of it, too. But I don't know how I caught, found, or came by this sadness; what it's about; or where it came from. And since I don't know anything about this sadness, I clearly have a ways to go in understanding myself. SALERIO Your mind is tossing on the ocean, There, where your argosies with portly sail, Like signors and rich burghers on the flood-- Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea-- Do overpeer the petty trafickers That curtsy to them, do them reverence As they fly by them with their woven wings. 10 SALERIO Your mind is focused on the ocean where your merchant ships are sailing like rich, important men parading on the sea. They tower over the little trade boats that they pass by, sailing along, and it's as if the little boats bow before the greatness of your ships. 1 1 This word, as well as the original, "curtsy," calls to mind the image of smaller ships bobbing up and down in the waves. SOLANIO Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth, The better part of my afections would Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind, Peering in maps for ports and piers and roads. And every object that might make me fear Misfortune to my ventures out of doubt Would make me sad. 15 20 SOLANIO Believe me, sir, if I were involved in a trade venture like yours, most of my mental energy would be with my ships, as well. I'd be pulling up shoots of grass to use them to check the wind, and looking at maps of ports and piers and roads. And any little thing that might make me worry that something bad would happen to my ships would make me sad, without a doubt. SALERIO My wind cooling my broth Would blow me to an ague when I thought What harm a wind too great at sea might do. I should not see the sandy hourglass run, But I should think of shallows and of flats And see my wealthy Andrew docked in sand, Vailing her high top lower than her ribs To kiss her burial. Should I go to church And see the holy edifice of stone And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks, Which, touching but my gentle vessel’s side, Would scatter all her spices on the stream, Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks, And, in a word, but even now worth this, And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought To think on this, and shall I lack the thought That such a thing bechanced would make me sad? But tell not me. I know Antonio Is sad to think upon his merchandise. 25 30 35 40 SALERIO I'd get upset blowing on my hot soup, because it would make me think of what a strong wind at sea could do to my ships. If I saw the sands run in an hourglass, I would think of flat shallows where my ship, " The Andrew ," run aground with all its riches and flipped over, completely done for. If I went to church and saw its stone construction, I couldn't help but think of dangerous rocks that could break the sides of my ships and scatter valuable spices all over the water, causing my silks to fall out and drape on the waves. They are worth so much, and would all of a sudden be lost and worth nothing to me. How could I think of such things and not get sad? But you don't need to tell me. I know that Antonio is sad because he's worrying about his merchandise. 2 2 "The Andrew" was the name of one of the two large Spanish galleons captured by the English in 1596. News of the event was cause for excitement in England at the time. (1974 Riverside Ed.) ANTONIO Believe me, no. I thank my fortune for it-- My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place, nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this present year. Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad. 45 ANTONIO Believe me, you're wrong. Thank goodness, not all my merchandise is in one ship or any one place, and I haven't risked all my riches on this year's venture. Therefore, it's not my merchandise that is making me sad. SOLANIO Why then, you are in love. SOLANIO Well, then, you must be in love. Get translations of every Shakespeare play at www.litcharts.com ©2017 LitCharts LLC v.001 Page 1