Henry V – Act 3 Scene 5

KING OF FRANCE

'Tis certain he hath passed the river Somme.

It’s certain he has passed the river Somme.

CONSTABLE

And if he be not fought withal, my lord,

And if we do not fight him now, my lord,

Let us not live in France; let us quit all

We cannot live in France; let us abandon

And give our vineyards to a barbarous people.

Our land and vineyards to barbarians.

DAUPHIN

O Dieu vivant! Shall a few sprays of us,

Oh God alive! Shall offshoots of our race –

The emptying of our fathers' luxury,

From our forefathers procreating there,

Our scions, put in wild and savage stock,

All our descendants raised in savage land –

Spirt up so suddenly into the clouds,

Grow up so suddenly, above the clouds,

And overlook their grafters?

And look down on those who had planted them?

BOURBON

Normans, but bastard Normans, Norman bastards!

They’re Normans, but they’re illegitimate!

Mort de ma vie! If they march along

My life will end if they all march along

Unfought withal, but I will sell my dukedom,

Without a fight. I’ll have to sell my dukedom

To buy a slobbery and a dirty farm

And buy a sodden, damp, disgusting farm

In that nook-shotten isle of Albion.

Upon the craggy, ill-shaped isle of Britain.

CONSTABLE

Dieu de batailles! Where have they this mettle?

Oh, battle-god! Where did they get their strength?

Is not their climate foggy, raw and dull,

Don’t they have awful, dull and foggy weather,

On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale,

Whereby the sun, to spite them all, looks pale,

Killing their fruit with frowns? Can sodden water,

And kills their fruit by frowning? Can their water,

A drench for sur-reined jades, their barley-broth,

Drunk by old horses, that they turn to beer,

Decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat?

Boil their blood, extracting so much bravery?

And shall our quick blood, spirited with wine,

And shall our blood, emboldened by our wine,

Seem frosty? O, for honour of our land,

Seem cold and weak? In honour of our land,

Let us not hang like roping icicles

Let us not hang around like icicles

Upon our houses' thatch, whiles a more frosty people

From thatched roofs, while these cold and frosty people

Sweat drops of gallant youth in our rich fields!

Make their brave youth sweat in our fertile fields!

Poor we may call them in their native lords.

We say they’re poor, for they lack noblemen.

DAUPHIN

By faith and honour,

On my honour,

Our madams mock at us, and plainly say

Our ladies make fun of us, stating plainly

Our mettle is bred out and they will give

Our bravery’s been bred out of us, and they’ll give

Their bodies to the lust of English youth

Their bodies to the lustful English youth,

To new-store France with bastard warriors.

Repopulating France with fighting bastards.

BOURBON

They bid us to the English dancing-schools,

They say we should take English dancing lessons,

And teach lavoltas high and swift corantos;

To learn the latest shimmies, jumping quickly,

Saying our grace is only in our heels,

Claiming our only skill is in our feet

And that we are most lofty runaways.

And we are at our best running away.

KING OF FRANCE

Where is Montjoy the herald? Speed him hence:

Where’s Montjoy, messenger of war? Send him, fast:

Let him greet England with our sharp defiance.

Have him tell England we stand in defiance.

Up, princes! And, with spirit of honour edged

Rise up, you princes! And with cutting honour

More sharper than your swords, hie to the field:

That’s sharper than your swords, get to the field:

Charles Delabreth, high constable of France;

Charles Delabreth, high constable of France;

You Dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, and of Berri,

You Dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, and of Berri,

Alencon, Brabant, Bar, and Burgundy;

Alencon, Brabant, Bar, and Burgundy;

Jaques Chatillon, Rambures, Vaudemont,

Jaques Chatillon, Rambures, Vaudemont,

Beaumont, Grandpre, Roussi, and Fauconberg,

Beaumont, Grandpre, Roussi, and Fauconberg,

Foix, Lestrale, Bouciqualt, and Charolois;

Foix, Lestrale, Bouciqualt, and Charolois;

High dukes, great princes, barons, lords and knights,

High dukes, great princes, barons, lords and knights,

For your great seats now quit you of great shames.

Defend your great seats, ridding us of shame.

Bar Harry England, that sweeps through our land

Rid Harry, King of England, from our land

With pennons painted in the blood of Harfleur:

Who sweeps through hoisting flags drenched in our blood.

Rush on his host, as doth the melted snow

Come down on them, like melted snow descends

Upon the valleys, whose low vassal seat

Into the valleys where low-lying places

The Alps doth spit and void his rheum upon:

Are smothered with an Alpine spit and phlegm.

Go down upon him, you have power enough,

Go overwhelm them, you are strong enough,

And in a captive chariot into Rouen

And locked up in a cart, come into Rouen

Bring him our prisoner.

With him as prisoner.

CONSTABLE

This becomes the great.

That’s great behaviour.

Sorry am I his numbers are so few,

I’m only sorry that his army’s small,

His soldiers sick and famished in their march,

His soldiers sick and starving as they march,

For I am sure, when he shall see our army,

For I am sure, when he first sees our army,

He'll drop his heart into the sink of fear

His heart will sink and he’ll be terrified,

And for achievement offer us his ransom.

And thus, because of this, he will surrender.

KING OF FRANCE

Therefore, lord constable, haste on Montjoy,

So, constable, send Montjoy right away.

And let him say to England that we send

And have him ask the King of England what

To know what willing ransom he will give.

He is prepared to pay us as a ransom.

Prince Dauphin, you shall stay with us in Rouen.

Prince Dauphin, you will stay with us in Rouen.

DAUPHIN

Not so, I do beseech your majesty.

Please no, don’t make me stay, your majesty.

KING OF FRANCE

Be patient, for you shall remain with us.

Be patient, for you’re staying here with us.

Now forth, lord constable and princes all,

Leave, constable and princes, one and all,

And quickly bring us word of England's fall.

Returning soon, with news of England’s fall.