ACT 4
Henry V Act 4, Scene 4: Retold in Modern English Verse
Pistol takes a prisoner
On the battlefield, Pistol captures a French soldier and – through the Boy’s interpreting, and his own magnificent manglings of French – extracts a promise of two hundred crowns for the man’s life. The Boy, left to guard the luggage with the other boys, reflects that this roaring devil has outlived both Nym and Bardolph, hanged the pair of them, and that the camp is dangerously unguarded.
Characters appearing: Pistol | French Soldier | Boy
Key themes: Class and Brotherhood | Language and Power | Appearance vs Reality
THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
[ALARUM. EXCURSIONS. ENTER PISTOL, FRENCH SOLDIER, AND BOY]
PISTOL
Yield, cur!
Surrender, mongrel!
FRENCH SOLDIER
Je pense que vous etes gentilhomme de bonne qualite.
I think you are a noble gentleman.
PISTOL
Qualtitie calmie custure me! Art thou a gentleman?
Hoh-hee-hoh-hee-hon! Are you a gentleman?
What is thy name? Discuss.
What is your name? Tell me.
FRENCH SOLDIER
O Seigneur Dieu!
Oh, Lord God!
PISTOL
O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman:
Oh, Signior Dew thinks he’s a gentleman:
Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark;
Reflect upon my words, oh Signior Dew:
O Signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox,
Oh Signior Dew, you’ll die upon this sword
Except, O signieur, thou do give to me
Unless, oh Signior, you will give to me
Egregious ransom.
A massive ransom payment.
FRENCH SOLDIER
O, prenez misericorde! Ayez pitie de moi!
Oh, show some mercy! Take some pity on me!
PISTOL
Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys;
One moy won’t work; I’ll need some forty moys;
Or I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat
Or I will gut your innards out your throat
In drops of crimson blood.
And spill your crimson blood.
FRENCH SOLDIER
Est-il impossible d'echapper la force de ton bras?
Is it impossible to escape the force of your arm?
PISTOL
Brass, cur!
Brass? You rabid dog!
Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat,
You vulgar, lecherous mountain goat,
Offer'st me brass?
How dare you offer me brass?
FRENCH SOLDIER
O pardonnez moi!
Oh, I’m sorry!
PISTOL
Say'st thou me so? Is that a ton of moys?
Is that what you’re offering me? A ton of moys?
Come hither, boy: ask me this slave in French
Come here, boy: ask this slave in French for me
What is his name.
What his name is.
BOY
Ecoutez: comment etes-vous appele?
Listen: what is your name?
FRENCH SOLDIER
Monsieur le Fer.
Master le Fer.
BOY
He says his name is Master Fer.
He says his name is Master Fer.
PISTOL
Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret
Master Fer! I’ll ‘fer’ him, and whip him, and harass
him: discuss the same in French unto him.
him: tell him that in French.
BOY
I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.
I don’t know the French words for ‘fer’, whip and harass.
PISTOL
Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.
Tell him: prepare, for I will cut his throat.
FRENCH SOLDIER
Que dit-il, monsieur?
What did he say, sir?
BOY
Il me commande de vous dire que vous faites vous
He told me to tell you that you must get yourself
pret; car ce soldat ici est dispose tout a cette
ready; for this soldier here plans at this exact
heure de couper votre gorge.
moment to cut your throat.
PISTOL
Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy,
Oui, couper la gorge, par ma foi,
Peasant, unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns;
Peasant, unless you give me proper gold coins,
Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword.
You will be chopped up by this sword of mine.
FRENCH SOLDIER
O, je vous supplie, pour l'amour de Dieu, me
Oh, I beg you, for the love of God, forgive
pardonner! Je suis gentilhomme de bonne maison:
me! I am a nobleman from a respected estate;
gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux cents ecus.
protect my life, and I will give you two hundred gold coins.
PISTOL
What are his words?
What’s he saying?
BOY
He prays you to save his life: he is a gentleman of
He begs that you save his life: he is a gentleman from
a good house; and for his ransom he will give you
a good house, and for his ransom payment he will give you
two hundred crowns.
two hundred gold coins.
PISTOL
Tell him my fury shall abate, and I the crowns will take.
Tell him my anger will subside and I will take his gold coins.
FRENCH SOLDIER
Petit monsieur, que dit-il?
Young man, what did he say?
BOY
Encore qu'il est contre son jurement de pardoner
Even though it is against his sworn oath to pardon
aucun prisonnier, neanmoins, pour les ecus que vous
any prisoner, nonetheless, for the gold coins that you
l'avez promis, il est content de vous donner la
have promised him, he is willing to give you
liberte, le franchisement.
liberty and freedom.
FRENCH SOLDIER
Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remercimens; et
On my knees I give you a thousand thanks; and
je m'estime heureux que je suis tombe entre les
I consider myself lucky that I fell into the
mains d'un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave,
hands of a gallant knight, I think, the bravest,
vaillant, et tres distingue seigneur d'Angleterre.
most valiant and highly distinguished lord of England.
PISTOL
Expound unto me, boy.
Translate that for me, boy.
BOY
He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand thanks; and
Upon his knees he gives you a thousand thanks, and
he esteems himself happy that he hath fallen into
he considers himself lucky to have fallen into
the hands of one, as he thinks, the most brave,
the hands of one he believes to be the bravest,
valorous, and thrice-worthy signieur of England.
valiant and most highly distinguished lord of England.
PISTOL
As I suck blood, I will some mercy show.
Although I am a leech, I will show mercy.
Follow me!
Follow me!
BOY
Suivez-vous le grand capitaine.
Follow the great captain.
[EXEUNT PISTOL, AND FRENCH SOLDIER]
I did never know so full a voice issue from so
I’ve never heard a voice so loud from such a
empty a heart: but the saying is true: 'The empty
hollow heart. But the proverb is true: ‘When empty,
vessel makes the greatest sound.' Bardolph and Nym
vessels make the loudest noise.’ Bardolph and Nym
had ten times more valour than this roaring devil i'
were ten times braver than this noisy devil from the
the old play, that every one may pare his nails with
old morality plays we’d watch, where one could clip his nails
a wooden dagger; and they are both hanged; and so
with a wooden dagger, so weak he was; yet they both hanged,
would this be, if he durst steal any thing
and so would he if he dared to steal anything
adventurously. I must stay with the lackeys, with
with conviction. I have to stay with the servants who
the luggage of our camp: the French might have a
look after the luggage at the camp: the French would
good prey of us, if he knew of it; for there is
chop us to pieces if they knew of this, for the only ones
none to guard it but boys.
guarding it are merely boys.
[EXIT]
