Richard III – Act 2 Scene 3

FIRST CITIZEN

Good morrow, neighbour, whither away so fast?

Good morning, neighbour, where are you absconding?

SECOND CITIZEN

I promise you, I scarcely know myself.

I promise you, I barely know myself.

Hear you the news abroad?

Have you heard of the news upon the street?

FIRST CITIZEN

Yes, that the King is dead.

Yes, that the King is dead.

SECOND CITIZEN

Ill news, by’r lady – seldom comes the better.

By Virgin Mary, that’s bad news – we’ll suffer.

I fear, I fear ’twill prove a giddy world.

I’m worried that our world will be unstable.

THIRD CITIZEN

Neighbours, God speed!

Good day to you, neighbours!

FIRST CITIZEN

Give you good morrow, sir.

Good morning, sir.

THIRD CITIZEN

Doth the news hold of good King Edward’s death?

Is the news true that King Edward is dead?

SECOND CITIZEN

Ay, sir, it is too true, God help the while!

Yes, sir, it is quite true, God help us all!

THIRD CITIZEN

Then, masters, look to see a troublous world.

Then, friends, prepare yourselves for troubling times.

FIRST CITIZEN

No, no, by God’s good grace his son shall reign.

No, by God’s will, his son shall rule as King.

THIRD CITIZEN

Woe to that land that’s governed by a child!

It’s awful when a child rules the country!

SECOND CITIZEN

In him there is a hope of government,

At least with him we might get some direction,

Which in his nonage, council under him,

For in his infancy, he’ll have old leaders,

And in his full and ripened years, himself,

So, when he has matured to lead himself,

No doubt shall then, and till then, govern well.

Then no doubt he will lead our country well.

FIRST CITIZEN

So stood the state when Henry the Sixth

That’s how it was with young Henry the Sixth,

Was crowned in Paris but at nine months old.

For he was crowned in Paris at nine months old.

THIRD CITIZEN

Stood the state so? No, no, good friends, God wot,

Was that the same as now? God knows it’s not,

For then this land was famously enriched

For then this country was richly imbued

With politic grave counsel; then the King

With serious political advisers

Had virtuous uncles to protect his Grace.

And caring uncles to protect the King.

FIRST CITIZEN

Why, so hath this, both by his father and mother.

This Prince has too, from both sides of his family.

THIRD CITIZEN

Better it were they all came by his father,

It would be good if all came from his father,

Or by his father there were none at all;

Or none at all came from his father’s side;

For emulation who shall now be nearest

For power struggles over who is closest

Will touch us all too near, if God prevent not.

Will touch us all, if God does not prevent it.

O, full of danger is the Duke of Gloucester,

For Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is a danger,

And the Queen’s sons and brothers haught and proud!

And the Queen’s sons and brothers all are snooty!

And were they to be ruled, and not to rule,

If all of them were ruled, and weren’t the rulers,

This sickly land might solace as before.

Our ailing land might prosper as before.

FIRST CITIZEN

Come, come, we fear the worst; all will be well.

Come on, we fear the worst, but we’ll be fine.

THIRD CITIZEN

When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks;

Wise men put on their raincoats when it’s cloudy;

When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand;

When leaves fall from the trees, it’s nearly winter;

When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?

At dusk, who doesn’t know the night is coming?

Untimely storms makes men expect a dearth.

With early storms, we fear a ravaged harvest.

All may be well; but if God sort it so,

All may be fine, but if God sorts it out,

’Tis more than we deserve or I expect.

It’s more than we deserve or should expect.

SECOND CITIZEN

Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear.

I tell you, every man is terrified.

You cannot reason (almost) with a man

There’s almost nobody round here to talk to

That looks not heavily and full of dread.

Who doesn’t seem depressed and terrified.

THIRD CITIZEN

Before the days of change, still is it so.

It’s always like that when there’s change afoot.

By a divine instinct men’s minds mistrust

Instinctively we all start getting nervous

Ensuing danger; as by proof we see

When danger’s near, such as when we observe

The water swell before a boist’rous storm.

The sea waves rise before a raging storm.

But leave it all to God. Whither away?

But leave it in the hands of God. You leaving?

SECOND CITIZEN

Marry, we were sent for to the justices.

We are, for we’ve been summoned to the court.

THIRD CITIZEN

And so was I. I’ll bear you company.

And so have I. I’ll keep you company.