ACT IV

SCENE VII A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep,

soft music playing; Gentleman, and others attending.

[Enter CORDELIA, KENT, and Doctor]

CORDELIA O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work,

To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,                And every measure fail me.

KENT To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid.

All my reports go with the modest truth;

Nor more, nor clipp'd, but so.

CORDELIA Be better suited:

These weeds are memories of those worser hours:

I prithee, put them off.

KENT Pardon me, dear madam;

Yet to be known shortens my made intent:

My boon I make it, that you know me not

Till time and I think meet.

CORDELIA Then be't so, my good lord.

[To the Doctor]

How does the king?

DOCTOR  Madam, sleeps still.

CORDELIA O you kind gods,

Cure this great breach in his abused nature!

The untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up

Of this child-changed father!

DOCTOR  So please your majesty

That we may wake the king: he hath slept long.

CORDELIA Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed

I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?

Gentleman Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep

We put fresh garments on him.

Doctor Be by, good madam, when we do awake him;

I doubt not of his temperance.

CORDELIA Very well.

DOCTOR.  Please you, draw near. Louder the music there!

CORDELIA O my dear father! Restoration hang

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss

Repair those violent harms that my two sisters

Have in thy reverence made!

KENT Kind and dear princess!

CORDELIA Had you not been their father, these white flakes

Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face

To be opposed against the warring winds?

To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?

In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick, cross lightning? to watch--poor perdu!--

With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog,

Though he had bit me, should have stood that night

Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father,

To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,

In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!

'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once

Had not concluded all. He wakes; speak to him.

DOCTOR.  Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.

CORDELIA How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?

KING LEAR You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave:

Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound

Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears

Do scald like moulten lead.

CORDELIA Sir, do you know me?

KING LEAR You are a spirit, I know: when did you die?

CORDELIA Still, still, far wide!

DOCTOR.  He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile.

KING LEAR Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?

I am mightily abused. I should e'en die with pity,

To see another thus. I know not what to say.

I will not swear these are my hands: let's see;

I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured

Of my condition!

CORDELIA O, look upon me, sir,

And hold your hands in benediction o'er me:

No, sir, you must not kneel.

KING LEAR Pray, do not mock me:

I am a very foolish fond old man,

Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;

And, to deal plainly,

I fear I am not in my perfect mind.

Methinks I should know you, and know this man;

Yet I am doubtful for I am mainly ignorant

What place this is; and all the skill I have

Remembers not these garments; nor I know not

Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;

For, as I am a man, I think this lady

To be my child Cordelia.

CORDELIA And so I am, I am.

KING LEAR Be your tears wet? yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not:

If you have poison for me, I will drink it.

I know you do not love me; for your sisters

Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:

You have some cause, they have not.

CORDELIA No cause, no cause.

KING LEAR Am I in France?

KENT In your own kingdom, sir.

KING LEAR Do not abuse me.

DOCTOR  Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,

You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger

To make him even o'er the time he has lost.

Desire him to go in; trouble him no more

Till further settling.

CORDELIA Will't please your highness walk?

KING LEAR You must bear with me:

Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.

[Exeunt all but KENT and Gentleman]

a servire   

egualiare, bonta'

misura, fallire

riconosciuto, pagato troppo

 =pareri su di me,= combaciano

tagliato meno (come moneta di argento una volta), vestito

vestiti

ti prego, togliere

=essere conosciuto adesso, intenzione

richiesta

finche, opportuno

sia cosi,

gentile

guarire, breccia, abusato

scordato, combattere,reagiustare

= cambiato dalle figlie

svegliare

procedere

= In, tendenza, vestito

ponderezza

vestiti

= sono sicuro, calma

avvicinarvi

ristoro, pendere

labbra, = permette

riparare, danni/male,

riverenza

fiocchi

sfidare

venti conbattenti

spaventoso dardo del tuono

agile, colpo

veloce/vivo, lampo diagonale

elmo = testa

mordere

= were you, desideroso

......, porci, mascalzoni tristi

ammufitto, paglia, aihmé

meraviglia, = sanità

svegliare

piu' adattato

= come si sente

torto, tomba

beatitudine, legato

scottare, liquido piombo

molto lontano

appena, sveglio, per un periodo

bello

tanto, mal trattato, =even, misericordia,

giurare,

spillo, pungere, assicurato,

= over

inginocciarsi,

beffeggiare

 stolto

= 4 X 20, oltre,

temo, mente,

=I think

in dubbio, per la maggior parte,

abilita'.

vestiti,

alloggiare,

=davvero, ti prego, piangere,

veleno,

motivo

ingannare,

consolare, rabbia

pericolo

turbare,

finche', ancor'altro,

= will it, maesta',

tollerare,

perdonare

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