Henry VI Part 1: Act 1, Scene 5 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 5 of Henry VI Part 1 from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Here an alarum again, and Talbot pursueth the Dauphin and driveth him; then enter Joan la Pucelle, driving Englishmen before her. They cross the stage and exit. Then enter Talbot. TALBOT Where is my strength, my valor, and my force? Our English troops retire; I cannot stay them. A woman clad in armor chaseth them. Enter Pucelle, with Soldiers. Here, here she comes!—I’ll have a bout with thee. Devil or devil’s dam, I’ll conjure thee. 5 Blood will I draw on thee—thou art a witch— And straightway give thy soul to him thou serv’st.	Talbot laments that he cannot get his troops to keep fighting and that they're being chased off by a woman in armor. Talbot expresses very clearly his view that Joan is a witch, and her supernatural power comes from the devil and not God. He also says he'll kill her in battle.
PUCELLE Come, come; ’tis only I that must disgrace thee. Here they fight. TALBOT Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail? My breast I’ll burst with straining of my courage, 10 And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder, But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet. They fight again. PUCELLE Talbot, farewell. Thy hour is not yet come. I must go victual Orleance forthwith. A short alarum. Then she prepares to enter the town with Soldiers. O’ertake me if thou canst. I scorn thy strength. 15 Go, go, cheer up thy hunger-starvèd men. Help Salisbury to make his testament. This day is ours, as many more shall be. She exits with Soldiers.	Joan replies that she will disgrace him in battle, and they fight. Talbot cries on the heavens to help him, invoking God's supernatural power against what he perceives to be the devil's. He says he'll strain his utmost to chastise Joan, and he calls her a strumpet (a prostitute or sexually loose woman). They keep fighting. Joan says she has to go to take care of other things, and taunts Talbot.
TALBOT My thoughts are whirlèd like a potter’s wheel. I know not where I am nor what I do. 20 A witch by fear—not force, like Hannibal— Drives back our troops, and conquers as she lists. So bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench Are from their hives and houses driven away. They called us, for our fierceness, English dogs; 25 Now like to whelps we crying run away. A short alarum. Enter English soldiers, chased by French soldiers. Hark, countrymen, either renew the fight, Or tear the lions out of England’s coat. Renounce your soil; give sheep in lions’ stead. Sheep run not half so treacherous from the wolf, 30 Or horse or oxen from the leopard, As you fly from your oft-subduèd slaves. Alarum. Here another skirmish. It will not be! Retire into your trenches. You all consented unto Salisbury’s death, For none would strike a stroke in his revenge. 35 Pucelle is entered into Orleance In spite of us or aught that we could do. Soldiers exit. O, would I were to die with Salisbury! The shame hereof will make me hide my head. Talbot exits. Alarum. Retreat.	Talbot laments that Joan's sorcery has made his men afraid, and mourns that the English fierceness has gone. He encourages the troops and leads another skirmish, but then they have to retreat; Talbot says his shame is so great he wishes he'd died with Salisbury.
Flourish. Enter on the walls Pucelle, Charles the Dauphin, Reignier, Alanson, and Soldiers. PUCELLE Advance our waving colors on the walls. Rescued is Orleance from the English. Thus Joan la Pucelle hath performed her word. She exits.	Joan flies the French flag over Orleans and proclaims that they've rescued it from the English.
CHARLES Divinest creature, Astraea’s daughter, How shall I honor thee for this success? 5 Thy promises are like Adonis’ garden That one day bloomed and fruitful were the next. France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess. Recovered is the town of Orleance. More blessèd hap did ne’er befall our state. 10	The Dauphin praises Joan with classical allusions.
REIGNIER Why ring not bells aloud throughout the town? Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires And feast and banquet in the open streets To celebrate the joy that God hath given us. ALANSON All France will be replete with mirth and joy 15 When they shall hear how we have played the men.	Orleans celebrates with bells and bonfires. Alencon says France will celebrate when it's known how brave and masculine the French armies were.
CHARLES ’Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won; For which I will divide my crown with her, And all the priests and friars in my realm Shall in procession sing her endless praise. 20 A statelier pyramis to her I’ll rear Than Rhodophe’s of Memphis ever was. In memory of her, when she is dead, Her ashes, in an urn more precious Than the rich-jeweled coffer of Darius, 25 Transported shall be at high festivals Before the kings and queens of France. No longer on Saint Dennis will we cry, But Joan la Pucelle shall be France’s saint. Come in, and let us banquet royally 30 After this golden day of victory. Flourish. They exit.	Charles says the victory is Joan's. He also makes elaborate promises, like sharing the crown and having the priests sing praises to her (this probably sounded a bit dicey to the playwrights' English Protestant audience, many of whom were against the Catholic tradition of praying to the saints). A bit ominously, he also promises to revere her ashes when she has died. This may be a bit of foreshadowing. Charles the character in the play can't know this yet, but historically Shakespeare's audience knows that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake by the English. Charles is really heaping it on—he even suggests displacing St. Denis, the patron saint of France, with Joan. Then they head in to a victory banquet.