Comedy plays; French drama -- 17th century -- Translations into English
Command your son to be quiet or depart,
Monsieur; I would regret to have to report
All this and make these matters more official.
Damis [aside]. This Monsieur Loyal seems quite disloyal!
Monsieur Loyal. For all worthy men there's a place in my heart,
And I would not have wished, sir, to take part
In this, except to lift some of your burden,
By preventing the chore from falling to one
Who might not share my opinion of you
And who wouldn't proceed as gently as I do.
Orgon. And what could be worse than the evil crime
Of evicting me?
Monsieur Loyal. I'm giving you time,
And until morning I'll hold in abeyance
The execution of this conveyance.
I shall only come here with ten of my boys
To spend the night, without scandal or noise.
For the sake of form please bring to me, before
You go up to bed, the keys to your door.
I'll take care not to disrupt your repose
And not to do anything you would oppose.
But tomorrow morning you must get set
To empty the house, down to the last brochette.
My boys will assist you. Each one's a strong lout
And will do all he can to help move you out.
I'm doing my best to use common sense,
And, since I'm treating you with such indulgence,
I beg you, sir, to act the same way to me.
Let no one bar me from doing my duty.
Orgon [aside]. With a happy heart I would at once pay
The last hundred francs that are mine today
For the power and pleasure of hitting his snout
With one absolutely sensational clout.
Cleante [quietly, to Orgon]. Go easy, don't make things worse.
Damis. My hand itches
To get in a fight with these sons of bitches.
Dorine. Monsieur Loyal, I think it might become you
To have your broad back beaten black and blue.
Monsieur Loyal. These wicked words deserve condemnation,
And women, too, may earn incarceration.
Cleante [to Monsieur Loyal]. Let's end it now; that's enough for today.
Hand over the paper, and be on your way.
Monsieur Loyal. Until later, then. Heaven keep you in joy!
Orgon. May it confound you, and your employer!
SCENE V
Orgon, Cleante, Mariane, Elmire, Madame Pernelle, Dorine, Damis
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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