Comedy plays; France -- Social life and customs -- 17th century -- Drama; French drama; Middle class -- France -- Drama
COVIELLE: Yes, Mamamouchi; that is to say, in our language, a
Paladin. Paladin is one of those ancient... Well, Paladin!
There is none nobler than that in the world, and you will be equal
to the greatest lords of the earth.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: The son of the Grand Turk honors me greatly.
Please take me to him in order to express my thanks.
COVIELLE: What! He is going to come here.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: He's coming here?
COVIELLE: Yes. And he is bringing everything for the ceremony of
bestowing your rank.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: That seems very quick.
COVIELLE: His love can suffer no delay.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: All that embarrasses me here is that my daughter
is a stubborn one who has gotten into her head a certain Cleonte,
and she swears she'll marry no one but him.
COVIELLE: She'll change her mind when she sees the son of the Grand
Turk; and then there is a remarkable coincidence here, it is that
the son of the Grand Turk resembles this Cleonte very closely. I
just saw him, someone showed him to me; and the love she has for
the one can easily pass to the other, and... I hear him coming.
There he is.
ACT FOUR
SCENE IV (Cleonte, as a Turk, with three Pages carrying his outer
clothes, Monsieur Jourdain, Covielle, disguised.)
CLEONTE: Ambousahim oqui boraf, Iordina, salamalequi.
COVIELLE: That is to say: "Monsieur Jourdain, may your heart be all
the year like a flowering rosebush." This is the way of speaking
politely in those countries.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: I am the most humble servant of His Turkish
Highness.
COVIELLE: Carigar camboto oustin moraf.
CLEONTE: Oustin yoc catamalequi basum base alla moran.
COVIELLE: He says: "Heaven gives you the strength of lions and the
wisdom of serpents."
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: His Turkish Highness honors me too much, and I
wish him all sorts of good fortune.
COVIELLE: Ossa binamen sadoc babally oracaf ouram.
CLEONTE: Bel-men.
COVIELLE: He says that you should go with him quickly to prepare
yourself for the ceremony; then you can see your daughter and
conclude the marriage.
MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: So many things in two words?
COVIELLE: Yes; the Turkish language is like that, it says much in
few words. Go quickly where he wants.
ACT FOUR
SCENE V (Dorante, Covielle)
COVIELLE: Ha, ha, ha! My faith, that was hilarious. What a dupe! If
he had learned his role by heart, he could not have played it
better. Ah! Ah! Excuse me, Sir, Wouldn't you like to help us here
in an affair that is taking place.
DORANTE: Ah! Ah! Covielle, who would have recognized you? How you
are made up!
COVIELLE: You see, ha, ha!
DORANTE: What are you laughing at?
COVIELLE: At a thing, Sir, that well deserves it.
DORANTE: What?
COVIELLE: I'll give you many chances, Sir, to guess the stratagem
we are using on Monsieur Jourdain to get him to give his daughter
to my master.
DORANTE: I can't begin to guess the stratagem, but I guess it will
not fail in its effect, since you are undertaking it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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