ACT 2
[Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF MOROCCO and his train; PORTIA, NERISSA, and others attending]
MOROCCO
Mislike me not for my complexion,
Don’t hold the colour of my skin against me,
The shadowed livery of the burnished sun,
For it is darkened by the scorching sun
To whom I am a neighbour and near bred.
That I have lived under since I was born.
Bring me the fairest creature northward born,
Bring me the blondest person from the north,
Where Phoebus' fire scarce thaws the icicles,
Where sun-god Phoebus’ rays don’t thaw the ice,
And let us make incision for your love,
And let us cut our skin, in love of you,
To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine.
To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine.
I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine
I tell you, lady, by the way I look,
Hath feared the valiant: by my love I swear
Brave men get scared. And, out of love, I swear
The best-regarded virgins of our clime
The most attractive maidens of our country
Have loved it too: I would not change this hue,
Love how I look. I wouldn’t change my colour,
Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen.
Unless it made you think of me, my queen.
PORTIA
In terms of choice I am not solely led
My means of choosing are not only led
By nice direction of a maiden's eyes;
By what my maiden eyes might find attractive.
Besides, the lottery of my destiny
Besides, the lottery of my chosen husband
Bars me the right of voluntary choosing:
Prevents me picking someone for myself.
But if my father had not scanted me
But if my father hadn’t curbed my choice,
And hedged me by his wit, to yield myself
Constraining me through ‘wisdom’ to become
His wife who wins me by that means I told you,
The wife of he who wins the test I told you,
Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair
You would, fine prince, be as attractive to me
As any comer I have looked on yet
As any other man I’ve seen before
For my affection.
Who’s fought for my affection.
MOROCCO
Even for that I thank you:
Then, I thank you.
Therefore, I pray you, lead me to the caskets
And so, I ask you, take me to the boxes
To try my fortune. By this scimitar
So I can try my luck. By this curved sword
That slew the Sophy and a Persian prince
That killed the Shah of Persia and a prince
That won three fields of Sultan Solyman,
Who won three battles with a Turkish sultan,
I would o'erstare the sternest eyes that look,
I would outstare the fiercest eyes that face me,
Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth,
Be braver than the bravest men on earth,
Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear,
Pluck suckling bear-cubs from their mother bear,
Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey,
And laugh at lions roaring at their prey,
To win thee, lady. But, alas the while!
To win your heart, dear lady. But, oh dear!
If Hercules and Lichas play at dice
If Hercules played dice with his slave Lichas
Which is the better man, the greater throw
To prove the better man, the winning throw
May turn by fortune from the weaker hand:
Might come, by luck, thrown from the weaker hand.
So is Alcides beaten by his page;
So that is how Alcides’ pageboy won.
And so may I, blind fortune leading me,
And so might I be subject to misfortune
Miss that which one unworthier may attain,
And miss out marrying you by one inferior,
And die with grieving.
And then I’d die in grief.
PORTIA
You must take your chance,
You have to try,
And either not attempt to choose at all
And either choose to not pick any box
Or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong
Or swear before you choose that if you’re wrong,
Never to speak to lady afterward
That afterwards, you’ll never speak to me
In way of marriage: therefore be advised.
About marriage again. You have been warned.
MOROCCO
Nor will not. Come, bring me unto my chance.
I won’t speak to you after. Let me pick now.
PORTIA
First, forward to the temple: after dinner
First, let’s go to the temple. After dinner,
Your hazard shall be made.
You then can make your choice.
MOROCCO
Good fortune then!
Well, wish me luck!
To make me blest or cursed'st among men.
If blessed, I’ll win; else cursed by rotten luck.
[Cornets, and exeunt]
