What, have I ’scaped love-letters?

Shakespeare
Afrikaans
Contemporary English

What, have I ’scaped love-letters in the holiday-time of my beauty,
Wat? Het ek love-letters in my pretty-pretty teenage-jare escape
What? Did I escape love-letters in my pretty teenage years

And am I now a subject for them?
En nou kry ek een?
And now I get one?

Let me see.
Kom ons kyk.
Let’s see.

[Reads]
[Lees WhatsApp op foon]
[Reads WhatsApp on phone]

‘Ask me no reason why I love you;
‘I love you. Maar moenie my vra hoekom nie.
‘I love you. But don’t ask me why.

For though Love use Reason for his physician,
Want die hart en die gesonde verstand sit mos nie langs dieselfde vuur nie. Ons kan ons koppe gebruik om te probeer verstaan
Because the heart and the head don’t see eye to eye. We can use or heads to try to understand

He admits him not for his counsellor.
Wat fout is met ons wanneer ons verlief is, maar die hart sal nooit na die verstandige arguments van die kop luister nie.
What is wrong with us when we are in love, but the heart will never listen to the sensible arguments of the head.

You are not young, no more am I;
Jy is nie meer jonk nie, ek ook nie;
You are not young any more, nor am I;

Go to then, there’s sympathy:
Sien – al klaar iets in common.
See – already something in common.

You are merry,
Jy is unbelievable fun!
You are unbelievable fun!

So am I; ha, ha! then there’s more sympathy:
Ek ook! Ha ha! Nog ’n similarity.
Me too! Ha ha! Another similarity.

You love sack, and so do I;
Jy hou van ’n knertsie – ek ook.
You like a drink – so do I.

Would you desire better sympathy?
Sien? Wat meer kan mens vra? Ons is practically dieselfde.
See? What more can one ask for? We are practically the same.

Let it suffice thee, Mistress Page,
Kom ons sê dit simply, Mistress Page,
Let’s say it simply, Mistress Page,

– at the least, if the love of soldier can suffice –
– as die liefde van ’n soldaat ooit goed genoeg kan wees vir jou –
– if a soldier’s love can ever be good enough for you –

That I love thee.
Ek’s mal oor jou.
I’m crazy about you.

I will not say, pity me;
Ek sal jou nie vra om my jammer te kry nie;
I won’t ask you to pity me;

’tis not a soldier-like phrase:
Dis nie in ’n soldaat se nature om te vra vir pity nie;
It is not in a soldier’s nature to ask for pity;

But I say, love me.
Maar ek vra jou wel: please love me.
But I do ask you: please love me.

By me, thine own true knight,
Van my, jou eie outydse ridder en kneg,
From me, your very own old-fashioned knight and servant,

By day or night,
Dag en nag,
Day and night,

Or any kind of light,
Wat altyd vir jou sal bly wag,
Who will always keep waiting for you,

With all his might
Met al sy mag,
With all his might,

For thee to fight,
En altyd vir jou sal bly veg,
And who will always keep fighting for you,

John Falstaff’
John Falstaff’
John Falstaff’

What a Herod of Jewry is this!
Wat ’n absolute skobbejak!
What an absolute scoundrel!

O wicked world!
Nare, aaklige wêreld!
Wicked world!

One that is well-nigh worn to pieces with age
Hierdie man is basies besig om uit mekaar uit te val van ouderdom, moeg, afgeleef en aan flarde,
This man is basically falling to pieces with age, tired, worn-out and ragged,

To show himself a young gallant!
en hy hou homself soos ’n wragtiese jong Romeo.
and he acts like a real young Romeo.

What an unweighed behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard picked
Wat de duiwel het hierdie dronklap uit my geselskap opgetel
What the devil did this drunkard pick up from my company

– with the devil’s name! – out of my conversation,
– en waar het hy my nommer gekry? –
– and where did he get my number –

That he dares in this manner assay me?
Dat hy dit waag om vir my so iets te WhatsApp?
That he dares to send me a WhatsApp like this?

Why, he hath not been thrice in my company!
Ek wonder of hy ooit al drie keer in my geselskap was.
I wonder if he has been in my company three times.

What should I say to him?
Wat kon ek vir hom gesê het?
What could I have said to him?

I was then frugal of my mirth:
Ek het tog nie te veel met hom geflirt nie … het ek?
I didn’t flirt too much with him … did I?

Heaven forgive me!
Goeie hemel!
Good heavens!

Why, I’ll exhibit a bill in the parliament
Ek sal, ek sal … ’n law by Parliament submit
I will, I will … submit a law to Parliament

For the putting down of men.
Vir die suppression van alle mans.
For the suppression of all men.

How shall I be revenged on him?
Revenge …
Revenge …

For revenged I will be,
Ek sal hom terugkry hiervoor, dis verseker –
I will get back at him for this, that’s for sure –

As sure as his guts are made of puddings.
So seker as wat sy pens gemaak is van … van … van puddings.
As surely as his belly is made of … of … of puddings.