Henry V Quotes In Modern English
Shakespeare's Henry V Quote
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'
Plain English Henry V Quote
Once more, into the gap, dear friends. Once more or block the wall up with our English dead. In peacetime, there's nothing that becomes a man as well as calm and humility. But when you hear the trumpet calling you to arms then be like tigers; brace the muscles, rouse the blood, disguise your gentle side with grim-faced fury and maintain a terrifying look in your eyes. Let them protrude from their sockets like brass cannons do out of portholes. Let your brows frown over them with all the terror of a sea-battered cliff that overhangs its concave base, eroded by the wild and wasteful ocean. Now grit your teeth and flare your nostrils, take a deep breath and strain all your resources to their limit. On, on, you most noble Englishmen, who have the blood of fathers who have proved themselves in war â€" fathers who, like so many Alexanders, have fought from morning till night in these places and sheathed their swords after settling the quarrel. Don't dishonour your mothers: prove now that you were fathered by those you call your fathers. Set examples for less noble men and teach them how to fight wars. And you, good yeoman, true Englishmen, show us what you're made of. Let us be sure that you are worthy of the name of Englishmen, which I have no doubt about, because not one of you is of such low birth that you lack that noble gleam in your eyes. I see you standing like greyhounds in their slips, straining for the start. The race has started, follow your instinct and as you charge forward, cry 'God for Harry, England and St George!'
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