Original Text
*Spoken by Prospero.*
Now my charms are all o'erthrown,
And what strength I have's mine own,
Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,
I must be here confined by you,
Or sent to Naples. Let me not,
Since I have my dukedom got,
And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell
In this bare island by your spell;
But release me from my bands
With the help of your good hands:
Gentle breath of yours my sails
Must fill, or else my project fails,
Which was to please. Now I want
Spirits to enforce, art to enchant;
And my ending is despair,
Unless I be relieved by prayer,
Which pierces so, that it assaults
Mercy itself, and frees all faults.
As you from crimes would pardon'd be,
Let your indulgence set me free.
Modern English
*Spoken by Prospero.*
Now all my magic has been overthrown,
and the only strength I have is my own --
which isn't much. The truth is,
I'll be stuck here, trapped by you,
unless you send me on to Naples. Don't let me --
now that I've gotten my dukedom back
and forgiven the man who betrayed me --
remain on this bare island, held by your spell.
Instead, set me free
with the help of your applause.
Your kind breath must fill my sails,
or else my whole project fails --
and my only goal was to entertain you. I no longer have
spirits to command or art to enchant with.
And my story ends in despair
unless I'm saved by prayer --
prayer so powerful it storms the gates
of mercy itself and pardons every fault.
Just as you'd want your own sins forgiven,
let your generous applause set me free.
