Original
Modern English
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
He jokes at my scars from the wounds he has never felt.
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
[TO HIMSELF]But wait! What’s that light from that window over there?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Rise fair sun and kill the envious moon, Which is already sick and pale with grief because Juliet is far more beautiful than the moon itself.
Be not her maid since she is envious;
Do not be here maid since it is jealous of you.
Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it;
The moon’s virginity makes it look sick and green, and it is only fools who stay virgin. Cast it away!
cast it off. It is my lady, O it is my love! O, that she knew she were!
It is my lady, Oh, It is my love! Oh, I wish she knew that she is the one!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
She talks, yet she says nothing. Why is that?
Her eye discourses, I will answer it. I am too bold,’tis not to me she speaks.
Her eye talk and I will answer to that - No, maybe I am being too bold, maybe it’s not to me that her eyes talk to.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
Two of the fairest stars in the heaven went away on some business and entreated her eyes to twinkle in their place, until they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp;
What if her eyes were in the sky, and the stars were in her head, the brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight outshines a lamp.
her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night.
And her eyes in the heavens would shine so bright that birds would sing and think it is not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
Look how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek.
I wish I were a glove being worn on that hand, so I might touch her cheek.
Ay me.
Oh my!
She speaks. O speak again bright angel,
[TO HIMSELF] She speaks. Oh, she speaks again bright angel.
for thou art As glorious to this night,
You look as glorious as an angel tonight.
being o’er my head, As is a winged messenger of heaven Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds And sails upon the bosom of the air.
You shine above me, just like a winged messenger from heaven who makes mortal men fall on their backs to look up at the sky, watching the angels walk on the cloud and sail on the sky.
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
[Juliet does not know that Romeo can listen her speak] Oh Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Deny your father and refuse your family name.
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
Or if you can not do that, confess your love to me so that I will stop being a Capulet.
[
] Should I wait and listen to her speak more or should I interrupt her now?
] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
] Should I wait and listen to her speak more or should I interrupt her now?
’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
It is you name which is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
You would still be yourself even if you stopped being a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man.
What’s a Montague anyway? It is not a hand, a foot, an arm, a face or any other body part of a man.
O be some other name. What’s in a name?
Oh you can take another name. What’s in the name anyway?
That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;
That thing which we call a rose would not smell any less sweet if we changed its name.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title.
So Romeo would still be perfect even if he let go of his title and his name.
Romeo, doff thy name, And for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself.
Romeo, leave your name, which anyway does not have anything to do with you - and take all of me instead.
I take thee at thy word.
[To JULIET] I take you at your word.
Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
Just confess your love and I will take up a new name. From now on I will never be Romeo again.
What man art thou that, thus bescreen’d in night So stumblest on my counsel?
What kind of man are you? You hide in the darkness and listen to my private thoughts.
By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am:
I do not know how to tell you who I am without a name.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, Because it is an enemy to thee.
I hate my name, dear saint, because it is your enemy.
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
If I had written it on a paper, I would have torn it apart.
My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words Of thy tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound.
I have not heard you say enough yet but I do recognize your voice.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
Are you not Romeo, the Montague?
Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.
I am neither of those things, fair lady, if you do not like it.
How cam’st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
How did you get in here? And why did you come?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb.
And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
And if any of my people find you here, this place is a death-bed for you, considering who you are.
With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,
I flew over these walls on the wings of love.
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
No stone walls can keep the love away.
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
And whatever a man in love can possibly do, love will make him do it.
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
Therefore your family can not stop me.
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
If they see you here, they will murder you.
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye Than twenty of their swords.
Alas, one angry look from you is more dangerous than twenty of your relatives with swords.
Look thou but sweet, And I am proof against their enmity.
Just look at me with love and I will be not be touched by their hatred.
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
I would give the world to keep them from seeing you here.
I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
I have the darkness on my side to hide me from their eyes.
And but thou love me, let them find me here.
And if you don’t love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
It would be better to be killed by them instead of living without your love.
By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
Who told you how to get to my room?
By love, that first did prompt me to enquire; He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.
Love guided me - the same thing that made me look for you in the first place. I let love borrow my eyes and it told me what to do.
I am no pilot; yet wert thou as far As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea, I should adventure for such merchandise.
I am not a sailor, but if you were across the farthest sea, I would risk everything to win you back.
Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face, Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
The darkness hides my face else you would see me blush about the things I have said tonight.
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny What I have spoke; but farewell compliment.
I would stick to good manners and deny everything I said tonight but instead, I will ask -
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say Ay, And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear’st, Thou mayst prove false.
Do you love me? I know you will say yes, and I will take you at your word. But your words may turn out to be false.
At lovers’perjuries, They say Jove laughs.
They say that Jove laughs when lovers lie.
O gentle Romeo, If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Oh! gentle Romeo, If you love me, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay, So thou wilt woo.
Or if you think I am too quickly won, I will frown and act unapproachable, and say no, so you can woo me.
But else, not for the world.
But if that is not so, I will not act like that ever.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond; And therefore thou mayst think my’haviour light:
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond of you and therefore you may think of my behaviour tonight as silly.
But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
But trust me, gentleman, I will prove you to be more true and faithful than those that are more cunning or act coy.
I should have been more strange, I must confess, But that thou overheard’st, ere I was’ware, My true-love passion;
Probably, I should have been acted more stiff, I confess but you already overheard me talking about my love for you before I knew you were there.
therefore pardon me, And not impute this yielding to light love, Which the dark night hath so discovered.
Therefore pardon me for so quickly falling in love with you when it was only revealed to you because of the darkness of the night.
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops,—
Lady, I swear by the sacred moon above, the moon that paints the tops of fruit trees with light -
O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon,
Oh, do not swear by the moon, this inconsistent moon.
That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
It changes its position every month. Let your love not be that inconsistent.
What shall I swear by?
What should I swear by?
Do not swear at all.
Do not swear at all.
Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, Which is the god of my idolatry, And I’ll believe thee.
Or if you have to swear, swear by your gracious self, Which is the god of my worship and I will believe you.
If my heart’s dear love,—
If my heart’s dear love,—
Well, do not swear.
Well, do not swear.
Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight;
Although you bring me joy, I can’t take joy in these promises tonight.
It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden,
It is too rash, too wild and too sudden.
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be Ere one can say It lightens.
Too much like the lightning, which ceases to exist even before you can say ’it’s lightning’.
Sweet, good night.
My love, good night.
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Our love which is like a flower bud in the summer air may turn out to be a fully blossom flower by the next time we meet.
Good night, good night.
Good night, good night.
As sweet repose and rest Come to thy heart as that within my breast.
May your heart feel the same peace and calm that I feel in my heart.
O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
Are you going to leave me so unsatisfied?
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
What satisfaction can you possibly have tonight?
Th’exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.
The exchange of vows of our love.
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;
I gave you mine even before you asked for it.
And yet I would it were to give again.
Although I wish I could take it back, so I could give it again.
Would’st thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?
Why would you want to take it back? For what reason, love?
But to be frank and give it thee again.
In order to give it to you again, to be honest.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have;
But I am wishing for something that I already have.
My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.
My generosity to you is as boundless as the sea, and as deep; the more I give to you, the more I have, for both are infinite.
I hear some noise within.
Wait, I hear some noise inside.
Dear love, adieu.
Dear love, goodbye!.
[
]
]
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Anon, good Nurse!—
Wait a minute, good Nurse!—
Sweet Montague be true. Stay but a little, I will come again.
Sweet Montague be true. Wait here for a while, I will be back.
O blessed, blessed night.
Oh blessed, blessed night.
I am afeard, Being in night, all this is but a dream, Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
I am afraid that this is all but a dream as it is dark outside and all this seems too sweet to be real.
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
Three words, dear Romeo, and then good night indeed.
If that thy bent of love be honourable, Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,
If your love is true and you truly wants to marry me, send me a word tomorrow.
By one that I’ll procure to come to thee, Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
I will send you a messenger and you can tell that messenger, when and where to get married.
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
And all my fortunes will be laid at your feet and I will follow you all over the world, my lord.
[
] Madam.
] Madam.
] Madam.
I come, anon.—
Coming! Be right there!
But if thou meanest not well, I do beseech thee,—
[TO ROMEO] But if your intentions are not true, I beg you -
[
] Madam.
] Madam.
] Madam.
By and by I come—
One second, coming!
To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief. Tomorrow will I send.
[TO ROMEO] To stop trying to win me and leave me to grieve. I will send you a messenger tomorrow.
So thrive my soul,—
My soul depends on it -
A thousand times good night.
A thousand times good night.
A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
It is a thousand times worse to want to leave you.
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
A lover is as happy going towards his love as a schoolboy going away from his books.
But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
But when a lover goes away from his love, he is as unhappy as a schoolboy going to school.
Hist! Romeo, hist!
Hist! Romeo, hist!
O for a falconer’s voice To lure this tassel-gentle back again.
Oh I wish I could make a falconer’s cry and bring my little falcon back.
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
I am trapped in my family’s house so I have to be quiet.
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine With repetition of my Romeo’s name.
Else would I tear the cave apart where echo sleeps and make her call out my love’s name ’My Romeo’, until her voice grew more harsh than me.
It is my soul that calls upon my name.
It is my soul that calls out my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers’tongues by night, Like softest music to attending ears.
How silver-sweet it sounds to hear your name from your lover. It is the sweetest sound a lover can ever hear.
Romeo.
Romeo!
My nyas?
My little hawk?
What o’clock tomorrow Shall I send to thee?
What time tomorrow should I send the messenger to you?
By the hour of nine.
Around nine o’clock.
I will not fail.
I will not fail.
’Tis twenty years till then.
It will feel like twenty years until then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.
I forgot why did I call you back.
Let me stand here till thou remember it.
Let me stand here until you remember it.
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, Remembering how I love thy company.
I will not remember it so you can stand there forever, because of how much I love your company.
And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
And I will stay here, even if you keep forgetting.
Forgetting any other home but this.
I will forget if I have any other home but this place.
’Tis almost morning;
It’s almost morning!
I would have thee gone, And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird, That lets it hop a little from her hand,
I would want you to go but I would let you only as far as the spoiled child lets her pet bird go from her hand.
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, And with a silk thread plucks it back again, So loving-jealous of his liberty.
He lets it hop from his hand for a small distance only to pull it back by a silk string. Such is the liberty he gives.
I would I were thy bird.
I wish I were your bird.
Sweet, so would I:
Sweet, so do I.
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
But I might kill you with my excessive petting.
Good night, good night.
Good night, good night.
Parting is such sweet sorrow That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
Parting is such sweet sorrow that I will say good night until it’s tomorrow.
Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
Sleep well and may you feel peace in your heart.
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest.
I wish I were sleep and peace, so I could rest tonight with you.
The grey-ey’d morn smiles on the frowning night, Chequering the eastern clouds with streaks of light;
The morning smiles as it replaces the frowning night, and streaks light across the clouds in the east.
And darkness fleckled like a drunkard reels From forth day’s pathway, made by Titan’s wheels
Darkness goes away from the sun’s path just like a drunkard runs away from titan’s wheels.
Hence will I to my ghostly Sire’s cell, His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.
Now I will got to my priest’s home to ask for his help and tell him about my good luck.