Original
Modern English
The clock struck nine when I did send the Nurse,
It was nine o’clock when I sent the Nurse.
In half an hour she promised to return.
She promised to return in half an hour.
Perchance she cannot meet him. That’s not so. O, she is lame.
Maybe she cannot meet him. That’s not so. Oh, she is lame.
Love’s heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times faster glides than the sun’s beams, Driving back shadows over lowering hills:
Love’s messenger should be thoughts, which moves ten times faster than the sunbeams driving back shadows over dark and threatening hills.
Therefore do nimble-pinion’d doves draw love, And therefore hath the wind-swift Cupid wings.
That’s how fast winged doves draw love, and how the Cupid with wings move him as quickly as the wind.
Now is the sun upon the highmost hill Of this day’s journey, and from nine till twelve Is three long hours, yet she is not come.
Now the sun is at its highest point of its journey, and from nine till twelve - three long hours, and she has still not come back.
Had she affections and warm youthful blood, She’d be as swift in motion as a ball;
If she were in love and warm youthful blood, she would be as fast in motion as a ball.
My words would bandy her to my sweet love, And his to me.
My words would bounce her to my sweet love, and his to me.
But old folks, many feign as they were dead; Unwieldy, slow, heavy and pale as lead.
But old folks pretend as if they are dead, cumbersome, slow, heavy and pale as lead.
O God, she comes. O honey Nurse, what news?
Oh God, she is here. Oh sweet Nurse, what’s your news?
Hast thou met with him? Send thy man away.
Did you meet with him? Send your servant away.
Peter, stay at the gate.
Peter, wait at the gate.
Now, good sweet Nurse,—O Lord, why look’st thou sad?
Now, good sweet Nurse,— Oh Lord, why do you look so sad?
Though news be sad, yet tell them merrily;
If the news is sad, you tell them merrily.
If good, thou sham’st the music of sweet news By playing it to me with so sour a face.
If it’s good, you shame the music of good news by giving it to me with such resentful face.
I am aweary, give me leave awhile;
I am tired, give me some time alone.
Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I had!
Uff!, How my bones hurt! What a journey I have had!
I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news:
I wish you had my bones, and I had your news.
Nay come, I pray thee speak;
No, come, I request you to speak.
good, good Nurse, speak.
Good, good Nurse, speak.
Jesu, what haste? Can you not stay a while?
Jesus, what rush? Can’t you wait for a while?
Do you not see that I am out of breath?
Do you not see that I am out of breath?
How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath To say to me that thou art out of breath?
How are you out of breath, when you have the breath to say to me that you are out of breath?
The excuse that thou dost make in this delay Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse.
The excuse that you make to delay this is taking longer then it would tell me your tale.
Is thy news good or bad? Answer to that;
Is your news good or bad? Answer to that.
Say either, and I’ll stay the circumstance.
Say either, and I’ll wait under these circumstance.
Let me be satisfied, is’t good or bad?
Let me be satisfied, is it good or bad?
Well, you have made a simple choice; you know not how to choose a man. Romeo?
Well, you have made a silly choice; you do not know how to choose a man. Romeo?
No, not he. Though his face be better than any man’s, yet his leg excels all men’s, and for a hand and a foot, and a body, though they be not to be talked on, yet they are past compare.
No, not him. Though his face is better than any other man, his leg are better than all other men, and his hand and foot, and body, though they be can not be talked about, yet they are beyond comparison to other men.
He is not the flower of courtesy, but I’ll warrant him as gentle as a lamb.
He is not the finest of courteous men, but I will affirm him to be as gentle as a child.
Go thy ways, wench, serve God. What, have you dined at home?
Do what you want, girl. God. What, have you had your lunch?
No, no. But all this did I know before.
No, no. But I already knew what you just told me.
What says he of our marriage? What of that?
What does he say about our marriage? What about that?
Lord, how my head aches! What a head have I!
Lord, how my head aches! What a headache I have!
It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces.
It beats as if it would fall in twenty pieces.
My back o’t’other side,—O my back, my back!
[Jilet rubs her back] My back on the other side,— Oh my back, my back!
Beshrew your heart for sending me about To catch my death with jauncing up and down.
Curse your heart for sending me out so I could die with prancing up and down.
I’faith, I am sorry that thou art not well.
Believe me, I am sorry that you are not well.
Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love?
Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse, tell me, what says my love?
Your love says like an honest gentleman, And a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome,
Your love talks like an honest gentleman, who is courteous, and kind, and handsome.
And I warrant a virtuous,—Where is your mother?
And I believe, virtuous, — Where is your mother?
Where is my mother? Why, she is within.
Where is my mother? Why is she inside?
Where should she be? How oddly thou repliest.
Where should she be? How strangely do you reply.
‘Your love says, like an honest gentleman, ‘Where is your mother?’
‘Your love says, like an honest gentleman, ‘Where is your mother?’
O God’s lady dear,
Oh God’s lady dear, Mother Mary.
Are you so hot? Marry, come up, I trow.
Are you so impatient? Come on, come up, I think.
Is this the poultice for my aching bones?
Is this the cure for my aching bones?
Henceforward do your messages yourself.
Going forward carry your messages yourself.
Here’s such a coil. Come, what says Romeo?
This is such a confusion. Come on, what says Romeo?
Have you got leave to go to shrift today?
Do you have permission to leave to go to priest to make a confession today?
I have.
I do.
Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’cell;
Then hurry up and go to Friar Lawrence’ cell.
There stays a husband to make you a wife.
There waits a husband to make you his wife.
Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks,
Now comes the lustful blood up in your cheeks.
They’ll be in scarlet straight at any news.
They blush and get red at any exciting news.
Hie you to church.
go quickly to the church.
I must another way, To fetch a ladder by the which your love Must climb a bird’s nest soon when it is dark.
I must go another way to get a ladder by the which your love will climb to your room when it is dark.
I am the drudge, and toil in your delight;
I do the hard menial work, and work extremely hard for your pleasure.
But you shall bear the burden soon at night.
But you will bear the burden soon at night.
Go. I’ll to dinner;
Go. I will go to dinner.
hie you to the cell.
Go quickly to the cell.
Hie to high fortune! Honest Nurse, farewell.
Go quickly to good fortune! Honest Nurse, farewell.