Original
Modern English
Give me thy torch, boy.
Give me your torch, boy.
Hence and stand aloof. Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.
Now go and stand far away and put out the torch so that I can not be seen. [Page puts out the torch and hands over the flowers to Paris]
Under yond yew tree lay thee all along, Holding thy ear close to the hollow ground; So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,
Hide under the yew trees over there, holding your ear close to the hollow ground, so that you can hear anyone walking through the churchyard.
Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves, But thou shalt hear it.
Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves, but you will still hear it.
Whistle then to me, As signal that thou hear’st something approach.
Whistle to me as a signal if you hear someone approach.
Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.
Give me those flowers. Do as I tell you, go.
[
] I am almost afraid to stand here alone in the churchyard, but I will do it.
] I am almost afraid to stand alone Here in the churchyard; yet I will adventure.
] I am almost afraid to stand here alone in the churchyard, but I will do it.
Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.
[Scattering flowers around Juliet’s closed tomb] Sweet flower, I am covering your bridal bed with flowers.
O woe, thy canopy is dust and stones, Which with sweet water nightly I will dew,
Oh misery! Your canopy is dust and stones, - which I will water with sweet water every night.
Or wanting that, with tears distill’d by moans. The obsequies that I for thee will keep, Nightly shall be to strew thy grave and weep.
Or, if I don’t do that, with tears distilled by moans, the funeral rites that I will keep for you each night will be to put flowers on your grave and weep.
The boy gives warning something doth approach.
The boy is warning that something is approaching.
What cursed foot wanders this way tonight, To cross my obsequies and true love’s rite?
What cursed foot wanders this way tonight, to cross my funeral rites and true love’s rite?
What, with a torch! Muffle me, night, awhile.
What, with a torch! I will hide in the darkness for a while.
Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron.
Give me that mattock and the wrenching iron. [He takes them from Balthasar]
Hold, take this letter; early in the morning See thou deliver it to my lord and father.
Wait, take this letter. Deliver it to my lord and father, early in the morning.
Give me the light;
Give me the torch. [Takes torch from Balthasar]
upon thy life I charge thee, Whate’er thou hear’st or seest, stand all aloof And do not interrupt me in my course.
Upon your life I command you that irrespective of whatever you hear or see, stand away and do not interrupt me in my course.
Why I descend into this bed of death Is partly to behold my lady’s face, But chiefly to take thence from her dead finger A precious ring, a ring that I must use In dear employment.
I am going down into this bed of death in part to behold my lady’s face, but more importantly, to take a precious ring from her dead finger, a ring that I must use for urgent business.
Therefore hence, be gone.
So go, get out of here.
But if thou jealous dost return to pry In what I further shall intend to do, By heaven I will tear thee joint by joint,
And if you get suspicious and you return to spy on what I am doing, I swear I will tear you joint by joint,
And strew this hungry churchyard with thy limbs.
And throw your limbs around this hungry churchyard.
The time and my intents are savage-wild; More fierce and more inexorable far Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
The times and my plans are savage and wild, more fierce and more unstoppable than a hungry tiger or the raging sea.
I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you.
I will go, sir, and not trouble you.
So shalt thou show me friendship.
So that’s how you will show me friendship.
Take thou that.
You take this. [He gives money to Balthasar]
Live, and be prosperous, and farewell, good fellow.
Live, and be prosperous, and farewell, good fellow.
For all this same, I’ll hide me hereabout.
[To himself] Despite everything I just said, I will hide nearby.
His looks I fear, and his intents I doubt.
I fear his looks, and I doubt his intents.
Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,
[Speaking to the door of the tomb] You detestable mouth, you womb of death.
Gorg’d with the dearest morsel of the earth,
You have feasted on the most precious girl on the earth.
Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,
So now I am going to force your rotten jaws to open,
And in despite, I’ll cram thee with more food.
And despite this, I will feed you with more food.
This is that banish’d haughty Montague That murder’d my love’s cousin,—with which grief, It is supposed, the fair creature died,—
[To himself] It is that banished haughty Montague who murdered my love’s cousin, which caused grief that supposedly got the fair creature die.
And here is come to do some villanous shame To the dead bodies.
And here he has come to do some villanious shame to the dead bodies.
I will apprehend him.
I will arrest him.
Stop thy unhallow’d toil, vile Montague.
Stop your sinful work, vile Montague!
Can vengeance be pursu’d further than death?
Can vengeance be pursued further than death?
Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee.
Condemned villain, I arrest you.
Obey, and go with me, for thou must die.
Obey, and come with me, for you must die.
I must indeed; and therefore came I hither.
Indeed, I must die, and therefore I came here.
Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man.
Good gentle youth, do not tempt a desperate man.
Fly hence and leave me.
Run from here and leave me alone.
Think upon these gone; Let them affright thee.
Think about these dead people and let them terrify you.
I beseech thee, youth, Put not another sin upon my head By urging me to fury.
I beg you, young man, do not put another sin upon my head by making me angry.
O be gone. By heaven I love thee better than myself;
Oh, get out here. I swear, I love you more than I love myself.
For I come hither arm’d against myself.
For I have come here with weapons to use against myself.
Stay not, be gone,
Don’t stay here, go away.
live, and hereafter say, A madman’s mercy bid thee run away.
Live, and afterwards say that a merciful madman told you to run away.
I do defy thy conjuration, And apprehend thee for a felon here.
I defy your threats and I am arresting you for a felony here.
Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!
Will you provoke me? Then let’s fight, boy!
O lord, they fight! I will go call the watch.
Oh lord, they are fighting! I will go call the watch.
O, I am slain! [
]
]
]
If thou be merciful, Open the tomb, lay me with Juliet.
If you are merciful, open the tomb and lay me next to Juliet.
In faith, I will. Let me peruse this face.
I promise, I will. Let me look at your face.
Mercutio’s kinsman, noble County Paris!
It’s Mercutio’s relative, noble County Paris!
What said my man, when my betossed soul Did not attend him as we rode?
What did my servant tell me, when my infatuated soul did not pay attention to him as we rode?
I think He told me Paris should have married Juliet. Said he not so? Or did I dream it so?
I think he told me Paris was supposed to marry Juliet. Didn’t he say so? Or did I dream it so?
Or am I mad, hearing him talk of Juliet, To think it was so?
Or am I mad, hearing him say something about Juliet, I am thinking so.
O, give me thy hand,
[Speaking to Paris’s body] Oh, give me your hand.
One writ with me in sour misfortune’s book.
You and me have our names written in sour misfortune’s book.
I’ll bury thee in a triumphant grave.
I will bury you in a triumphant grave.
A grave? O no, a lantern, slaught’red youth,
[Romeo opens the tomb to reveal Juliet inside] A grave? Oh no, a lantern, my dead young man.
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes This vault a feasting presence full of light.
For here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes this tomb a feasting presence full of light.
Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interr’d.
Dead man, you lie down there in the tomb, by another dead man.
How oft when men are at the point of death Have they been merry!
How often have men been happy at the time of their death!
Which their keepers call A lightning before death.
Their nurses call it a lightness before death.
O, how may I Call this a lightning?
Oh, how can I call this a lightness?
O my love, my wife,
Oh my love, my wife!
Death that hath suck’d the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Death has sucked the sweetness from your breath, but it has no power yet upon your beauty.
Thou art not conquer’d.
You are not conquered.
Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advanced there.
A beautiful banner of crimson still remains in your lips and in your cheeks and death’s pale flag has not reached you.
Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet?
Tybalt, are you lying there in your bloody sheet?
O, what more favour can I do to thee Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain To sunder his that was thine enemy? Forgive me, cousin.
Oh, what more favour can I do for you than to use the same hand that split your youth in two parts, to kill your enemy. Forgive me, cousin!
Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair?
Ah, dear Juliet, why are you still so beautiful?
Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous; And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour?
Should I believe that unsubstantial death is sexually desirable, and that the lean abhorred monster keeps you here in dark to be his lover?
For fear of that I still will stay with thee, And never from this palace of dim night Depart again. Here,
For fear of that I still will stay with you, and never leave again from this palace of dim night.
here will I remain With worms that are thy chambermaids.
Here, here I will remain with worms that are your chambermaids.
O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest; And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh.
Oh, I will set up my everlasting rest here and escape the control of the bad fortune that from this world-wearied flesh.
Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace!
Eyes, see for the last time. Arms, take your last embrace!
And, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death.
And, lips, Oh you! The doors of breath! With a righteous kiss, you seal an infinite deal that I have made with death.
Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide.
[Romeo kisses Juliet and takes the poison] Come, bitter conduct, come, unpleasant guide.
Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark.
You desperate pilot, now at once run your seasick and weary ship into the rocks.
Here’s to my love!
Here’s to my love!
[
] Oh true pharmacist! Your drugs are quick.
] O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick.
] Oh true pharmacist! Your drugs are quick.
Thus with a kiss I die.
With this kiss, I die.
Saint Francis be my speed. How oft tonight
Saint Francis, speed my steps!
Have my old feet stumbled at graves? Who’s there?
How often tonight have my old feet stumbled on gravestones?
Who is it that consorts, so late, the dead?
Who’s there? Who is it that accompanies the dead, so late?
Here’s one, a friend, and one that knows you well.
I am a friend who knows you well.
Bliss be upon you.
Bliss be upon you.
Tell me, good my friend, What torch is yond that vainly lends his light To grubs and eyeless skulls?
Tell me, my good friend, why that torch sits over there that offers lights to no one but worms and eyeless skulls.
As I discern, It burneth in the Capels’monument.
As far as I can tell, it is burning in the Capulet’s tomb.
It doth so, holy sir, and there’s my master, One that you love.
Holy father, it is there along with my master, whom you love.
Who is it?
Who is it?
Romeo.
Romeo.
How long hath he been there?
How long has he been there?
Full half an hour.
For a full half an hour.
Go with me to the vault.
Go with me to the tomb.
I dare not, sir;
I dare not, sir.
My master knows not but I am gone hence,
My master thinks I have gone away.
And fearfully did menace me with death If I did stay to look on his intents.
He threatened to harm me with death if I stayed to watch his actions.
Stay then, I’ll go alone.
Stay then, I’ll go alone.
Fear comes upon me.
Fear comes upon me.
O, much I fear some ill unlucky thing.
Oh, I very much fear that something terrible and unfortunate has happened.
As I did sleep under this yew tree here, I dreamt my master and another fought,
As I did slept under this yew tree here, I dreamt my master fought with someone else.
And that my master slew him.
And that my master killed him.
Romeo! [
]
]
]
Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains The stony entrance of this sepulchre?
Oh no! What blood is this which stains the stony entrance of this tomb?
What mean these masterless and gory swords To lie discolour’d by this place of peace?
Why are these swords discoloured by gore and blood, lying masterless in this place of peace.
Romeo! O, pale! Who else? What, Paris too? And steep’d in blood?
Romeo! Oh, pale! Who else? What, Paris too? And covered in blood?
Ah what an unkind hour Is guilty of this lamentable chance?
Ah what an unkind hour is guilty of this unfortunate chance?
The lady stirs.
The lady moves.
O comfortable Friar, where is my lord?
Oh comforting Friar! Where is my lord?
I do remember well where I should be, And there I am.
I do remember well where I should be, and there I am.
Where is my Romeo?
Where is my Romeo?
I hear some noise.
I hear some noise.
Lady, come from that nest Of death, contagion, and unnatural sleep.
Lady, come up from that tomb of death, sickness, and unnatural sleep.
A greater power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents.
A greater power than we can contradict has ruined our plans.
Come, come away.
Come, come away.
Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead; And Paris too.
Your husband lies dead, resting on your chest, and Paris too.
Come, I’ll dispose of thee Among a sisterhood of holy nuns.
Come, I’ll bring you to join a sisterhood of holy nuns.
Stay not to question, for the watch is coming.
Don’t wait here to ask question, for the watch is coming.
Come, go, good Juliet. I dare no longer stay.
Come, come with me, good Juliet. I dare not to stay any longer.
Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.
Go, go away from here, for I will not leave.
What’s here? A cup clos’d in my true love’s hand?
What’s this? A cup held in my true love’s hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.
I see, poison has been his the reason for his timeless end.
O churl. Drink all, and left no friendly drop To help me after?
How selfish! You drank all and left no friendly drop to help me later?
I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, To make me die with a restorative.
I will kiss your lips, hoping some poison still hangs on them to help me die with its power.
Thy lips are warm!
Your lips are warm!
[
] Lead on, boy. Which way?
] Lead, boy. Which way?
] Lead on, boy. Which way?
Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger.
Yeah, noise? Then I’ll be brief. Oh happy dagger.
This is thy sheath. [
] Rust inside my body and let me die.
] There rest, and let me die.
] Rust inside my body and let me die.
This is the place. There, where the torch doth burn.
This is the place. There, where the torch is burning.
The ground is bloody. Search about the churchyard.
The ground is bloody. Search the graveyard.
Go, some of you, whoe’er you find attach.
Go, some of you, and arrest anyone you find.
Pitiful sight!
What a pitiful sight!
Here lies the County slain, And Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead, Who here hath lain this two days buried.
Here lies the dead County, and Juliet bleeding, warm, and newly dead, who was here for last two days, buried.
Go tell the Prince; run to the Capulets.
Go tell the Prince. Also, run to the Capulets. Wake up the Montagues.
Raise up the Montagues, some others search.
Have some other folks search too.
We see the ground whereon these woes do lie,
We see the ground on which these bodies lie.
But the true ground of all these piteous woes We cannot without circumstance descry.
But we cannot figure out the the true reason of all these piteous woes, without an investigation.
Here’s Romeo’s man. We found him in the churchyard.
Here’s Romeo’s servant. We found him in the graveyard.
Hold him in safety till the Prince come hither.
Hold him securely until the Prince arrives.
Here is a Friar that trembles, sighs, and weeps.
Here is a Friar that trembles, sighs, and weeps.
We took this mattock and this spade from him As he was coming from this churchyard side.
We took this mattock and this shovel from him as he was leaving the graveyard.
A great suspicion. Stay the Friar too.
A great suspicion. Hold the Friar too.
What misadventure is so early up, That calls our person from our morning’s rest?
What misadventure happened so early in the morning, that calls me here from my morning’s rest?
What should it be that they so shriek abroad?
What has happened to cause everyone to start shrieking?
O the people in the street cry Romeo, Some Juliet, and some Paris,
Oh the people in the street are crying ’Romeo’, some are crying for ’Juliet’, and some for ’Paris’.
and all run With open outcry toward our monument.
They are all running with open outcry toward our tomb.
What fear is this which startles in our ears?
What fear is this which startles in our ears?
Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain, And Romeo dead, and Juliet, dead before, Warm and new kill’d.
Prince, here lies the County Paris killed, and Romeo dead, and Juliet who was already dead is now found warm and newly killed.
Search, seek, and know how this foul murder comes.
Search, seek, and find out how this foul murder happened.
Here is a Friar, and slaughter’d Romeo’s man,
Here is a Friar, and dead Romeo’s servant.
With instruments upon them fit to open These dead men’s tombs.
They are carrying instruments with them fit to open these dead men’s tombs.
O heaven! O wife, look how our daughter bleeds!
Oh heaven! Oh wife, look how our daughter bleeds!
This dagger hath mista’en,
This dagger is in the wrong place.
for lo, his house Is empty on the back of Montague,
It should be in the empty sheath on the back of that Montague.
And it mis-sheathed in my daughter’s bosom.
But it is mis-sheathed in my daughter’s chest.
O me! This sight of death is as a bell That warns my old age to a sepulchre.
Oh me! This sight of death is like a waning bell that warns my old age to end soon.
Come, Montague, for thou art early up, To see thy son and heir more early down.
Come, Montague, for you are up early up to see your son and heir killed at too young an age.
Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight.
Alas, my prince! My wife died tonight.
Grief of my son’s exile hath stopp’d her breath.
Her grief of my son’s exile has stopped her breath.
What further woe conspires against mine age?
What further misery must I endure in my old age?
Look, and thou shalt see.
Look, and you will see.
O thou untaught! What manners is in this, To press before thy father to a grave?
Oh you rude boy! What manners is in this, to lie before your father in a grave?
Seal up the mouth of outrage for a while, Till we can clear these ambiguities, And know their spring, their head, their true descent,
Seal up the mouth of outrage for a while, till we can clear these ambiguities and find out their spring, their head, their true descent.
And then will I be general of your woes, And lead you even to death.
And then will I lead you myself in expressing your misery, and lead you even to death.
Meantime forbear, And let mischance be slave to patience.
In the meantime, hold on and let your bad luck be a slave to patience.
Bring forth the parties of suspicion.
Bring forth the men under suspicion.
I am the greatest, able to do least, Yet most suspected, as the time and place Doth make against me, of this direful murder.
I am the most suspected and least able to defend myself, as the time and place are against me as I was here at the time of this direful murder.
And here I stand, both to impeach and purge
And here I stand, both to be questioned and punished.
Myself condemned and myself excus’d.
I have already condemned and excused myself.
Then say at once what thou dost know in this.
Then tell us at once what do you know about all this.
I will be brief, for my short date of breath Is not so long as is a tedious tale.
I will be brief, for the time I have left is not long enough to tell a long story.
Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet, And she, there dead, that Romeo’s faithful wife.
Romeo who lies there dead, was Juliet’s husband and she, who lies there dead, is Romeo’s faithful wife.
I married them; and their stol’n marriage day Was Tybalt’s doomsday,
I married them and their secret marriage day was Tybalt’s doomsday.
whose untimely death Banish’d the new-made bridegroom from this city;
His untimely death led to banishment of the new-made bridegroom from this city.
For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pin’d.
Juliet was disheartened over this instead of Tybalt’s death.
You, to remove that siege of grief from her, Betroth’d, and would have married her perforce To County Paris.
And you in order to end the siege of grief from her, arranged to marry her, and would have married her inevitably to County Paris.
Then comes she to me, And with wild looks, bid me devise some means To rid her from this second marriage, Or in my cell there would she kill herself.
At that time, she came to me, and with wild looks, asked me to devise some means to save her from this second marriage or she would kill herself in my cell.
Then gave I her, so tutored by my art, A sleeping potion, which so took effect As I intended, for it wrought on her The form of death.
Then I gave her, so tutored by my art, a sleeping potion, which so took effect as I intended, for it made her look like she is dead.
Meantime I writ to Romeo That he should hither come as this dire night To help to take her from her borrow’d grave, Being the time the potion’s force should cease.
In the meantime, I wrote to Romeo that he should come here tonight to help to take her from her borrowed grave, at the time when potion’s force ceases to exist.
But he which bore my letter, Friar John, Was stay’d by accident; and yesternight Return’d my letter back. Then all alone
But he who bore my letter to Romeo, Friar John, was held up by an accident; and yesternight returned my letter back to me.
At the prefixed hour of her waking Came I to take her from her kindred’s vault,
At the preset hour of her waking, I came here all alone to take her out from her kinsman tomb.
Meaning to keep her closely at my cell Till I conveniently could send to Romeo.
I thought I will keep her closely at my cell till I could conveniently send her to Romeo.
But when I came, some minute ere the time Of her awaking, here untimely lay The noble Paris and true Romeo dead.
But when I came, few minute before the time of her awaking, here lay the noble Paris and true Romeo, dead.
She wakes; and I entreated her come forth And bear this work of heaven with patience.
She woke up and I requested her to come up and bear this work of destiny with patience.
But then a noise did scare me from the tomb; And she, too desperate, would not go with me,
But then a noise scared me and I ran away from the tomb and she was too desperate and did not come with me.
But, as it seems, did violence on herself.
But, as it seems now, she killed herself.
All this I know; and to the marriage Her Nurse is privy.
This is all I know; and to the marriage, her Nurse is privy.
And if ought in this Miscarried by my fault, let my old life Be sacrific’d, some hour before his time, Unto the rigour of severest law.
And if this misfortune is miscarried by my fault, let my old life be sacrificed before its time and punished under the rigour of severest law.
We still have known thee for a holy man.
We have always known you as a holy man.
Where’s Romeo’s man? What can he say to this?
Where’s Romeo’s servant? What can he tell us about this?
I brought my master news of Juliet’s death,
I brought the news of Juliet’s death to my master.
And then in post he came from Mantua To this same place, to this same monument.
And then in hurry, he rode from Mantua to this same place, to this same monument.
This letter he early bid me give his father,
[He shows a letter] Early morning, he told me to give this letter to his father.
And threaten’d me with death, going in the vault, If I departed not, and left him there.
Then he went into the tomb and he threatened me with death if I did not leave him there and depart.
Give me the letter, I will look on it.
Give me the letter, I will read it. [He takes the letter from Balthasar]
Where is the County’s Page that rais’d the watch?
Where is the County’s Page that called the watch?
Sirrah, what made your master in this place?
Buy, what made your master come to this place?
He came with flowers to strew his lady’s grave,
He came with flowers to put on his lady’s grave.
And bid me stand aloof, and so I did.
And asked me to stand away, and so I did.
Anon comes one with light to open the tomb, And by and by my master drew on him,
Soon after that, someone came with light to open the tomb and by and by my master drew on him.
And then I ran away to call the watch.
And then I ran away to call the watch.
This letter doth make good the Friar’s words,
[He skims the letter]. This letter corroborates with Friar’s words.
Their course of love, the tidings of her death.
It describes the course of love, the tidings of her death.
And here he writes that he did buy a poison Of a poor’pothecary, and therewithal Came to this vault to die, and lie with Juliet.
And here he also writes that he bought a poison from a poor pharmacist, and thereafter, came to this tomb to die, and lie with Juliet.
Where be these enemies? Capulet, Montague,
Where are these enemies? Capulet! Montague,!
See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!
See what a curse is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!
And I, for winking at your discords too, Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punish’d.
And I, for taking your fued too lightly, I have lost two of my family members. We all are punished.
O brother Montague, give me thy hand.
Oh brother Montague, give me your hand.
This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more Can I demand.
This handshake is my daughter’s dowry, for I can demand for nothing else.
But I can give thee more,
But I can give you more.
For I will raise her statue in pure gold,
For I will raise her statue in pure gold.
That whiles Verona by that name is known, There shall no figure at such rate be set As that of true and faithful Juliet.
So long as this city is called Verona, there will be no figure that will be praised more than that of faithful Juliet.
As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie,
I will make the statue of Romeo to lie besides Juliet, which will be just as rich.
Poor sacrifices of our enmity.
Poor sacrifices of our enmity.
A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
What a glooming peace this morning with itself.
The sun for sorrow will not show his head.
The sun won’t shine because of its sadness.
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things.
Go forward, to talk more about these sad things.
Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished,
Some will be pardoned, and some will be punished.
For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
For there never was a story of more misery than this of Juliet and her Romeo.