Original Text
Modern Translation
Scene I
Mantua. A street.
Enter Romeo.
ROM:
ROM:
If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep,
My dreams presage some joyful news at hand.
My bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne,
And all this day an unaccustom'd spirit
Lifts me above the ground with cheerful
thoughts.(5)
I dreamt my lady came and found me dead
(Strange dream that gives a dead man leave to
think!)
And breath'd such life with kisses in my lips
That I reviv'd and was an emperor.
Ah me! how sweet is love itself possess'd,(10)
When but love's shadows are so rich in joy!
If I may trust what happens while I sleep,
My dreams predict some joyful news is
coming.
My heart is very light in my chest,
And all this day an unusually happy spirit
Lifts me above the ground with cheerful
thoughts.
I dreamed that my lady came and found me
dead,
Strange dream, that gives a dead man a second
thought!
And she breathed such life with her kisses on
my lips,
That I was brought back to life, and I was an
emperor.
Ah me! How sweet love is when it is yours,
When only love's shadows are so rich in joy!
News from Verona! How are you, Balthasar?
Don’t you bring me letters from the friar?
How is my lady doing? Is my father well?
How fares my Juliet? I’ll ask that again;
For nothing can be wrong if she is well.
Enter Romeo's man Balthasar, booted.
News from Verona! How now, Balthasar?
Dost thou not bring me letters from the friar?
How doth my lady? Is my father well?
How fares my Juliet? That I ask again,(15)
For nothing can be ill if she be well.
MAN:
MAN:
Then she is well, and nothing can be ill.
Her body sleeps in Capels’ monument,
And her immortal part with angels lives.
I saw her laid low in her kindred's vault(20)
And presently took post to tell it you.
O, pardon me for bringing these ill news,
Since you did leave it for my office, sir.
ROM:
Then she is well, and nothing can be wrong.
Her body sleeps in the Capulet tomb,
And her soul lives with the angels.
I saw her burial in her relative's vault,
And the I rushed to tell you.
O, forgive me for bringing you this sad news,
Since you did leave it all up to me, sir.
ROM:
Is it e'en so? Then I defy you, stars!
Thou knowest my lodging. Get me ink and
paper(25)
And hire posthorses. I will hence to-night.
MAN:
Is it so? Then, I defy you, stars!
You know where I live. Get me ink and paper,
And hire some horses. I will leave here tonight.
MAN:
I do beseech you, sir, have patience.
Your looks are pale and wild and do import
Some misadventure.
ROM:
I beg you, sir, have patience.
You look pale and wild, and these signs
Some bad luck.
ROM:
Tush, thou art deceiv'd.(30)
Don’t worry about it. You’re mistaken.
Original Text
Modern Translation
Leave me and do the thing I bid thee do.
Hast thou no letters to me from the friar?
MAN:
Leave me, and do as I ask you.
Don’t you letters to me from the friar?
MAN:
No, my good lord.
ROM:
No, my good lord.
ROM:
No matter. Get thee gone
And hire those horses. I'll be with thee
straight.(35)
No matter. Get going,
And hire those horses. I'll be with you right
away. Well, Juliet, I’ll sleep with you tonight.
Let's figure out how to do this. O mischief, you
are quick
To enter into the thoughts of desperate men!
I do remember a pharmacist,
And lives near here, who I noticed was dressed
in
In tattered weeds, with overwhelming
eyebrows,
Choosing the simple life. He looked very thin,
As if sharp misery had worn him down to the
bones;
And in his poor shop a turtle was hanging,
And a stuffed alligator, and other skins
Of ill-shaped fishes, and on his shelves he had
A poverty-stricken collection of empty boxes,
and
Green earthen pots, animal bladders, and musty
smelling seeds,
Remnants of leftover twine, and old cakes of
roses,
Were thinly scattered around, to make up a
display.
Noting this poverty, I said to myself,
”If a man did need a poison now,
”The sale of which is punished by death in
Mantua,
”Here lives a poor wretch would sell it to him.”
O, this same thought only predicted my need,
And this same needy man must sell it to me.
As I remember, this should be the house.
Being a holiday, the beggar's shop is closed.
What, hello! Pharmacist!
Exit Balthasar.
Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee to-night.
Let's see for means. O mischief, thou art swift
To enter in the thoughts of desperate men!
I do remember an apothecary,
And hereabouts he dwells, which late I
noted(40)
In tatt'red weeds, with overwhelming brows,
Culling of simples. Meagre were his looks,
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones;
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,
An alligator stuff'd, and other skins(45)
Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelves
A beggarly account of empty boxes,
Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds,
Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of roses
Were thinly scattered, to make up a show.(50)
Noting this penury, to myself I said,
‘An if a man did need a poison now
Whose sale is present death in Mantua,
Here lives a caitiff wretch would sell it him.’
O, this same thought did but forerun my
need,(55)
And this same needy man must sell it me.
As I remember, this should be the house.
Being holiday, the beggar's shop is shut.
What, ho! apothecary!
Enter Apothecary.
APOTH:
Who calls so loud?(60)
APOTH:
Who is calling so loudly?
ROM:
ROM:
Come hither, man. I see that thou art poor.
Hold, there is forty ducats. Let me have
A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear
Come here, man. I see that you are poor;
Wait, here’s few dollars. Let me have
A small vial of poison, such quickly acting
Original Text
Modern Translation
As will disperse itself through all the veins
That the life-weary taker may fall dead,(65)
And that the trunk may be discharg'd of breath
As violently as hasty powder fir'd
Doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb.
medicine
That it will disperse itself throughout all the
veins
In order that the life-weary taker may fall dead,
And that the body may suffocate
As violently as speedy gunpowder
Hurries a bullet from a gun barrel.
APOTH:
Such mortal drugs I have; but Mantua's law
Is death to any he that utters them.(70)
APOTH:
I have such deadly drugs, but Mantua's law
Gives the death penalty to anybody who sells
them.
ROM:
ROM:
Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness
And fearest to die? Famine is in thy cheeks,
Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes,
Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy back:
The world is not thy friend, nor the world's
law;(75)
The world affords no law to make thee rich;
Then be not poor, but break it and take this.
You are so naked and full of misery
And you’re afraid to die? Starvation is in your
cheeks,
Need and oppression starve in your eyes,
Contempt and beggary hang on your back.
The world is not your friend, neither is the
world's law.
The world does not support a law to make you
rich.
Then don’t be poor, but break the law and take
this money.
APOTH:
My poverty but not my will consents.
APOTH:
My poverty agrees to take it, but not my will.
ROM:
ROM:
I pay thy poverty and not thy will.
I pay your poverty, and not your will.
APOTH:
Put this in any liquid thing you will(80)
And drink it off, and if you had the strength
Of twenty men, it would dispatch you straight.
APOTH:
Put this poison into any liquid you want,
And drink it all; and, if you had the strength
Of twenty men, it would kill you right away.
ROM:
ROM:
There is thy gold—worse poison to men's
souls,
Doing more murderer in this loathsome world,
Than these poor compounds that thou mayst
not sell.(85)
I sell thee poison; thou hast sold me none.
Farewell. Buy food and get thyself in flesh.
Come, cordial and not poison, go with me
To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.
Exeunt.
There is your gold. There are worse poisons to
men's souls,
That make them commit more murders in this
hateful world
Than these poor compounds that you can’t sell.
I sell you poison; you haven’t sold me any.
Farewell. Buy food and put on some weight.
Come, invigorating beverage and not poison.
Go with me
To Juliet's grave; for there I must use you.