Scene II

Capulet's orchard.

Enter Romeo.

ROM:

He jests at scars that never felt a wound.

Enter Juliet above at a window.

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
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(5)
That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid, since she is envious.
Her vestal livery is but sick and green,
And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
It is my lady; O, it is my love!(10)
O that she knew she were!
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold; 'tis not to me she speaks.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,(15)
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till 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; her eyes in heaven(20)
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!(25)

ROM:

He laughs at the scars of love when he’s never felt love’s pain.

Quiet! what light breaks through that window?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun rising!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the jealous moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That you, her maid, are far more beautiful than she is.
Don’t be her maid, since she is so jealous.
Her chaste, white gown is only sick and green,
And only fools wear it. Take it off and throw it away.
It is my lady; O, it is my love!
O, I wish she knew that she was my love!
She speaks, but she says nothing. what does that mean?
Her eye seems to be talking. I will answer it.
I am too bold, she’s not speaking to me.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do beg her eyes
To twinkle in their sockets till the stars return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight shames a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would stream so brightly through the skies
That birds would sing and think it was morning.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O I wish I were a glove on that hand
So that I might touch that cheek!

JUL:

Ay me!

JUL:

Ah me!

ROM:

She speaks.
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a winged messenger of heaven(30)
Unto the white-upturned wond'ring eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.

ROM:

She speaks.
O, speak again, bright angel! for you are
As glorious to this night, that is over my head,
As is a wingéd messenger of heaven
To the white, upturned, wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he crosses the slow moving clouds
And sails upon the heart of the wind.

JUL:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?(35)
Deny thy father and refuse thy name!
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

JUL:

O Romeo, Romeo! Why are you “Romeo?”
Deny your father and refuse to be called by your name;
Or, if you won’t, swear you are my love,
And I'll no longer be called a Capulet.

ROM:

Aside.

Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

ROM:

Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

JUL:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.(40)
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose(45)
By any other name would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,(50)
Take all myself.

JUL:

It’s only your name that is my enemy;
You are yourself, not even a Montague.
What's “Montague?” It is not a hand, or a foot,
Or an arm, or a face, or any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
Would smell as sweet if it had any other name.
So Romeo, if he wasn’t called “Romeo,” would
Retain that dear perfection which he has
Without that title. Romeo, throw your name away;
And for that name, which isn’t part of you,
Take all of me.

ROM:

I take thee at thy word.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptiz'd;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

ROM:

I take you at your word.
Only call me “love,” and I'll be baptized with a new name.
From now on, I’ll never be “Romeo.”

JUL:

What man art thou that, thus bescreen'd in night,(55)
So stumblest on my counsel?

JUL:

What man are you who, wrapped in the cover of night,
Stumbles on my private thoughts?

ROM:

By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee.(60)
Had I it written, I would tear the word.

ROM:

By a name that
I don’t know how to tell you who I am.
My name, dear saint, is hateful to me
Because it is an enemy to you.
If I had written it down on paper, I would tear the word from the page.

JUL:

My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?

JUL:

My ears haven’t yet heard a hundred words
Of that tongue's speech, and yet I know the sound;
Aren’t you Romeo, and a Montague?

ROM:

Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.(65)

ROM:

Neither one, fair saint, if you dislike them.

JUL:

How cam'st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
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.

JUL:

How did you come here, tell me, and why?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb.
And the place means death, considering who you are,
If any of my kinsmen find you here.

ROM:

With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls;(70)
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt.
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.

ROM:

With love's light wings did I fly over these walls;
For rocky mountains cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, love dares to attempt;
Therefore your kinsmen are no threat to me.

JUL:

If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

JUL:

If they see you, they will murder you.

ROM:

Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye(75)
Than twenty of their swords! Look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.

ROM:

It’s a shame, there is more danger in your eye
Than twenty of their swords. if you will just look sweet,
Then I am protected against their hate.

JUL:

I would not for the world they saw thee here.

JUL:

I wouldn’t have them see you here for the world.

ROM:

I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes;
And but thou love me, let them find me here.(80)
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

ROM:

I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;
And, if you love me, let them find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death postponed, wanting your love.

JUL:

By whose direction found'st thou out this place?

JUL:

Who gave you the directions to this place?

ROM:

By love, that first did prompt me to inquire.
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.(85)
I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
As that vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for such merchandise.

ROM:

Love, that first prompted me to ask;
He gave me advice, and I gave him eyes.
I am no sea captain, but, if you were as far away
As that vast shore washed with the furthest sea,
I would risk everything for such a cargo.

JUL:

Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face;
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek(90)
For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night.
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I have spoke; but farewell complement!
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say ‘Ay’;
And I will take thy word. Yet, if thou swear'st,(95)
Thou mayst prove false. At lovers’ perjuries,
They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
I'll frown, and be perverse, and say thee nay,(100)
So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond,
And therefore thou mayst think my haviour light;
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.(105)
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware,
My true love's passion. Therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.(110)

JUL:

You know that the night hides my face;
Otherwise, a maiden’s blush would paint my cheek
For what you overheard me say tonight.
Gladly I would dwell on form, gladly, gladly deny
What I have spoken; but farewell polite words!
Do you love me? I know you will say, “Yes,”
And I will take your word. but, if you swear,
You may prove false. At lovers' lies,
They say Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo,
If you do love, pronounce it faithfully.
Or if you think I am too quickly won,
I'll frown, and be wicked, and tell you, “No,”
So you will court me. but otherwise, not for the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too affectionate;
And, therefore, you may think my behavior light.
But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more knowledge to be unfriendly.
I should have been more unfriendly, I must confess,
But you overheard, before I was aware of you,
My true love’s passion. Therefore, pardon me,
And not attribute this surrender to light love,
Which the dark night has discovered.

ROM:

Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops—

ROM:

Lady, by the blessed moon up there,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops, I swear

JUL:

O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.(115)

JUL:

O, don’t swear by the moon, the inconstant moon,
That monthly goes through changes in her circled orbit,
For fear that your love prove as variable as the moon.

ROM:

What shall I swear by?

ROM:

What shall I swear by?

JUL:

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.(120)

JUL:

Don’t swear at all;
Or if you will, swear by your own gracious self,
Which is the god that I worship,
And I'll believe you.

ROM:

If my heart's dear love—

ROM:

If my heart's dear love,

JUL:

Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract to-night.
It is too rash, too unadvis'd, too sudden;
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be(125)
Ere one can say ‘It lightens.’ Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast!(130)

JUL:

Well, don’t swear. Although I have joy in you,
I have no joy of this contract tonight;
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
Too like the lightning, which ceases to exist
Before one can say, “It’s lightning.” Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, ripen by summer's breezes,
May become a beautiful flower when next we meet.
Good night, good night! May sweet repose and rest
Come to your heart such as that is within my breast!