I Swear I Drive All Night Again
A Midsummer Night's Dream Translation Human activity one, Scene ane
THESEUS and HIPPOLYTA enter forth with PHILOSTRATE and others.
THESEUS
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hr Draws on quickly. Four happy days bring in Another moon. Just oh, methinks how slow This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, Similar to a stepdame or a dowager Long withering out a boyfriend'due south revenue.
THESEUS
At present, beautiful Hippolyta , the hour of our nuptials is speeding closer. In iv joyful days there will be a new crescent moon, and we will marry. But oh! The one-time moon seems to me to compress away so slowly! It delays me from getting what I want, just like an old rich widow volition force her stepson to wait forever to receive his inheritance.
HIPPOLYTA
Four days volition quickly steep themselves in dark. Four nights will speedily dream away the time. And so the moon, like to a silver bow New bent in heaven, shall behold the night Of our solemnities.
HIPPOLYTA
Iv days will apace laissez passer and turn to nighttime. And each night, we will dream away the time. And presently the moon—like a silver bow newly bent into a curve in the sky—volition look downward on the nighttime of our wedding celebration.
THESEUS
Become, Philostrate, Stir upwards the Athenian youth to merriments. Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth. Plow melancholy along to funerals. The stake companion is non for our pomp.
THESEUS
Go, Philostrate, get the young people of Athens in the mood to celebrate. Wake up the lively and swift spirit of fun. Send sadness out to funerals—that stake emotion has no identify at our festivities.
Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword And won thy dearest doing thee injuries. Simply I will wed thee in another cardinal, With pomp, with triumph, and with reveling.
Hippolyta, I wooed with you by fighting confronting you, and won your honey by injuring y'all. But I'll marry y'all in a different style—with splendid ceremonies, public festivities, and commemoration.
EGEUS
Happy exist Theseus, our renownèd duke.
EGEUS
Joy to y'all, Theseus—our famous and distinguished knuckles!
EGEUS enters with his girl HERMIA, along with LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS.
THESEUS
Thank you, skillful Egeus. What's the news with thee?
THESEUS
Thank you, honey Egeus. What'southward going on with you?
EGEUS
Full of vexation come I with complaint Against my kid, my daughter Hermia. Stand up along, Demetrius. My noble lord, This human being hath my consent to ally her. Stand up forth, Lysander. And my gracious duke, This human hath bewitched the bosom of my child. Yard, yard, Lysander, yard hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love tokens with my child. Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung With feigning voice verses of feigning love, And stol'northward the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy pilus, rings, gauds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats—messengers Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth. With cunning hast thou filched my girl's center, Turned her obedience (which is due to me) To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious duke, Exist it so she will not hither earlier your grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens. As she is mine, I may dispose of her— Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her decease—according to our law Immediately provided in that case.
EGEUS
I've come to you full of acrimony, to protest confronting the actions of my daughter, Hermia. Pace forward, Demetrius. My noble lord Theseus, this man, Demetrius, has my blessing to marry her. Step forrad, Lysander. All the same, my gracious knuckles, this man, Lysander, has put a spell on my daughter'due south center. You, you, Lysander, you have given her poems, and exchanged tokens of beloved with my girl. Yous've come beneath her window in the moonlight and pretended to honey her with your false love songs. And yous've stolen her fancy by giving her locks of your pilus, rings, toys, trinkets, knickknacks, little presents, flowers, and candies—all of which will powerfully influence an innocent child. You've sneaked and schemed to steal my daughter'south heart, transforming the obedience which she owes me into harsh stubbornness. My gracious duke, if Hermia, continuing here in forepart of you lot, won't hold to marry Demetrius, so I need my traditional rights every bit a father in Athens . Since she belongs to me, I can practice what I want with her, as the law expressly states for just such a instance as this: either she marries Demetrius, or she dies.
THESEUS
What say you, Hermia? Exist advised, fair maid: To yous your male parent should be equally a god, I that composed your beauties, yea, and 1 To whom you are but equally a form in wax, By him imprinted and within his power To exit the figure or disfigure it. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
THESEUS
And what do you say, Hermia? Take this communication, pretty girl: y'all should see your father as a god, since he'south the one who created your beauty. To him, you're like a figure that he sculpted out of wax, giving him the power to leave it equally it is or to destroy it. Demetrius is a good man.
THESEUS
In himself he is. But in this kind, wanting your father'south voice, The other must be held the worthier.
THESEUS
Yes he is. But in this situation, because he lacks your father'due south support, you must consider Demetrius to exist better.
HERMIA
I would my father looked only with my optics.
HERMIA
I wish my father could look at them through my eyes.
THESEUS
Rather your optics must with his judgment look.
THESEUS
Instead, your view of them must exist influenced by your father'due south wishes.
HERMIA
I practise entreat your grace to pardon me. I know not by what power I am made bold Nor how it may business my modesty In such a presence hither to plead my thoughts, But I beseech your grace that I may know The worst that may befall me in this example, If I refuse to wed Demetrius.
HERMIA
I beg your Grace to forgive me. I don't know what is making me bold enough to do this, or even how speaking my thoughts to such an important person as you might harm my reputation for modesty. But I beg yous to explain to me the worst thing that could happen to me in this state of affairs if I decline to marry Demetrius.
THESEUS
Either to dice the death or to abjure Forever the social club of men. Therefore, fair Hermia, question your desires. Know of your youth. Examine well your blood— Whether, if yous yield not to your begetter's choice, You can endure the livery of a nun, For yep to exist in shady curtilage mewed, To live a arid sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the common cold, fruitless moon. Thrice-blessèd they that main so their claret To undergo such maiden pilgrimage. But earthlier happy is the rose distilled Than that which, withering on the virgin thorn, Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.
THESEUS
You lot'll either be sentenced to expiry or to never again interact with another man. Therefore, beautiful Hermia, really think well-nigh what you want. Think near how young you are, and explore your feelings —if y'all practice not give in to your father's wishes, will you be able to tolerate life wearing the robes of a nun, shut up in a dark convent, living your whole life without hubby or children, chanting quietly to Diana . Those who can control their passions and remain virgins their whole lives are three times as blessed. But a wife lives happier in this world than a virgin, who achieves the approval of chastity but grows, lives, and withers to death every bit a flower on the stem.
HERMIA
So volition I grow, so live, and then die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin patent upward Unto his lordship, whose unwishèd yoke My soul consents non to give sovereignty.
HERMIA
That is how I will grow, alive, and die, my lord. I will not give up the ownership of my virginity to my lord father. My soul refuses to let him command me into the yoke of a wedlock I do not want.
THESEUS
Take fourth dimension to pause, and by the side by side new moon— The sealing day betwixt my honey and me For everlasting bond of fellowship— Upon that solar day either prepare to die For defiance to your father'south volition, Or else to wednesday Demetrius, as he would, Or on Diana'due south altar to protest For aye austerity and unmarried life.
THESEUS
Take some time to consider. Past the adjacent new moon—the twenty-four hour period when my beloved and I volition be joined in marriage —exist ready either to die for disobeying your begetter'southward desires, to marry Demetrius, as your begetter wishes. Or else, yous can go to the temple of Diana and vow to spend the rest of your life as a virgin priestess.
DEMETRIUS
Relent, sugariness Hermia And, Lysander, yield Thy crazèd title to my sure right.
DEMETRIUS
Requite in, sugariness Hermia. And, Lysander, give upwardly your crazy claim to possession of what is mine.
LYSANDER
You have her father's beloved, Demetrius. Allow me accept Hermia's. Practice you marry him.
LYSANDER
Her father loves you, Demetrius. Let me accept Hermia, and you can marry him.
EGEUS
Scornful Lysander, truthful, he hath my love, And what is mine my dear shall render him. And she is mine, and all my correct of her I practice estate unto Demetrius.
EGEUS
Rude Lysander, it'southward truthful, I do beloved him. And because I love him, I will requite to him what is mine. Hermia is mine, and I'm giving my rights to her to Demetrius.
LYSANDER
[To THESEUS] I am, my lord, as well derived every bit he, Every bit well possessed. My love is more than his. My fortunes every style as fairly ranked, (If not with vantage) as Demetrius'. And—which is more than all these boasts can be— I am beloved of beauteous Hermia. Why should not I then prosecute my right? Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his caput, Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena, And won her soul. And she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry Upon this spotted and inconstant homo.
LYSANDER
[To THESEUS] My lord, I'one thousand as noble equally Demetrius, and as rich. I love Hermia more than than he does. My prospects are in every way as skilful as Demetrius', if not better. And, more than importantly than all of those things I only boasted about, beautiful Hermia loves me. Why shouldn't I exist able to pursue my rights marry her? Demetrius—and I'll declare this to his face up—wooed Nedar'southward girl, Helena, and won her beloved. Now Helena, that sweet lady, obsesses, deeply obsesses, obsesses over this stained and unfaithful man, idolizing him every bit if he were a god.
THESEUS
I must confess that I have heard and then much And with Demetrius thought to have spoke thereof, Simply beingness overfull of self-diplomacy, My mind did lose it. But, Demetrius, come. And come, Egeus. You shall go with me. I have some private schooling for you both. For you, fair Hermia, look y'all arm yourself To fit your fancies to your father's will, Or else the police of Athens yields you upwardly (Which by no ways we may extenuate) To death, or to a vow of single life. Come, my Hippolyta. What cheer, my dear? Demetrius and Egeus, go along. I must employ you in some business organisation Against our nuptial and confer with you Of something nearly that concerns yourselves.
THESEUS
I must admit I've heard that too, and meant to speak about information technology with Demetrius. Just because I was too busy with my own concerns, I forget near information technology. But now, Demetrius and Egeus, come with me. I have some advice for you lot both that I desire to requite in individual. Equally for you, beautiful Hermia, set up yourself to shape your desires to match what your father wants, or else the police of Athens—which I can't alter or lessen in any manner—demands that y'all either dice or take a vow of guiltlessness and never marry. Come along, Hippolyta. How are you, my love? Demetrius and Egeus, come with us. I have some piece of work I need you to do regarding our wedding ceremony, and in that location'southward something that concerns the ii of you lot that I desire to talk over.
EGEUS
With duty and desire we follow you.
EGEUS
We follow you because it is our duty, and considering we want to.
They go out, except LYSANDER and HERMIA.
LYSANDER
How now, my honey? Why is your cheek and then pale? How chance the roses in that location practice fade and so fast?
LYSANDER
How are you, my honey? Why are your cheeks so pale? How is information technology that the roses in them have faded so quickly?
HERMIA
Belike for want of rain, which I could well Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.
HERMIA
Probably considering they lacked rain, which I could easily give them from the tears in my eyes.
LYSANDER
Ay me! For aught that I could ever read, Could ever hear by tale or history, The course of true love never did run smooth. Simply either it was dissimilar in claret—
LYSANDER
Oh honey! In every book that I have ever read, whether a story or a history, the path of true dearest is never polish or easy. Perhaps the lovers are of different social classes—
HERMIA
O cross! Too high to be enthralled to low.
HERMIA
Oh, what an obstacle! Being a person of loftier rank in love with someone of low stature.
LYSANDER
Or else misgraffèd in respect of years—
LYSANDER
Or else they were very different ages—
HERMIA
O spite! Too old to be engaged to young.
HERMIA
Oh, vicious fate! Being likewise old to marry someone young.
LYSANDER
Or else it stood upon the choice of friends—
LYSANDER
Or else their ability to cull depended on the wishes of their relatives—
HERMIA
O hell, to choose dear by another's optics!
HERMIA
Oh, what a hell, to have someone else'southward wishes determine who y'all tin love!
LYSANDER
Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, decease, or sickness did lay siege to information technology, Making information technology momentary equally a audio, Swift equally a shadow, brusque every bit any dream, Brief every bit the lightning in the collied night; That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and Earth, And ere a human hath power to say "Behold!" The jaws of darkness practise devour it up. Then quick bright things come to confusion.
LYSANDER
Or—even if two people loved each other and could choose to marry—war, death, or sickness might arbitrate, and then that their dear lasts no longer than a sound, is as fleeting as a shadow, curt as a dream. Or it'due south as cursory as a bolt of lightning that—like a flash of passion—lights up heaven and Earth but and then disappears into darkness earlier you tin even say "Await!" That's how vivid things that are full of life are destroyed.
HERMIA
If then truthful lovers take been ever crossed, Information technology stands as an edict in destiny. Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to dear equally thoughts and dreams and sighs, Wishes and tears, poor fancy'southward followers.
HERMIA
If true lovers are always thwarted, so information technology proves that destiny is saying that our thwarted honey must be true. So allow'due south make sure to approach our trouble with patience. Since all true love must exist thwarted, then being thwarted is every bit much a part of love equally dreams, sighs, wishes, and tears are.
LYSANDER
A proficient persuasion. Therefore, hear me, Hermia. I have a widow aunt, a dowager Of great revenue, and she hath no kid. From Athens is her house remote seven leagues, And she respects me every bit her only son. There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee. And to that place the precipitous Athenian law Cannot pursue united states of america. If thou lovest me then, Steal forth thy father's house tomorrow night. And in the woods, a league without the boondocks— Where I did see thee one time with Helena To do observance to a forenoon of May— There will I stay for thee.
LYSANDER
That'due south the right way to think well-nigh it. Then, mind, Hermia. I take an aunt who is a widow, who has property and great wealth, and doesn't take whatever children. Her house is most 20 miles from Athens, and she thinks of me as a son. Honey Hermia, I could ally you there, where the harsh laws of Athens tin't follow us. And then if you love me, sneak out of your father's firm tomorrow night. I will expect for yous in the woods, iii miles out of town, at the spot where I once met you with Helena to celebrate May 24-hour interval.
HERMIA
My expert Lysander! I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow, By his all-time arrow with the aureate head, By the simplicity of Venus' doves, By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves, And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen When the imitation Troyan under sail was seen, Past all the vows that ever men have broke (In number more than than always women spoke), In that same place thou hast appointed me, Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.
HERMIA
My noble Lysander! I swear to you—by Cupid's strongest bow, past his best gold-tipped pointer; by the innocent doves that drive Venus ' chariot; by everything that binds souls together and makes dearest grow; by the bonfire upon which Queen Dido of Carthage burned herself to death when she saw that her lover Aeneas had secretly sailed away from her; and by all the promises that men take always broken (which outnumber all the promises women accept ever fabricated). I volition encounter you lot tomorrow at the spot you accept asked me to go to.
LYSANDER
Keep promise, love. Look, hither comes Helena.
LYSANDER
Keep your hope, my dearest. Look, here comes Helena.
HERMIA
Godspeed, fair Helena! Whither away?
HERMIA
Welcome, beautiful Helena! Where are y'all going?
HELENA
Call y'all me "fair?" That "off-white" once more unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue's sweet air More tunable than lark to shepherd'southward ear When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. My ear should catch your voice. My eye, your eye. My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being aside, The rest I'd give to be to you translated. O, teach me how you lot look and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.
HELENA
Did yous call me "beautiful?" Take it back. Your dazzler is what Demetrius loves. Oh, lucky beauty! Your optics are like stars, and your sugariness vocalisation is more melodic than a lark'south song is to a shepherd in the springtime, when the wheat is green and hawthorn buds announced. Sickness is contagious. Oh, I wish dazzler was also. I would catch yours, beautiful Hermia, before I left. My ear would be infected by your voice, my eye by your center, and my tongue would catch your tongue's musical vocalisation. If I owned the world, I'd requite it all up—with the exception of Demetrius—to be transformed into you. Oh, teach me how you lot expect at Demetrius, and the tricks you lot utilize to make him fall in love with you.
HERMIA
I frown upon him, still he loves me still.
HERMIA
I frown at him, only he withal loves me.
HELENA
Oh, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
HELENA
Oh, if just your frowns could teach my smiles to have that aforementioned ability!
HERMIA
I give him curses, still he gives me beloved.
HERMIA
I expletive him, but he responds with love.
HELENA
Oh, that my prayers could such affection move!
HELENA
Oh, if only my prayers could arouse that kind of amore!
HERMIA
The more I detest, the more he follows me.
HERMIA
The more than I hate him, the more he follows me.
HELENA
The more than I love, the more he hateth me.
HELENA
The more I love him, the more he hates me.
HERMIA
His folly, Helena, is no mistake of mine.
HERMIA
Helena, his foolishness is non my fault.
HELENA
None, but your beauty. Would that error were mine!
HELENA
It's but your beauty'due south fault. I wish I had that error!
HERMIA
Take comfort. He no more than shall see my confront. Lysander and myself will fly this identify. Before the time I did Lysander see Seemed Athens equally a paradise to me. Oh, then, what graces in my love practice dwell, That he hath turned a heaven unto a hell!
HERMIA
Don't worry. He'll never meet my face again. Lysander and I are running away from here. Earlier the commencement fourth dimension I saw Lysander, Athens seemed similar paradise to me. Only Lysander is and then beautiful and graceful that, by comparison, he's turned what I thought was heaven into hell!
LYSANDER
Helen, to yous our minds nosotros will unfold. Tomorrow night when Phoebe doth behold Her silver visage in the watery glass, Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass (A fourth dimension that lovers' flights doth withal conceal), Through Athens' gates take we devised to steal.
LYSANDER
Helena, we'll let you lot in on our plan. Tomorrow night—when Phoebe is reflected on the water and decorates the grass with beads of pearly light (the time of dark that ever hides lovers on the run—we plan to sneak out through the gates of Athens.
HERMIA
[To HELENA] And in the woods where often you and I Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lie, Elimination our bosoms of their counsel sugariness, There my Lysander and myself shall run across. And thence from Athens turn away our eyes To seek new friends and stranger companies. Bye, sweetness playfellow. Pray yard for usa. And adept luck grant thee thy Demetrius! Go along give-and-take, Lysander. We must starve our sight From lovers' food till morrow deep midnight.
HERMIA
[To HELENA] In the woods where you lot and I used to laze effectually on the pale primroses, sharing all of the sweet secrets of our hearts—that's where Lysander and I will see. Then we'll plow away from Athens and look for new friends and the visitor of strangers. Goodbye, sweet friend of my youth. Pray for us, and may fate requite y'all Demetrius! Keep your promise, Lysander. We must refrain from the pleasure of seeing each other until tomorrow at midnight.
LYSANDER
I will, my Hermia.
LYSANDER
I will, my Hermia.
Helena, adieu.
Equally you on him, Demetrius dote on you!
Goodbye, Helena. May Demetrius dearest you lot merely as you beloved him!
HELENA
How happy some o'er other some can exist! Through Athens I am idea as fair every bit she. But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so. He will not know what all but he practice know. And as he errs, adoring on Hermia'southward eyes, So I, admiring of his qualities. Things base and vile, belongings no quantity, Love can transpose to grade and dignity. Love looks non with the optics but with the listen. And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Nor hath Love's mind of any judgment gustatory modality— Wings and no optics effigy unheedy haste. And therefore is Love said to be a child, Considering in choice he is then oft beguiled. As waggish boys in game themselves forswear, And then the boy Dearest is perjured everywhere. For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia's eyne, He hailed down oaths that he was only mine. And when this hail some oestrus from Hermia felt, And then he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt. I will get tell him of fair Hermia'southward flying. And then to the wood will he tomorrow night Pursue her. And for this intelligence If I have thanks, information technology is a dear expense. But herein mean I to enrich my pain, To take his sight thither and back again.
HELENA
How happy some people tin can be compared to others! Throughout Athens, people think I'chiliad every bit cute every bit Hermia. Simply what does that matter? Demetrius doesn't think so. The just opinion he has is his own. And as he wanders, idolizing Hermia'due south eyes, as well I admire his beauty. Beloved tin transform crude and horrible things of no worth into beautiful and dignified things. Love doesn't look with eyes, only with the mind. That's why they pigment winged Cupid blind. And Honey doesn't have good judgment or sense of taste—wings and blindness make for undue speed in falling in love. Thus, Love is thought of as a child, because he often makes the wrong choice. Only like mischievous boys who go back on their give-and-take as they play games, so also does the boy Love perjure himself everywhere. Considering before Demetrius saw Helena's eyes, he swore that he belonged to only me. And when he felt attracted to Hermia, he dissolved. His promises melted downwards similar hail in the heat. I will get and tell him that beautiful Hermia is running away. Then he'll got to the forest tomorrow nighttime to pursue her. And if he thanks me for this slice of information, it will all be worth it. But in this style I programme to make my pain worse, by seeing him go at that place and back once more.
Source: https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations/a-midsummer-nights-dream/act-1-scene-1