A Midsummer Night’s Dream - страница 8

Enter Oberon, who anoints Titania’s eyelids with the

nectar.

OBERON

What thou seest when thou dost wake

Do it for thy true love take.

Love and languish for his sake.

Be it ounce, or cat, or bear,

Pard, or boar with bristled hair,

In thy eye that shall appear

When thou wak’st, it is thy dear.

Wake when some vile thing is near.      He exits.

Enter Lysander and Hermia.

LYSANDER

Fair love, you faint with wand’ring in the wood.

And, to speak troth, I have forgot our way.

We’ll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,

And tarry for the comfort of the day.

HERMIA

Be it so, Lysander. Find you out a bed,

For I upon this bank will rest my head.

LYSANDER

One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;

One heart, one bed, two bosoms, and one troth.

HERMIA

Nay, good Lysander. For my sake, my dear,

Lie further off yet. Do not lie so near.

LYSANDER

O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence!

Love takes the meaning in love’s conference.

I mean that my heart unto yours is knit,

So that but one heart we can make of it;

Two bosoms interchained with an oath—

So then two bosoms and a single troth.

Then by your side no bed-room me deny,

For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.

HERMIA

Lysander riddles very prettily.

Now much beshrew my manners and my pride

If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.

But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy,

Lie further off in human modesty.

Such separation, as may well be said,

Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid.

So far be distant; and good night, sweet friend.

Thy love ne’er alter till thy sweet life end!

LYSANDER

“Amen, amen” to that fair prayer, say I,

And then end life when I end loyalty!

Here is my bed. Sleep give thee all his rest!

HERMIA

With half that wish the wisher’s eyes be pressed!

They sleep.

Enter Robin.

ROBIN

Through the forest have I gone,

But Athenian found I none

On whose eyes I might approve

This flower’s force in stirring love.

He sees Lysander.

Night and silence! Who is here?

Weeds of Athens he doth wear.

This is he my master said

Despised the Athenian maid.

And here the maiden, sleeping sound

On the dank and dirty ground.

Pretty soul, she durst not lie

Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.—

Churl, upon thy eyes I throw

All the power this charm doth owe.

He anoints Lysander’s eyelids

with the nectar.

When thou wak’st, let love forbid

Sleep his seat on thy eyelid.

So, awake when I am gone,

For I must now to Oberon.      He exits.

Enter Demetrius and Helena, running.

HELENA

Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

DEMETRIUS

I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

HELENA

O, wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so.

DEMETRIUS

Stay, on thy peril. I alone will go.      Demetrius exits.

HELENA

O, I am out of breath in this fond chase.

The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.

Happy is Hermia, wheresoe’er she lies,

For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.

How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears.

If so, my eyes are oftener washed than hers.

No, no, I am as ugly as a bear,

For beasts that meet me run away for fear.

Therefore no marvel though Demetrius

Do as a monster fly my presence thus.

What wicked and dissembling glass of mine

Made me compare with Hermia’s sphery eyne?

But who is here? Lysander, on the ground!

Dead or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.—

Lysander, if you live, good sir, awake.

LYSANDER, waking up

And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.

Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,

That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.

Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word

Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

HELENA

Do not say so. Lysander, say not so.

What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what

though?

Yet Hermia still loves you. Then be content.

LYSANDER

Content with Hermia? No, I do repent

The tedious minutes I with her have spent.

Not Hermia, but Helena I love.

Who will not change a raven for a dove?

The will of man is by his reason swayed,