Lysander's lines during second half of Act 1, Scene 1

Exeunt all but LYSANDER and HERMIA

How now, my love?

WHY is your CHEEK so pale?

How chance the roses there do fade so fast?

Belike for want of rain, which I could well

Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.

AY me!

For aught that EI could ever read,

Could ever hear by tale or history,

The course of TRUE love never DID run smooth;

But either IT was DIFferENT in blood —

O cross! too high to be enthrall’d to low.

OR else misGRAFFed IN respect of years —

O spite! too old to be engag’d to young.

OR else it STOOD upon the choice of friends —

O hell! to choose love by another’s eyes.

OR if there WERE a sympathy in choice,

WAR, death, or SICKness DID lay siege to IT, MAking it

MOmenTAry as a sound,

SWIFT as a SHAdow,

SHORT as Any dream,

BRIEF as the LIGHTning IN the collied night,

THAT, in a SPLEEN, unfolds both hea’en and earth,

AND, ere a MAN hath po’er to SAY ‘Behold!’,

The jaws of darkness DO deVOUR it up:

So quick bright things come TO conFUsiON.

If then true lovers have been ever cross’d,

It stands as an edict in destiny.

Then let us teach our trial patience,

Because it is a customary cross,

As due to love as thoughts and dreams and sighs,

Wishes and tears, poor fancy’s followers.

A good persuasion;

LYSANDER sits on garden bench

THEREfore HEAR me, HERmia.

i HAVE a widow aunt, a dowager

Of GREAT reVENue,

AND she HATH no child —

From Athens IS her house remote se’en leagues —

AND she reSPECTS me AS her only son.

LYSANDER gets down on one knee

THERE gentle HERmia, MAY i marry THEE,

And TO that place the sharp aTHEnian law

Cannot pursue us.

LYSANDER takes HERMIA’s hand

IF thou LOV’ST me then,

Steal forth thy father’s house tomorrow night;

And IN the wood, a league withOUT the town

(Where IE did MEET thee once with HElenA

To do observance TO a morn of May),

THERE will i STAY for THEE.

My good Lysander,

I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,

By his best arrow with the golden head,

By the simplicity of Venus’ doves,

By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,

And by that fire which burn’d the Carthage queen

When the false Trojan under sail was seen;

By all the vows that ever men have broke

(In number more than ever women spoke),

In that same place thou hast appointed me,

Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

Keep promise, love.

LYSANDER sees HELENA

LOOK, here comes HElenA.

Take comfort: he no more shall see my face;

Lysander and myself will fly this place.

Before the time I did Lysander see,

Seem’d Athens as a paradise to me.

O then what graces in my love do well,

That he hath turn’d a heaven unto a hell!

HElen, to YOU our minds we will unfold:

Tomorrow night, when PHOEbe doth behold

Her silver visage IN the wa’ry glass,

DECKing with LIquid pearl the bladed grass

(A time that lovers’ flights doth still conceal),

Through Athens’ gates have WE devis’d to steal.

And in the wood, where often you and I

Upon faint primrose beds were wont to lie,

Emptying our bosoms of their counsel sweet,

There my Lysander and myself shall meet;

And thence from Athens turn away our eyes,

To seek new friends, and stranger companies.

Farewell, sweet playfellow;

pray thou for us,

And good luck grant thee thy Demetrius!

Keep word, Lysander;

we must starve our sight

From lovers’ food, till morrow deep midnight.

I will my HERmia.

HElenA, adieu;

As YOU on HIM, DeMEtrius dote on YOU!