ORIGINAL TEXT	MODERN TRANSLATION
ACT II, SCENE i. A wood near Athens.	ACT II, SCENE i. A wood near Athens.
Enter, a FAIRY at one door and PUCK at another.	A FAIRY enters at one door and PUCK enters at another.
PUCK How now, spirit! whither wander you?	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) Hello fairy. Where are you headed?
FAIRY Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire, I do wander everywhere, Swifter than the moon's sphere; And I serve the fairy queen, To dew her orbs upon the green. The cowslips tall her pensioners be: In their gold coats spots you see; Those be rubies, fairy favors, In those freckles live their savors: I must go seek some dewdrops here And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone: Our queen and all our elves come here anon.	FAIRY I wander over hills and valleys, through bushes and brambles, over parks and fenced areas, through water and fire, I do wander everywhere. Faster that the moon circles the Earth. I serve the fairy queen, Titania I put drops of dew in her flowers on the grass The tall cowslips are her servants. Their petals have spots, fairy gifts of rubies, Those freckles have sweet aromas. I must hang a pearly dewdrop earring on every cowslip. Goodbye silly spirit. I'm off. Our queen and fairies will arrive shortly.
PUCK The king doth keep his revels here tonight: Take heed the queen come not within his sight; For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, Because that she as her attendant hath A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king; She never had so sweet a changeling; And jealous Oberon would have the child Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild; But she perforce withholds the loved boy, Crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy: And now they never meet in grove or green, By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen, But, they do square, that all their elves for fear Creep into acorn-cups and hide them there.	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) King Oberon will hold a party here tonight. Make sure he doesn't see the Queen Titania, because Oberon is furious that she had her servant steal a lovely boy from an Indian king. She's never had such a beautiful little boy. The jealous King Oberon wants the boy as his attendant, to keep him company in the wild forests. But Queen Titania refuses to give him up. She places crowns of flower on the boy's head and dotes on him. Now the king and queen refuse to meet, in the forest or the field, nor by the river or under the stars. But they do fight so badly, the scared fairies creep into acorn cups to hide.
FAIRY Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are not you he That frights the maidens of the villagery; Skim milk, and sometimes labor in the quern And bootless make the breathless housewife churn; And sometime make the drink to bear no barm; Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm? Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck, You do their work, and they shall have good luck: Are not you he?	FAIRY Either I'm wrong, our you're the trickster fairy named Robin Goodfellow. Aren't you the one that scares the village maidens, skims the cream from milk, sabotages the mill for grinding grain, keeps the tired housewife's cream from becoming butter and the beer from foaming, and leads travelers astray at night and laughs at them? If people call you "Hobgoblin" and "Sweet Puck," you work for them and give them good luck. Isn't that you?
PUCK Thou speak'st aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. I jest to Oberon and make him smile When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile, Neighing in likeness of a filly foal: And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl, In very likeness of a roasted crab, And when she drinks, against her lips I bob And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale, Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me; Then slip I from her bum, down topples she, And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough; And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh, And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear A merrier hour was never wasted there. But, room, fairy! here comes Oberon.	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) You're right. I am the happy wanderer at night. I tell Oberon jokes and make him smile. I trick plump, bean-fed male horses into thinking I'm a young lady horse by neighing. Sometimes I hide in an old woman's bowl of beer, disguised as an apple. When she drinks, I bob against her lips and force her to spill beer on her wrinkled neck. Sometimes a wise old woman telling the saddest story mistakes me for a three-legged stool. I sneak out from under her bottom as she topples over. She cries out 'My bottom!' and coughs and the whole room holds their sides and laughs at her. Their amusement grows and they swear they've never had such fun. But watch out fairy! Here comes King Oberon.
FAIRY And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!	FAIRY Here's Queen Titania. I wish King Oberon wasn't here!
Enter, OBERON at one door, with his train, and TITANIA at another, with hers	KING OBERON enters with his fairies at one side. QUEEN TITANIA enters with her fairies from the other side.
OBERON Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.	OBERON (Fairy King) It's unlucky we've met under the moonlight, stubborn Titania.
TITANIA What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence: I have forsworn his bed and company.	TITANIA (Fairy Queen) What, are you jealous Oberon? Fairies, let's get out of here. I've sworn to no longer sleep in his bed or spend time with him.
OBERON Tarry, rash wanton: am not I thy lord?	OBERON (Fairy King) Hold up, jezebel. Aren't I your lord and husband?
TITANIA Then I must be thy lady: but I know When thou hast stolen away from fairy land, And in the shape of Corin sat all day, Playing on pipes of corn and versing love To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here, Come from the farthest Steppe of India? But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, Your buskin'd mistress and your warrior love, To Theseus must be wedded, and you come To give their bed joy and prosperity.	TITANIA (Fairy Queen) Then I must be your lady and wife, but I know you betrayed me when you left fairy land, Taking the shape of a shepherd and romancing with music and poetry the girl Phillida. Why are you here, back from the farthest lands of India? Indeed, it must be that Amazon, Hippolyta, your boot-wearing mistress and warrior lover. You've come to see her married to Theseus and to bless their house with happiness and luck.
OBERON How canst thou thus for shame, Titania, Glance at my credit with Hippolyta, Knowing I know thy love to Theseus? Didst thou not lead him through the glimmering night From Perigenia, whom he ravished? And make him with fair AEgle break his faith, With Ariadne and Antiopa?	OBERON (Fairy King) Shame on you, Titania, for lecturing me about Hippolyta, when I know you love Theseus? You led him away, during the starry night, from Perigouna after he romanced her. You forced him to betray his mistresses, the beautiful Aegles, Ariadne, and Antiopa.
TITANIA These are the forgeries of jealousy: And never, since the middle summer's spring, Met we on hill, in dale, forest or mead, By paved fountain or by rushy brook, Or in the beached margent of the sea, To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind, But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport. Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain, As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea Contagious fogs; which falling in the land Have every pelting river made so proud That they have overborne their continents: The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain, The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard; The fold stands empty in the drowned field, And crows are fatted with the murrion flock; The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud, And the quaint mazes in the wanton green For lack of tread are undistinguishable: The human mortals want their winter here; No night is now with hymn or carol blest: Therefore the moon, the governess of floods, Pale in her anger, washes all the air, That rheumatic diseases do abound: And thorough this distemperature we see The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose, And on old Hiems' thin and icy crown An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds Is, as in mockery, set: the spring, the summer, The childing autumn, angry winter, change Their wonted liveries, and the mazed world, By their increase, now knows not which is which: And this same progeny of evils comes From our debate, from our dissension; We are their parents and original.	TITANIA (Fairy Queen) Those are jealous lies. Since early midsummer, when my fairies and I met in the hills, valleys, forests, meadows, near fountains or rushing brooks, or on the seashore, to dance with our curly hair blown by the whistling wind, with your fights, you've ruined our fun. Because of our quarrels, the beseeching winds have taken revenge by blowing fogs in from the sea, rivers have overflowed and flooded the fields, oxen struggle to pull plows through the muddy fields and farmers have been unable to harvest their crops the green corn rotting before it grows tassels and ripens. The sheep stand on muddy fields with no grass to eat. Crows have grown fat eating the diseased animal flocks. Sports fields are filled up with mud. Garden paths have disappeared due to lack of foot traffic. The humans wish for the winter protection of their winter hymns and carols. The moon, controller of floods is angry and poisons the air with disease that cause pain and inflammation. This disorder has caused unseasonable weather. Early frosts have killed roses. Old winter wears on his icy head a fragrant crown of summer flowers in mockery. The spring, summer, the fruitful autumn, and the fierce winter have changed their usual traits and the confused world doesn't know which season is which. These evil occurrences were caused by our arguments, from our fights We are the parents and cause of these problems.
OBERON Do you amend it then; it lies in you: Why should Titania cross her Oberon? I do but beg a little changeling boy, To be my henchman.	OBERON (Fairy King) You admit it's your fault. Why should you fight with me? All I want is the little boy to be my servant.
TITANIA Set your heart at rest: The fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was a votaress of my order: And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossip'd by my side, And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, Marking the embarked traders on the flood, When we have laugh'd to see the sails conceive And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind; Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait Following,--her womb then rich with my young squire,-- Would imitate, and sail upon the land, To fetch me trifles, and return again, As from a voyage, rich with merchandise. But she, being mortal, of that boy did die; And for her sake do I rear up her boy, And for her sake I will not part with him.	TITANIA (Fairy Queen) Give up. I wouldn't sell the boy for all of Fairyland. His mother was my devoted follower. In the spicy night air of India, we often talked and sat together on the sea god Neptune's sandy beach, watching the trader ships sailing. We laughed, watching sails become pregnant and big-bellied with the wind. She grew pregnant like the ship, and her womb grew with the little boy. Imitating the ships, she sailed big-bellied over the land, to fetch me little presents. She sailed off on a voyage and returned carrying a baby. She died in childbirth, being mortal. For her sake, I'm raising her little boy. For her sake, I will not give him up.
OBERON How long within this wood intend you stay?	OBERON (Fairy King) How long do you plan to stay her in the woods?
TITANIA Perchance till after Theseus' wedding-day. If you will patiently dance in our round And see our moonlight revels, go with us; If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.	TITANIA (Fairy Queen) Perhaps until after Theseus' wedding day. Come with us if you will dance and celebrate with us. If not, stay away and I'll avoid your favorite places.
OBERON Give me that boy, and I will go with thee.	OBERON (Fairy King) If you give me the boy, I'll go with you.
TITANIA Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away! We shall chide downright, if I longer stay.	TITANIA (Fairy Queen) I wouldn't trade him for your whole kingdom. Let's go Fairies! We'll fight if I stay any longer.
Exit TITANIA with her train	TITANIA and her fairies leave
OBERON Well, go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove Till I torment thee for this injury. My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememberest Since once I sat upon a promontory, And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath That the rude sea grew civil at her song And certain stars shot madly from their spheres, To hear the sea-maid's music.	OBERON (Fairy King) Go on then. You will not leave this forest until I get you back for your insult. Come here, kind Puck. Remember once I sat on a hill and heard a mermaid singing as she rode a dolphin? Her music calmed the sea and shot stars across the sky to hear the mermaid's music.
PUCK I remember.	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) I remember.
OBERON That very time I saw, but thou couldst not, Flying between the cold moon and the earth, Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took At a fair vestal throned by the west, And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow, As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft Quench'd in the chaste beams of the watery moon, And the imperial votaress passed on, In maiden meditation, fancy-free. Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound, And maidens call it love-in-idleness. Fetch me that flower; the herb I showed thee once: The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid Will make or man or woman madly dote Upon the next live creature that it sees. Fetch me this herb; and be thou here again Ere the leviathan can swim a league.	OBERON (Fairy King) I also saw Cupid, though you couldn't see him, armed and flying between the moon and earth. He took aim at a lovely virgin. He shot his arrow so smartly it could pierce a hundred thousand hearts. But Cupid's fiery arrow was extinguished by the liquid rays of the moon, so the virgin remained free from passionate thoughts. I saw where Cupid's arrow struck a little white flower, turned purple with its wound. Girls call the flower "love-in-idleness." Get me that flower, the one I showed you. If placed on sleeping eyelids, its juice will make man or woman fall madly in love with the next living creature they see. Get the flower and be back before a sea monster can swim three miles.
PUCK I'll put a girdle round about the earth In forty minutes.	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) I'll fly around the Earth in forty minutes.
Exit PUCK	PUCK leaves
OBERON Having once this juice, I'll watch Titania when she is asleep, And drop the liquor of it in her eyes. The next thing then she waking looks upon, Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, On meddling monkey, or on busy ape, She shall pursue it with the soul of love: And ere I take this charm from off her sight, As I can take it with another herb, I'll make her render up her page to me. But who comes here? I am invisible; And I will overhear their conference.	OBERON (Fairy King) Once I have the love flower's juice, I'll watch Titania until she sleeps. Then I'll drop the liquid in her eyes. Upon waking, the next things she sees, whether a lion, bear, wolf, bull, mischievous monkey, or scurrying ape. She will pursue it with the passion of true love. Before I reverse the enchantment, I can remove it with another flower, I'll make her give the little Indian boy to me. But who's coming my way? The cannot see me, so I can eavesdrop on their conversation.
Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA, following him	DEMETRIUS enters with HELENA following him
DEMETRIUS I love thee not, therefore pursue me not. Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. Thou told'st me they were stolen unto this wood; And here am I, and wode within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia. Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.	DEMETRIUS (Loves Hermia, not Helena) I don't love you, Helena. Stop following me. Where are Lysander and the lovely Hermia? The one (Lysander) I'll demolish, the other (Hermia) it's demolishing me to be apart from her. You told me they were coming to this forest, and I'm furious because I can't find my Hermia. Buzz off, Helena. Stop following me.
HELENA You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart Is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you.	HELENA (Loves Demetrius) You pull me to you, you heartless magnet. But you don't attract iron, for my heart is true as steel. Lose your power to pull me to you, and I will stop following you.
DEMETRIUS Do I entice you? do I speak you fair? Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth Tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?	DEMETRIUS (Loves Hermia, not Helena) Do I tempt you? Do I speak prettily to you? Don't I plainly tell you the truth, that I do not and cannot love you?
HELENA And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you: Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love,-- And yet a place of high respect with me,-- Than to be used as you use your dog?	HELENA (Loves Demetrius) That makes me love you even more. I am your begging dog. The more you hurt me, the more I fall all over you. Treat me like a dog, hit me, neglect me, lose me. I am unworthy, but please just let me follow you. I can't beg for your love from a lower place, yet I will be honored if you treat me like your dog.
DEMETRIUS Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit; For I am sick when I do look on thee.	DEMETRIUS (Loves Hermia, not Helena) Don't tempt me. I feel sick when I look at you.
HELENA And I am sick when I look not on you.	HELENA (Loves Demetrius) And I feel sick when I'm not with you.
DEMETRIUS You do impeach your modesty too much, To leave the city and commit yourself Into the hands of one that loves you not; To trust the opportunity of night And the ill counsel of a desert place With the rich worth of your virginity.	DEMETRIUS (Loves Hermia, not Helena) You'll ruin your reputation, leaving the city and chasing a man who doesn't love you. Risking your chastity in a dark, dangerous forest.
HELENA Your virtue is my privilege: for that It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night; Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, For you in my respect are all the world: Then how can it be said I am alone, When all the world is here to look on me?	HELENA (Loves Demetrius) You'll keep me safe. When I see you face, it is not the scary night. I am not alone in these woods, for you are here are you are the world to me. How could anyone claim I am alone, when I'm with my whole world?
DEMETRIUS I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.	DEMETRIUS (Loves Hermia, not Helena) I'll run and hide in the bushes and leave you to the wild beasts of the forest.
HELENA The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be changed: Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind Makes speed to catch the tiger; bootless speed, When cowardice pursues and valor flies.	HELENA (Loves Demetrius) You are more heartless than the wildest beast. Go ahead and run. Our roles as man and woman are reversed. The chaste virgin Daphne chases the lusty god Apollo. The bird pursues the fierce griffin. The gentle deer chases the tiger. Speed is hindered when cowardice chases courage.
DEMETRIUS I will not stay thy questions; let me go: Or, if thou follow me, do not believe But I shall do thee mischief in the wood.	DEMETRIUS (Loves Hermia, not Helena) I won't listen to your questions. Let me go. If you keep following me, I'll do you mischief in the woods.
HELENA Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, You do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex: We cannot fight for love, as men may do; We should be woo'd and were not made to woo. I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well.	HELENA (Loves Demetrius) You do me mischief in the temple, the town, the fields. Curse you Demetrius! You wrong all women. Women can't fight for love as men do. We have to be chased by men. We cannot do the chasing. I'll still follow you. It would be heaven, not hell, even to be destroyed by the one I love.
Exeunt DEMETRIUS and HELENA	DEMETRIUS and HELENA leave
OBERON Fare thee well, nymph: ere he do leave this grove, Thou shalt fly him and he shall seek thy love.	OBERON (Fairy King) Goodbye nymph. Before Demetrius leaves these woods, you'll be fleeing from him and he'll be chasing your love.
Re-enter PUCK	PUCK enters
OBERON Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer.	OBERON (Fairy King) Do you have the flower there? Welcome, Puck.
PUCK Ay, there it is.	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) Yes, there's the flower.
OBERON I pray thee, give it me. I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania sometime of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in: And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes, And make her full of hateful fantasies. Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove: A sweet Athenian lady is in love With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes; But do it when the next thing he espies May be the lady: thou shalt know the man By the Athenian garments he hath on. Effect it with some care, that he may prove More fond on her than she upon her love: And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.	OBERON (Fairy King) Please, hand me the flower. I know an area where wild thyme blows, where oxlips and violets grow, woodbine makes a canopy above, with musk roses and eglantine. That's where Titania sleeps some nights, lulled by the dancing flowers. Snakes shed their skins there. Weeds grow wide enough for fairies to wrap themselves in. I'll put this flower juice in her eyes and fill her with obscene fantasies. Take some of the flower, look in the forest, and find a sweet Athenian lady in love with a horrible youth. Put the love potion in his eyes so that the next thing he sees is the lady. You will know the man by his Athenian clothing. Take care that he ends up fonder of her that she is of him. Meet me before the first rooster crow of morning.
PUCK Fear not, my lord, your servant shall do so.	PUCK (Trickster Fairy) Don't worry, my lord. I'll do it.
Exeunt	ALL leave