ORIGINAL TEXT	MODERN TRANSLATION
ACT IV, SCENE ii. Athens. A room in QUINCE'S house.	ACT IV, SCENE ii. Athens. A room in the carpenter QUINCE'S house.
Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING	QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING enter
QUINCE Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come home yet?	QUINCE (Carpenter) Have you sent someone to Bottom's house? Is he there yet?
STARVELING He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is transported.	STARVELING (Tailor) We haven't heard from him. Maybe he's been kidnapped.
FLUTE If he come not, then the play is marred: it goes not forward, doth it?	FLUTE (Bellows-fixer) If he's not home, our play is ruined. Is it cancelled?
QUINCE It is not possible: you have not a man in all Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.	QUINCE (Carpenter) It's not possible to put on the play. No man in all of Athens can play Pyramus but Bottom.
FLUTE No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft man in Athens.	FLUTE (Bellows-fixer) You're right. Bottom has the best wit of all the working men in Athens.
QUINCE Yea and the best person too; and he is a very paramour for a sweet voice.	QUINCE (Carpenter) Yes, he's the handsomest too. He has such a sweet voice.
FLUTE You must say 'paragon:' a paramour is, God bless us, a thing of naught.	FLUTE (Bellows-fixer) You mean 'paragon,' not paramour. A paramour is a negative thing.
Enter SNUG	SNUG enters
SNUG Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and there is two or three lords and ladies more married: if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made men.	SNUG (Joiner) Sirs, the duke is coming from the temple and there are two more couples being married. If only we could put on our play, we'd have it made.
FLUTE O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a day during his life; he could not have 'scaped sixpence a day: an the duke had not given him sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged; he would have deserved it: sixpence a day in Pyramus, or nothing.	FLUTE (Bellows-fixer) Our sweet, happy Bottom! He's lost a salary of sixpence a day for life. He'd have been forced to accept sixpence a day. If I'm wrong about this, I'll be hanged. He'd have deserved at least sixpence a day for playing Pyramus.
Enter BOTTOM	BOTTOM enters
BOTTOM Where are these lads? where are these hearts?	BOTTOM (Weaver) Where are you guys? Where are my good friends?
QUINCE Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour!	QUINCE (Carpenter) Oh Bottom! Oh, what a wonderful day! Oh, I'm so happy you're here!
BOTTOM Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not what; for if I tell you, I am not a true Athenian. I will tell you everything, right as it fell out.	BOTTOM (Weaver) Gentlemen, I have some crazy things to tell you, but don't ask me what. If I tell you, I'm not a real Athenian. I'll tell you everything, exactly what happened.
QUINCE Let us hear, sweet Bottom.	QUINCE (Carpenter) Tell us, dear Bottom.
BOTTOM Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together, good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look o'er his part; for the short and the long is, our play is preferred. In any case, let Thisbe have clean linen; and let not him that plays the lion pair his nails, for they shall hang out for the lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet comedy. No more words: away! go, away!	BOTTOM (Weaver) I won't say a word. All I'll say is the duke has had dinner. Get your costumes, your false beards, new ribbons for your shoes, and meet at the palace. Every man must review his lines. Our play is going forward. At any rate, make sure Thisbe wears a clean costume and the one playing the lion don't trim your nails for they have to stick out like a lion's claws Don't eat any onions or garlic, for we need fresh breath. I'm sure they'll say our play is a sweet comedy. No more talking, let's go put on our play!
Exeunt	The PLAYERS all leave.