[Stage] Friar Lawrence enters by himself, carrying a basket.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night,
Checkering the eastern clouds with streaks of light,
And fleckled darkness like a drunkard reels
From forth day’s path and Titan’s fiery wheels.
Now, ere the sun advance his burning eye,
The day to cheer and night’s dank dew to dry,
I must upfill this osier cage of ours
With baleful weeds and precious-juicèd flowers.
The earth, that’s natu re’s mother, is her tomb.
What is her burying, grave that is her womb.
And from her womb children of divers kind
We sucking on her natural bosom find,
Many for many virtues excellent,
None but for some and yet all different.
Oh, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
For naught so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give.
Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use
Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse.
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied,
And vice sometime by action dignified.
[Stage] Romeo enters.
Within the infant rind of this small flower
Poison hath residence and medicine power.
For this, being smelt, with that part cheers each part;
Being tasted, stays all senses with the heart.
Two such opposèd kings encamp them still,
In man as well as herbs—grace and rude will.
And where the worser is predominant,
Full soon the canker death eats up that plant.
Romeo(罗密欧)
Good morrow, Father.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
Benedicite.
What early tongue so sweet saluteth me?
Young son, it argues a distempered head
So soon to bid good morrow to thy bed.
Care keeps his watch in every old man’s eye,
And where care lodges, sleep will never lie.
But where unbruisèd youth with unstuffed brain
Doth couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign.
Therefore thy earliness doth me assure
Thou art uproused by some distemperature.
Or if not so, then here I hit it right:
Our Romeo hath not been in bed tonight.
Romeo(罗密欧)
That last is true. The sweeter rest was mine.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosaline?
Romeo(罗密欧)
With Rosaline, my ghostly Father? No.
I have forgot that name and that name’s woe.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
That’s my good son. But where hast thou been, then?
Romeo(罗密欧)
I’ll tell thee ere thou ask it me again.
I have been feasting with mine enemy,
Where on a sudden one hath wounded me,
That’s by me wounded.
Both our remedies
Within thy help and holy physic lies.
I bear no hatred, blessèd man, for, lo,
My intercession likewise steads my foe.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift.
Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift.
Romeo(罗密欧)
Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set
On the fair daughter of rich Capulet.
As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine,
And all combined, save what thou must combine
By holy marriage.
When and where and how
We met, we wooed and made exchange of vow,
I’ll tell thee as we pass, but this I pray:
That thou consent to marry us today.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here!
Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear,
So soon forsaken?
Young men’s love then lies
Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.
Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine
Hath washed thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline!
How much salt water thrown away in waste
To season love that of it doth not taste!
The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears,
Thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears.
Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit
Of an old tear that is not washed off yet.
If e’er thou wast thyself and these woes thine,
Thou and these woes were all for Rosaline.
And art thou changed? Pronounce this sentence then:
Women may fall when there’s no strength in men.
Romeo(罗密欧)
Thou chid’st me oft for loving Rosaline.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
For doting, not for loving, pupil mine.
Romeo(罗密欧)
And badest me bury love.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
Not in a grave,
To lay one in, another out to have.
Romeo(罗密欧)
I pray thee, chide not. Her I love now
Doth grace for grace and love for love allow.
The other did not so.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
Oh, she knew well
Thy love did read by rote, that could not spell.
But come, young waverer, come, go with me,
In one respect I’ll thy assistant be,
For this alliance may so happy prove
To turn your households’ rancor to pure love.
Romeo(罗密欧)
Oh, let us hence. I stand on sudden haste.
Friar Lawrence(劳伦斯神父)
Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.
[Stage] They exit.