by William Shakespeare
ROMEO:
But,
soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It
is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise
fair sun and kill the envious moon,
Who
is already sick and pale with grief
That
thou her maid are more fair than she.
Be
not her maid, since she is envious.
Her
vestal livery is but sick and green,
And
none but fools do wear it. Cast it off.
It
is my lady, oh, it is my love!
Oh,
that she knew she were!
She
speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
Her
eye discourses, I will answer it.
I
am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks.
Two
of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having
some business do entreat her eyes
To
twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What
if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The
brightness of her cheek would shame those stars
As
daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would
through the airy region stream so bright
That
birds would sing and think it were not night.
See
how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
Oh
that I might be a glove upon that hand,
That
I might touch that cheek!
JULIET
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
ROMEO
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
JULIET
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
ROMEO
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
JULIET
What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
ROMEO
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
JULIET
My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?
ROMEO
Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike.