Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Prologue
The Chorus.
The Original
Plain Modern English
Enter Chorus.
Chorus
Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie,
And young affection gapes to be his heir;
That fair for which love groan'd for and would die,
With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair.
Now Romeo is beloved and loves again,
Alike betwitched by the charm of looks,
But to his foe supposed he must complain,
And she steal love's sweet bait from fearful hooks:
Being held a foe, he may not have access
To breathe such vows as lovers use to swear;
And she as much in love, her means much less
To meet her new-beloved any where:
But passion lends them power, time means, to meet
Tempering extremities with extreme sweet.
Chorus
Romeo's old crush is now on its deathbed,
and a fresh new love is waiting to inherit everything.
That beauty he moaned over and would have died for —
set beside gentle Juliet, she isn't beautiful at all.
Now Romeo loves and is loved back,
both of them bewitched by the other's looks.
But he has to pour out his heart to a supposed enemy,
and she has to steal love's sweet bait off a terrifying hook.
Counted an enemy, he can't get near her
to whisper the vows lovers usually swear.
And she's just as in love, but with even fewer chances
to meet her new love anywhere at all.
But passion gives them strength, and time gives them opportunity,
balancing terrible danger with extraordinary sweetness.
Exit.