Romeo and Juliet — Act 2, Scene 2in modern English, side by side
Capulet’s Garden · Romeo, Juliet
Romeo has just hopped the wall into Juliet's garden and overhears her at her window, unknowingly confessing her love for him aloud. He reveals himself, and the two spend the night declaring their feelings and, before dawn, agreeing to marry the very next day.
Confused by a different line? Paste any Shakespeare — any play, any edition — and get it in modern English.
Matching colours pair each sentence with its translation. Hover (or tap) any word to light up the words that match it on the other side — archaic words show their meaning.
Enter Romeo
Romeo
He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
It's easy to joke about scars when you've never actually been wounded.
Juliet appears above at a window
Romeo
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?
Wait, quiet — what light is that breaking through that window over there?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!
That's the east, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise fair sun and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,5
That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Rise up, beautiful sun, and outshine the jealous moon, who's already sick and pale with envy because you, her servant, are so much more beautiful than she is.
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.
Don't be her servant, since she's jealous of you — her pale, sickly-green uniform is only worn by fools anyway; throw it off.
It is my lady, O it is my love!10
That's my lady — oh, that's the girl I love!
O, that she knew she were!
If only she knew it.
She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?
She's moving her lips, but I can't hear anything — so what?
Her eye discourses, I will answer it.
Her eyes are saying plenty, and I'll answer them.
I am too bold, ’tis not to me she speaks.
I'm getting ahead of myself, though — she's not actually talking to me.
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,15
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
It's as if two of the brightest stars in the whole sky had somewhere else to be, and asked her eyes to shine in their place until they got back.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
What if her eyes really were up there, and the stars were in her face instead?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp;20
Her glowing cheeks would outshine those stars the way daylight outshines a candle.
her eyes in heaven20
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
Her eyes, if they were in the sky, would blaze so brightly across the heavens that birds would start singing, thinking night was over.
See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.
Look how she rests her cheek on her hand.
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek.25
Oh, if only I were a glove on that hand, so I could touch that cheek.
Juliet
Ay me.
Oh, poor me.
Romeo
She speaks.
She's speaking!
O speak again bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o’er my head,
As is a winged messenger of heaven30
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.
Oh, speak again, radiant angel — because up there above me tonight, you light up the darkness the way a winged angel would light up the sky for amazed mortals below, who tip their heads back and stare in wonder as the angel rides the slow-drifting clouds, sailing across the open air.
Juliet
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?35
Oh Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
Reject your father and give up your last name.
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
Or if you won't do that, just promise to love me, and I'll stop being a Capulet.
Aside.
Romeo
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
Should I keep listening, or should I say something now?
’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;40
It's only your name that's my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
You'd still be you even if you weren't a Montague.
What’s Montague?
What even is a "Montague"?
It is nor hand nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man.
It isn't a hand, or a foot, or an arm, or a face, or any part at all that belongs to a person.
O be some other name.
Couldn't you just have some other name?
What’s in a name?45
What's in a name, anyway?
That which we call a rose45
By any other name would smell as sweet;
A rose would smell just as sweet no matter what we called it.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title.
In the same way, Romeo would still have all the wonderful qualities he has even if he weren't called "Romeo."
Romeo, doff thy name,
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,50
Take all myself.
Romeo, give up your name — and since your name isn't really even part of you, take my whole self in exchange for it.
Romeo
I take thee at thy word.
I'll hold you to that.
Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptis’d;
Just call me "love," and I'll consider myself given a whole new name
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.
from now on I'll never be Romeo again.
Juliet
What man art thou that, thus bescreen’d in night55
So stumblest on my counsel?
Who are you, hiding there in the dark, who just happened to overhear my private thoughts?
Romeo
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
I don't even know how to tell you who I am by name
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee.60
my name, dear saint, has become hateful to me, because it's your enemy.
Had I it written, I would tear the word.
If I had it written down anywhere, I'd tear the word to pieces.
Juliet
My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongue’s utterance, yet I know the sound.
I haven't even heard you say a hundred words, and yet I already recognize your voice.
Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?
Aren't you Romeo, and a Montague?
Romeo
Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike.65
Neither one, beautiful girl, if you dislike either of those things.
Juliet
How cam’st thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
How did you get in here, tell me, and why?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here.
The garden walls are high and hard to climb, and given who you are, this place means death if any of my relatives find you here.
Romeo
With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls,70
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Love gave me light wings to fly over these walls, because stone barriers can't keep love out — and whatever love is capable of doing, love is bold enough to attempt.
Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me.
So your relatives can't stop me.
Juliet
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.
If they see you, they'll kill you.
Romeo
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye75
Than twenty of their swords.
There's more danger in your eyes than in twenty of their swords.
Look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their enmity.
Just look at me kindly, and I'll be protected against all their hatred.
Juliet
I would not for the world they saw thee here.
I wouldn't want them to find you here for anything in the world.
Romeo
I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes,
And but thou love me, let them find me here.80
I have the cloak of night to hide me from their sight, and honestly, unless you love me, they might as well find me here.
My life were better ended by their hate
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.
I'd rather have my life ended by their hatred than have my death only postponed by living without your love.
Juliet
By whose direction found’st thou out this place?
Who told you how to find this place?
Romeo
By love, that first did prompt me to enquire;
Love did — love was what first made me go looking.
He lent me counsel, and I lent him eyes.85
It gave me the advice, and I gave it my eyes to see with.
I am no pilot; yet wert thou as far
As that vast shore wash’d with the farthest sea,
I should adventure for such merchandise.
I'm no sailor, but even if you were somewhere on the farthest shore washed by the most distant sea, I would sail out to find treasure as precious as you.
Juliet
Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek90
For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight.
You know night is hiding my face like a mask, or else you'd see a blush color my cheeks over what you heard me admit tonight.
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I have spoke; but farewell compliment.
I'd love to be more proper about this, to take back what I said — but forget playing games.
Dost thou love me?
Do you love me?
I know thou wilt say Ay,
And I will take thy word.95
I know you'll say yes, and I'll believe you.
Yet, if thou swear’st,95
Thou mayst prove false.
But even if you swear it, you might turn out to be lying
At lovers’ perjuries,
They say Jove laughs.
they say Jove himself just laughs at lovers who break their promises.
O gentle Romeo,
If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.
Oh, sweet Romeo, if you really do love me, say it honestly.
Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won,
I’ll frown and be perverse, and say thee nay,100
So thou wilt woo.
Or if you think I gave in too easily, I could frown and act difficult and tell you no, just to make you work for it
But else, not for the world.
but otherwise, I wouldn't play hard to get for anything in the world.
In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond;
And therefore thou mayst think my ’haviour light:
Honestly, handsome Montague, I like you too much, so you might think I'm being reckless.
But trust me, gentleman, I’ll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.105
But trust me, I'll turn out to be more faithful than girls who are skilled enough to play it cool.
I should have been more strange, I must confess,
But that thou overheard’st, ere I was ’ware,
My true-love passion;
I probably should have played harder to get, I admit — except that you overheard my genuine feelings before I even realized you were there.
therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding to light love,
Which the dark night hath so discovered.110
So forgive me, and don't mistake this openness for a lack of seriousness, just because the dark night happened to reveal it.
Romeo
Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops,—
My lady, I swear by that blessed moon up there, the one silvering the tops of all these fruit trees—
Juliet
O swear not by the moon, th’inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.115
Oh, don't swear by the moon — the moon changes shape every month, so don't swear by something so unreliable, or your love might turn out to be just as changeable.
Romeo
What shall I swear by?
What should I swear by, then?
Juliet
Do not swear at all.
Don't swear at all.
Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the god of my idolatry,
And I’ll believe thee.120
Or if you insist, swear by your own wonderful self, since you're the one I practically worship, and I'll believe you.
Romeo
If my heart’s dear love,—
If the deep love in my heart—
Juliet
Well, do not swear.
Well, don't bother swearing at all.
Although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract tonight;
Even though being with you makes me happy, I'm not happy about this promise we're making tonight
It is too rash, too unadvis’d, too sudden,
it's too rushed, too reckless, too sudden.
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be125
Ere one can say “It lightens.”
It's too much like lightning, which disappears before you can even say "there's lightning."
Sweet, good night.
Sweetheart, good night.
This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
This little bud of love, given time to grow like a flower in summer, might bloom into something beautiful by the next time we meet.
Good night, good night.
Good night, good night.
As sweet repose and rest
Come to thy heart as that within my breast.130
I hope you get sleep as peaceful and sweet as the peace I feel in my own heart right now.
Romeo
O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
Oh, are you really going to leave me hanging like this?
Juliet
What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?
What could possibly satisfy you tonight?
Romeo
Th’exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine.
Trading your sincere promise of love for mine.
Juliet
I gave thee mine before thou didst request it;
And yet I would it were to give again.135
I gave you my promise before you even asked for it — though I almost wish I still had it to give.
Romeo
Would’st thou withdraw it?
Would you take it back?
For what purpose, love?
Why would you want to, love?
Juliet
But to be frank and give it thee again.
Only so I could generously give it to you all over again.
And yet I wish but for the thing I have;
Even though I already have exactly what I want.
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep;140
My generosity is as endless as the sea, and my love is just as deep
the more I give to thee,140
The more I have, for both are infinite.
the more I give you, the more I have left, because both are limitless.
I hear some noise within.
I hear someone inside.
Dear love, adieu.
My love, goodbye for now.
_Nurse calls within._
Juliet
Anon, good Nurse!
Coming, Nurse!
—Sweet Montague be true.
— Sweet Montague, stay faithful to me.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
Wait just a little while, I'll come back.
_Exit._
Romeo
O blessed, blessed night.145
Oh, blessed, blessed night.
I am afeard,145
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too flattering sweet to be substantial.
I'm almost afraid that, since it's happening at night, this is all just a dream — too flatteringly perfect to actually be real.
Enter Juliet above
Juliet
Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.
Three more words, dear Romeo, and then I really will say good night.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,150
By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite,
And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay
And follow thee my lord throughout the world.
If your intentions toward me are honorable and marriage is what you're aiming for, send me word tomorrow — I'll arrange for someone to come to you — telling me where and what time you'll do the ceremony, and I'll lay all my fortune at your feet and follow you as my husband anywhere in the world.
_Within._] Madam
Juliet
I come, anon.155
I'm coming, right away!
— But if thou meanest not well,155
I do beseech thee,—
— But if your intentions aren't good, I beg you—
_Within._] Madam
Juliet
By and by I come—
I'm coming in just a moment!
To cease thy strife and leave me to my grief.
— please stop your pursuit and leave me to my sorrow.
Tomorrow will I send.
I'll send word tomorrow.
Romeo
So thrive my soul,—160
As I hope for my soul's happiness—
Juliet
A thousand times good night.
A thousand times, good night.
_Exit._
Romeo
A thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
A thousand times worse for me, having to go without your light.
Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books,
But love from love, towards school with heavy looks.
Lovers hurry toward each other the way schoolboys race away from their books, but leaving a lover feels like trudging back to school with a heavy heart.
_Retiring slowly._
Re-enter Juliet, above
Juliet
Hist! Romeo, hist!165
Psst! Romeo, psst!
O for a falconer’s voice165
To lure this tassel-gentle back again.
Oh, if only I had a falconer's call to lure this fine hawk back to me.
Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud,
Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,
And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine
With repetition of my Romeo’s name.170
Being kept indoors like this means I can't shout out loud, or else I'd tear open the cave where the echo lives and make it hoarser than my own voice from repeating my Romeo's name over and over.
Romeo
It is my soul that calls upon my name.
That's my soul calling my name.
How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears.
How sweet and clear lovers' voices sound at night, like the gentlest music to ears that are listening for them.
Juliet
Romeo.
Romeo.
Romeo
My dear?175
Yes, my dear?
Juliet
What o’clock tomorrow
Shall I send to thee?
What time tomorrow should I send someone to you?
Romeo
By the hour of nine.
By nine o'clock.
Juliet
I will not fail.
I won't forget.
’Tis twenty years till then.
It feels like twenty years until then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.180
I've already forgotten why I called you back.
Romeo
Let me stand here till thou remember it.
Then let me just stand here until you remember.
Juliet
I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembering how I love thy company.
I'll keep forgetting on purpose, just to keep you standing there, since I love your company so much.
Romeo
And I’ll still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.185
And I'll keep staying, so you'll keep forgetting — forgetting that I have any home other than right here.
Juliet
’Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone,
And yet no farther than a wanton’s bird,
That lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,190
So loving-jealous of his liberty.
It's almost morning — I want you to go, but not any farther than a pet bird kept on a string, the kind a girl lets hop a little way from her hand like a prisoner in loose chains, only to gently pull it back again with a silk thread, loving it too much to fully let it go free.
Romeo
I would I were thy bird.
I wish I were that bird of yours.
Juliet
Sweet, so would I:
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
Sweetheart, so would I — though I'd probably love you to death with how much I'd fuss over you.
Good night, good night.195
Good night, good night.
Parting is such sweet sorrow195
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
Saying goodbye is such sweet sorrow that I could keep saying good night until it's morning.
_Exit._
Romeo
Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast.
May sleep rest on your eyes, and peace in your heart.
Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest.
I wish I myself were sleep and peace, so I could rest so sweetly with you.
Hence will I to my ghostly Sire’s cell,
His help to crave and my dear hap to tell.200
Now I'll head off to my spiritual father's cell, to ask for his help and tell him about my wonderful luck.
_Exit._
Famous lines in this scene
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?” line 2
The line that opens the whole balcony scene, spoken as Romeo first sees Juliet at her window. "Soft" means "wait, be quiet" — he's hushing himself. It's famous as the quintessential image of love as sudden illumination, and it launches the extended metaphor comparing Juliet to the sun rising and outshining the jealous moon.
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” line 35
The single most misquoted line in English literature. "Wherefore" means "why," not "where" — Juliet isn't asking where Romeo is hiding, she's asking why he has to be a Romeo, a Montague, her family's enemy. She's lamenting that the one man she loves happens to carry the one name she's forbidden to love.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose” line 45
Juliet's argument that names are arbitrary labels with no power over the true nature of a thing — a rose would smell just as sweet under any other name, and Romeo would still be Romeo's wonderful self even without the Montague name attached. It's the play's clearest statement of its central tragic irony: an accident of birth, a mere word, is what stands between the lovers and happiness.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow” line 195
Juliet's closing line as she finally makes herself leave the window, capturing the scene's paradox in five words: goodbye hurts, but the hurt itself is proof of how much joy the meeting brought. The phrase has become a standalone idiom for any bittersweet farewell, quoted far beyond the play itself.
Confused by a different line? Paste any Shakespeare — any play, any edition — and get it in modern English.
Studying the language itself? Our Shakespearean English course teaches thou/thee, the verbs, and the meter — free through Unit 2. Or try the Shakespearean English translator.
Free side-by-side translation — polytranslator.com/shakespeare/romeo-and-juliet/act-2-scene-2