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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

William Shakespeare
No Fear Act 2 Scene 2
No Fear Act 2 Scene 2 Page 1

Original Text

Modern Text
Enter TITANIA, Queen of Fairies, with her train of FAIRIES
TITANIA, the Fairy Queen, enters with her following of FAIRIES.

TITANIA

Come now, a roundel and a fairy song.
Then for the third part of a minute, hence—
Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds,
Some war with reremice for their leathern wings
5To make my small elves coats, and some keep back
The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders
At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep.
Then to your offices and let me rest.

TITANIA

Come, dance in a circle and sing a fairy song, and then go off for a while to do your work. Some of you will kill the worms infesting the rosebuds, some of you will fight with bats to get their leathery wings, so we can make coats for my small elves. Some of you will keep that loud owl away, the one that hoots and wonders every night at us dainty fairies. Sing me to sleep now, and then go off to do your duties and let me rest.
FAIRIES sing
The FAIRIES sing.

FIRST FAIRY

(sings)
 You spotted snakes with double tongue,
 Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen.
 Newts and blindworms, do no wrong.
 Come not near our fairy queen.

FIRST FAIRY

(singing)
 Snakes with forked tongues,
 And porcupines, don’t be seen.
 Deadly lizards, don’t be mean.
 Don’t come near our fairy queen.

FAIRIES

10 (sing)
 Philomel, with melody
 Sing in our sweet lullaby.
 Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
 Never harm
 Nor spell nor charm
 Come our lovely lady nigh.
 So good night, with lullaby.

FAIRIES

(singing)
 Nightingale, melodiously
 Sing our sweet lullaby.
 Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
 Let no harm
 Or spell or charm
 Come near our lovely lady.
 Say good night with a lullaby.

FIRST FAIRY

(sings)
 Weaving spiders, come not here.
 Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence!

FIRST FAIRY

(singing)
 Spiders with your webs, stay away.
 You long-legged things, begone!
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