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Modern Text |
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Enter TITANIA, Queen of Fairies, with
her train of FAIRIES
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TITANIA, the Fairy Queen, enters with
her following of FAIRIES.
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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.
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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.
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FAIRIES sing
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The FAIRIES
sing.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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FIRST FAIRY
(sings)
Weaving spiders, come not
here.
Hence, you long-legged
spinners, hence!
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FIRST FAIRY
(singing)
Spiders with your webs, stay
away.
You long-legged things,
begone!
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