A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Act 2 Scene 2

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!