Act 1, Scene 3 Original Text Modern Text
Enter CELIA and ROSALIND CELIA and ROSALIND enter.
CELIA
Why, cousin! Why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy, not a word? CELIA
What’s going on, Rosalind? Cupid have mercy! You won’t utter a single word?
ROSALIND
Not one to throw at a dog. ROSALIND
I don’t even have one to throw at a dog.
5 CELIA
No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs.
Throw some of them at me. Come, lame me with reasons. CELIA
No, your words are too precious to be wasted on dogs. Throw some of your words at me. Come on, throw your words at me like you would throw stones at a dog.
ROSALIND
Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lamed with reasons and the other mad without any. ROSALIND
Then there would be two cousins lying sick in bed: one hurt by reasons and the other gone crazy without any.
CELIA
But is all this for your father? CELIA
Is all of this about your father?
ROSALIND
No, some of it is for my child’s father. Oh, how full of briers is this working-day world! ROSALIND
No, some of it is about my child’s father. Oh, this working-day world is full of thorns!
CELIA
They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery. If we walk not in the trodden paths our very petticoats will catch them. CELIA
They’re only burrs, cousin, thrown at you because you took a holiday from conventional behavior. If we walk on the well-worn paths, they won’t get caught in our petticoats.
ROSALIND
I could shake them off my coat. These burs are in my heart. ROSALIND
Those burrs I could shake off my clothing, but these are in my heart.
15 CELIA
Hem them away. CELIA
Cough them up.
ROSALIND
I would try, if I could cry “hem” and have him. ROSALIND
I’d try it, if I could cry “hem” and have him.
CELIA
Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. CELIA
Come on, take control of your feelings.