As You Like It: Act 1, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 2 of As You Like It from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Rosalind and Celia. CELIA I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. ROSALIND Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of, and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember 5 any extraordinary pleasure. CELIA Herein I see thou lov’st me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught 10 my love to take thy father for mine. So wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously tempered as mine is to thee. ROSALIND Well, I will forget the condition of my estate to rejoice in yours. 15 CELIA You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir, for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. By mine honor I will, and when I break 20 that oath, let me turn monster. Therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. ROSALIND From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see—what think you of falling in love? 25 CELIA Marry, I prithee do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honor come off again. ROSALIND What shall be our sport, then? 30 CELIA Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. ROSALIND I would we could do so, for her benefits are mightily misplaced, and the bountiful blind woman 35 doth most mistake in her gifts to women. CELIA ’Tis true, for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest, and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favoredly. ROSALIND Nay, now thou goest from Fortune’s office to 40 Nature’s. Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature. CELIA No? When Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by fortune fall into the fire? Enter Touchstone. Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, 45 hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? ROSALIND Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature’s natural the cutter-off of Nature’s wit. 50 CELIA Peradventure this is not Fortune’s work neither, but Nature’s, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our whetstone, for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. 55 To Touchstone. How now, wit, whither wander you?	At Duke Frederick's court, we meet Celia and Rosalind. Rosalind is a little miffed that her father, Duke Senior, has been banished by Duke Frederick (her uncle and Celia's dad). Celia suggests that Rosalind change her perspective and think of Duke Frederick as her new daddy. After all, that's what she would do if it had been her father that had been banished instead. All that really matters is that Celia and Rosalind get to stay together, right? Rosalind says okay. She'll try to forget about her family situation and focus on Celia's instead. The girls decide to distract themselves with frippery, so they talk about love and Fortune (as in, the goddess). Celia says Fortune gets a lot of stuff backwards, particularly when it comes to women. The women she makes pretty, she also makes promiscuous, and the ones she makes chaste, she makes ugly. Rosalind says that Celia is mixing up Fortune and nature, and the two girls debate the point until the court fool, Touchstone interrupts them.
TOUCHSTONE Mistress, you must come away to your father. CELIA Were you made the messenger? TOUCHSTONE No, by mine honor, but I was bid to come 60 for you. ROSALIND Where learned you that oath, fool? TOUCHSTONE Of a certain knight that swore by his honor they were good pancakes, and swore by his honor the mustard was naught. Now, I’ll stand to it, 65 the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. CELIA How prove you that in the great heap of your knowledge? ROSALIND Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. 70 TOUCHSTONE Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. CELIA By our beards (if we had them), thou art. TOUCHSTONE By my knavery (if I had it), then I were. But if you swear by that that is not, you are not 75 forsworn. No more was this knight swearing by his honor, for he never had any, or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard. CELIA Prithee, who is ’t that thou mean’st? 80 TOUCHSTONE One that old Frederick, your father, loves. CELIA My father’s love is enough to honor him. Enough. Speak no more of him; you’ll be whipped for taxation one of these days. TOUCHSTONE The more pity that fools may not speak 85 wisely what wise men do foolishly. CELIA By my troth, thou sayest true. For, since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. 90	Touchstone says Celia's dad wants to talk to her. Touchstone banters with the girls until he hits a sensitive subject—Rosalind's banished father, Duke Senior. Celia tells him to pipe down or he'll be whipped.
Enter Le Beau. ROSALIND With his mouth full of news. CELIA Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young. ROSALIND Then shall we be news-crammed. CELIA All the better. We shall be the more 95 marketable.—Bonjour, Monsieur Le Beau. What’s the news? LE BEAU Fair princess, you have lost much good sport. CELIA Sport? Of what color? LE BEAU What color, madam? How shall I answer you? 100 ROSALIND As wit and fortune will. TOUCHSTONE Or as the destinies decrees. CELIA Well said. That was laid on with a trowel. TOUCHSTONE Nay, if I keep not my rank— ROSALIND Thou losest thy old smell. 105 LE BEAU You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. ROSALIND Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. LE BEAU I will tell you the beginning, and if it please your Ladyships, you may see the end, for the best is 110 yet to do, and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. CELIA Well, the beginning that is dead and buried. LE BEAU There comes an old man and his three sons— CELIA I could match this beginning with an old tale. 115 LE BEAU Three proper young men of excellent growth and presence. ROSALIND With bills on their necks: “Be it known unto all men by these presents.” LE BEAU The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, 120 the Duke’s wrestler, which Charles in a moment threw him and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him. So he served the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie, the poor old man their father making such pitiful dole over them that 125 all the beholders take his part with weeping. ROSALIND Alas! TOUCHSTONE But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? LE BEAU Why, this that I speak of. 130 TOUCHSTONE Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. CELIA Or I, I promise thee. ROSALIND But is there any else longs to see this broken 135 music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? LE BEAU You must if you stay here, for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. 140 CELIA Yonder sure they are coming. Let us now stay and see it.	Le Beau, a courtier of Duke Frederick, comes in to tell the women that Charles (remember the court wrestler?) has just fought three strong brothers and in general leaves broken ribs scattered in his wake. The next wrestling match, Charles vs. Orlando, is about to go down right where the women are standing, in case they'd like to stay and watch the carnage.
Flourish. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, Orlando, Charles, and Attendants. DUKE FREDERICK Come on. Since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness. ROSALIND, to Le Beau Is yonder the man? 145 LE BEAU Even he, madam. CELIA Alas, he is too young. Yet he looks successfully. DUKE FREDERICK How now, daughter and cousin? Are you crept hither to see the wrestling? ROSALIND Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave. 150 DUKE FREDERICK You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger’s youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. 155 CELIA Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. DUKE FREDERICK Do so. I’ll not be by. He steps aside. LE BEAU, to Orlando Monsieur the challenger, the Princess calls for you. ORLANDO I attend them with all respect and duty. 160 ROSALIND Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestler? ORLANDO No, fair princess. He is the general challenger. I come but in as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. 165 CELIA Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man’s strength. If you saw yourself with your eyes or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. 170 We pray you for your own sake to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. ROSALIND Do, young sir. Your reputation shall not therefore be misprized. We will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. 175 ORLANDO I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies anything. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial, wherein, if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that 180 was never gracious; if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing. Only in the world I fill up a place which may be better supplied when I have 185 made it empty. ROSALIND The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. CELIA And mine, to eke out hers. ROSALIND Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceived in 190 you. CELIA Your heart’s desires be with you.	Duke Frederick enters and tries to get the girls to convince young Orlando not to fight, as he's terribly outmatched. The girls, like everyone else, think Orlando looks too young for the match. They plead with Orlando and tell him they'll happily intervene on his part to get the match called off. But Orlando charms them with a speech about having nothing to lose and asks that instead of trying to stop him, they wish him luck. So...they do.
CHARLES Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother Earth? ORLANDO Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more 195 modest working. DUKE FREDERICK, coming forward You shall try but one fall. CHARLES No, I warrant your Grace you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded 200 him from a first. ORLANDO You mean to mock me after, you should not have mocked me before. But come your ways. ROSALIND Now Hercules be thy speed, young man! CELIA I would I were invisible, to catch the strong 205 fellow by the leg. Orlando and Charles wrestle. ROSALIND O excellent young man! CELIA If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. Orlando throws Charles. Shout. DUKE FREDERICK No more, no more. 210 ORLANDO Yes, I beseech your Grace. I am not yet well breathed. DUKE FREDERICK How dost thou, Charles? LE BEAU He cannot speak, my lord. DUKE FREDERICK Bear him away. 215 Charles is carried off by Attendants. What is thy name, young man? ORLANDO Orlando, my liege, the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. DUKE FREDERICK I would thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteemed thy father honorable, 220 But I did find him still mine enemy. Thou shouldst have better pleased me with this deed Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well. Thou art a gallant youth. 225 I would thou hadst told me of another father. Duke exits with Touchstone, Le Beau, Lords, and Attendants. CELIA, to Rosalind Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORLANDO I am more proud to be Sir Rowland’s son, His youngest son, and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick. 230 ROSALIND, to Celia My father loved Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father’s mind. Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties Ere he should thus have ventured. 235 CELIA Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him and encourage him. My father’s rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart.—Sir, you have well deserved. If you do keep your promises in love 240 But justly, as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. ROSALIND, giving Orlando a chain from her neck Gentleman, Wear this for me—one out of suits with Fortune, That could give more but that her hand lacks 245 means.— Shall we go, coz? CELIA Ay.—Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORLANDO, aside Can I not say “I thank you”? My better parts Are all thrown down, and that which here stands up 250 Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. ROSALIND, to Celia He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes. I’ll ask him what he would.—Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well and overthrown More than your enemies. 255 CELIA Will you go, coz? ROSALIND Have with you. To Orlando. Fare you well. Rosalind and Celia exit.	Big, bad Charles shows up and is ready to rumble. Shockingly, Orlando easily beats Charles, who can't even speak when he's carried off in a stretcher. Duke Frederick is impressed with Orlando...until he finds out the boy is son of one of his enemies, Sir Rowland de Boys. Rosalind says she's glad that Orlando is a member of the de Boys family. Turns out that Orlando's dad, Sir Rowland, was pals with her banished father, Duke Senior (also an enemy of Duke Frederick). Celia and Rosalind congratulate Orlando; Rosalind, nursing a crush, gives Orlando her necklace as a token of her affection. Rosalind and Orlando make googly eyes at each other (cue the sappy music) before they go their separate ways.
ORLANDO What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urged conference. O poor Orlando! Thou art overthrown. 260 Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Enter Le Beau. LE BEAU Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserved High commendation, true applause, and love, Yet such is now the Duke’s condition 265 That he misconsters all that you have done. The Duke is humorous. What he is indeed More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. ORLANDO I thank you, sir, and pray you tell me this: Which of the two was daughter of the duke 270 That here was at the wrestling? LE BEAU Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners, But yet indeed the smaller is his daughter. The other is daughter to the banished duke, And here detained by her usurping uncle 275 To keep his daughter company, whose loves Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this duke Hath ta’en displeasure ’gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument 280 But that the people praise her for her virtues And pity her for her good father’s sake; And, on my life, his malice ’gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well. Hereafter, in a better world than this, 285 I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. ORLANDO I rest much bounden to you. Fare you well. Le Beau exits. Thus must I from the smoke into the smother, From tyrant duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! 290 He exits.	Le Beau warns Orlando that the Duke is in a bad mood and might harm Orlando if he sticks around. Orlando asks about the ladies he's just met, and learns that Rosalind is Duke Senior's daughter. Le Beau also says that Duke Frederick, who has been keeping Rosalind at his house, has become weary of the fact that everyone keeps praising her virtue and pitying her because of her banished dad. Le Beau suggests that Duke Senior's probably going to lose it on Rosalind soon enough. Orlando laments the fact that he's surrounded by megolomaniacs as he leaves the temperamental Duke to head home to his scheming brother. Still...that Rosalind is something else.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Rosalind and Celia.

CELIA I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry.

ROSALIND Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am
mistress of, and would you yet I were merrier?
Unless you could teach me to forget a banished
father, you must not learn me how to remember 5
any extraordinary pleasure.

CELIA Herein I see thou lov’st me not with the full
weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished
father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father,
so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught 10
my love to take thy father for mine. So wouldst thou,
if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously
tempered as mine is to thee.

ROSALIND Well, I will forget the condition of my estate
to rejoice in yours. 15

CELIA You know my father hath no child but I, nor
none is like to have; and truly, when he dies, thou
shalt be his heir, for what he hath taken away from
thy father perforce, I will render thee again in
affection. By mine honor I will, and when I break 20
that oath, let me turn monster. Therefore, my sweet
Rose, my dear Rose, be merry.

ROSALIND From henceforth I will, coz, and devise
sports. Let me see—what think you of falling in
love? 25

CELIA Marry, I prithee do, to make sport withal; but
love no man in good earnest, nor no further in
sport neither than with safety of a pure blush thou
mayst in honor come off again.

ROSALIND What shall be our sport, then? 30

CELIA Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune
from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be
bestowed equally.

ROSALIND I would we could do so, for her benefits are
mightily misplaced, and the bountiful blind woman 35
doth most mistake in her gifts to women.

CELIA ’Tis true, for those that she makes fair she scarce
makes honest, and those that she makes honest she
makes very ill-favoredly.

ROSALIND Nay, now thou goest from Fortune’s office to 40
Nature’s. Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in
the lineaments of nature.

CELIA No? When Nature hath made a fair creature,
may she not by fortune fall into the fire?

Enter Touchstone.

Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, 45
hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the
argument?

ROSALIND Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature,
when Fortune makes Nature’s natural the
cutter-off of Nature’s wit. 50

CELIA Peradventure this is not Fortune’s work neither,
but Nature’s, who perceiveth our natural wits too
dull to reason of such goddesses, and hath sent
this natural for our whetstone, for always the dullness
of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. 55

To Touchstone. How now, wit, whither wander you?

At Duke Frederick's court, we meet Celia and Rosalind. Rosalind is a little miffed that her father, Duke Senior, has been banished by Duke Frederick (her uncle and Celia's dad).

Celia suggests that Rosalind change her perspective and think of Duke Frederick as her new daddy. After all, that's what she would do if it had been her father that had been banished instead. All that really matters is that Celia and Rosalind get to stay together, right?

Rosalind says okay. She'll try to forget about her family situation and focus on Celia's instead.

The girls decide to distract themselves with frippery, so they talk about love and Fortune (as in, the goddess). Celia says Fortune gets a lot of stuff backwards, particularly when it comes to women. The women she makes pretty, she also makes promiscuous, and the ones she makes chaste, she makes ugly.

Rosalind says that Celia is mixing up Fortune and nature, and the two girls debate the point until the court fool, Touchstone interrupts them.

TOUCHSTONE Mistress, you must come away to your
father.

CELIA Were you made the messenger?

TOUCHSTONE No, by mine honor, but I was bid to come 60
for you.

ROSALIND Where learned you that oath, fool?

TOUCHSTONE Of a certain knight that swore by his
honor they were good pancakes, and swore by his
honor the mustard was naught. Now, I’ll stand to it, 65
the pancakes were naught and the mustard was
good, and yet was not the knight forsworn.

CELIA How prove you that in the great heap of your
knowledge?

ROSALIND Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom. 70

TOUCHSTONE Stand you both forth now: stroke your
chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave.

CELIA By our beards (if we had them), thou art.

TOUCHSTONE By my knavery (if I had it), then I were.
But if you swear by that that is not, you are not 75
forsworn. No more was this knight swearing by his
honor, for he never had any, or if he had, he had
sworn it away before ever he saw those pancakes or
that mustard.

CELIA Prithee, who is ’t that thou mean’st? 80

TOUCHSTONE One that old Frederick, your father, loves.

CELIA My father’s love is enough to honor him.
Enough. Speak no more of him; you’ll be whipped
for taxation one of these days.

TOUCHSTONE The more pity that fools may not speak 85
wisely what wise men do foolishly.

CELIA By my troth, thou sayest true. For, since the little
wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery
that wise men have makes a great show. Here
comes Monsieur Le Beau. 90

Touchstone says Celia's dad wants to talk to her.

Touchstone banters with the girls until he hits a sensitive subject—Rosalind's banished father, Duke Senior.

Celia tells him to pipe down or he'll be whipped.

Enter Le Beau.

ROSALIND With his mouth full of news.

CELIA Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their
young.

ROSALIND Then shall we be news-crammed.

CELIA All the better. We shall be the more 95
marketable.—Bonjour, Monsieur Le Beau. What’s
the news?

LE BEAU Fair princess, you have lost much good sport.

CELIA Sport? Of what color?

LE BEAU What color, madam? How shall I answer you? 100

ROSALIND As wit and fortune will.

TOUCHSTONE Or as the destinies decrees.

CELIA Well said. That was laid on with a trowel.

TOUCHSTONE Nay, if I keep not my rank—

ROSALIND Thou losest thy old smell. 105

LE BEAU You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of
good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of.

ROSALIND Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling.

LE BEAU I will tell you the beginning, and if it please
your Ladyships, you may see the end, for the best is 110
yet to do, and here, where you are, they are coming
to perform it.

CELIA Well, the beginning that is dead and buried.

LE BEAU There comes an old man and his three sons—

CELIA I could match this beginning with an old tale. 115

LE BEAU Three proper young men of excellent growth
and presence.

ROSALIND With bills on their necks: “Be it known unto
all men by these presents.”

LE BEAU The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, 120
the Duke’s wrestler, which Charles in a moment
threw him and broke three of his ribs, that there is
little hope of life in him. So he served the second,
and so the third. Yonder they lie, the poor old man
their father making such pitiful dole over them that 125
all the beholders take his part with weeping.

ROSALIND Alas!

TOUCHSTONE But what is the sport, monsieur, that the
ladies have lost?

LE BEAU Why, this that I speak of. 130

TOUCHSTONE Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is
the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was
sport for ladies.

CELIA Or I, I promise thee.

ROSALIND But is there any else longs to see this broken 135
music in his sides? Is there yet another dotes upon
rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin?

LE BEAU You must if you stay here, for here is the place
appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to
perform it. 140

CELIA Yonder sure they are coming. Let us now stay
and see it.

Le Beau, a courtier of Duke Frederick, comes in to tell the women that Charles (remember the court wrestler?) has just fought three strong brothers and in general leaves broken ribs scattered in his wake.

The next wrestling match, Charles vs. Orlando, is about to go down right where the women are standing, in case they'd like to stay and watch the carnage.

Flourish. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, Orlando,
Charles, and Attendants.

DUKE FREDERICK Come on. Since the youth will not be
entreated, his own peril on his forwardness.

ROSALIND, to Le Beau Is yonder the man? 145

LE BEAU Even he, madam.

CELIA Alas, he is too young. Yet he looks successfully.

DUKE FREDERICK How now, daughter and cousin? Are
you crept hither to see the wrestling?

ROSALIND Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave. 150

DUKE FREDERICK You will take little delight in it, I can
tell you, there is such odds in the man. In pity of the
challenger’s youth, I would fain dissuade him, but
he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if
you can move him. 155

CELIA Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau.

DUKE FREDERICK Do so. I’ll not be by.

He steps aside.

LE BEAU, to Orlando Monsieur the challenger, the
Princess calls for you.

ORLANDO I attend them with all respect and duty. 160

ROSALIND Young man, have you challenged Charles the
wrestler?

ORLANDO No, fair princess. He is the general challenger.
I come but in as others do, to try with him the
strength of my youth. 165

CELIA Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for
your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man’s
strength. If you saw yourself with your eyes or knew
yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure
would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. 170
We pray you for your own sake to embrace your
own safety and give over this attempt.

ROSALIND Do, young sir. Your reputation shall not
therefore be misprized. We will make it our suit to
the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. 175

ORLANDO I beseech you, punish me not with your hard
thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny
so fair and excellent ladies anything. But let your
fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial,
wherein, if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that 180
was never gracious; if killed, but one dead that is
willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for
I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for
in it I have nothing. Only in the world I fill up a
place which may be better supplied when I have 185
made it empty.

ROSALIND The little strength that I have, I would it
were with you.

CELIA And mine, to eke out hers.

ROSALIND Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceived in 190
you.

CELIA Your heart’s desires be with you.

Duke Frederick enters and tries to get the girls to convince young Orlando not to fight, as he's terribly outmatched.

The girls, like everyone else, think Orlando looks too young for the match. They plead with Orlando and tell him they'll happily intervene on his part to get the match called off.

But Orlando charms them with a speech about having nothing to lose and asks that instead of trying to stop him, they wish him luck. So...they do.

CHARLES Come, where is this young gallant that is so
desirous to lie with his mother Earth?

ORLANDO Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more 195
modest working.

DUKE FREDERICK, coming forward You shall try but
one fall.

CHARLES No, I warrant your Grace you shall not entreat
him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded 200
him from a first.

ORLANDO You mean to mock me after, you should not
have mocked me before. But come your ways.

ROSALIND Now Hercules be thy speed, young man!

CELIA I would I were invisible, to catch the strong 205
fellow by the leg.

Orlando and Charles wrestle.

ROSALIND O excellent young man!

CELIA If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who
should down.

Orlando throws Charles. Shout.

DUKE FREDERICK No more, no more. 210

ORLANDO Yes, I beseech your Grace. I am not yet well
breathed.

DUKE FREDERICK How dost thou, Charles?

LE BEAU He cannot speak, my lord.

DUKE FREDERICK Bear him away. 215

Charles is carried off by Attendants.

What is thy name, young man?

ORLANDO Orlando, my liege, the youngest son of Sir
Rowland de Boys.

DUKE FREDERICK
I would thou hadst been son to some man else.
The world esteemed thy father honorable, 220
But I did find him still mine enemy.
Thou shouldst have better pleased me with this
deed
Hadst thou descended from another house.
But fare thee well. Thou art a gallant youth. 225
I would thou hadst told me of another father.

Duke exits with Touchstone, Le Beau,
Lords, and Attendants.

CELIA, to Rosalind
Were I my father, coz, would I do this?

ORLANDO
I am more proud to be Sir Rowland’s son,
His youngest son, and would not change that calling
To be adopted heir to Frederick. 230

ROSALIND, to Celia
My father loved Sir Rowland as his soul,
And all the world was of my father’s mind.
Had I before known this young man his son,
I should have given him tears unto entreaties
Ere he should thus have ventured. 235

CELIA Gentle cousin,
Let us go thank him and encourage him.
My father’s rough and envious disposition
Sticks me at heart.—Sir, you have well deserved.
If you do keep your promises in love 240
But justly, as you have exceeded all promise,
Your mistress shall be happy.

ROSALIND, giving Orlando a chain from her neck
Gentleman,
Wear this for me—one out of suits with Fortune,
That could give more but that her hand lacks 245
means.—
Shall we go, coz?

CELIA Ay.—Fare you well, fair gentleman.

ORLANDO, aside
Can I not say “I thank you”? My better parts
Are all thrown down, and that which here stands up 250
Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block.

ROSALIND, to Celia
He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes.
I’ll ask him what he would.—Did you call, sir?
Sir, you have wrestled well and overthrown
More than your enemies. 255

CELIA Will you go, coz?

ROSALIND Have with you. To Orlando. Fare you well.

Rosalind and Celia exit.

Big, bad Charles shows up and is ready to rumble.

Shockingly, Orlando easily beats Charles, who can't even speak when he's carried off in a stretcher.

Duke Frederick is impressed with Orlando...until he finds out the boy is son of one of his enemies, Sir Rowland de Boys.

Rosalind says she's glad that Orlando is a member of the de Boys family. Turns out that Orlando's dad, Sir Rowland, was pals with her banished father, Duke Senior (also an enemy of Duke Frederick).

Celia and Rosalind congratulate Orlando; Rosalind, nursing a crush, gives Orlando her necklace as a token of her affection.

Rosalind and Orlando make googly eyes at each other (cue the sappy music) before they go their separate ways.

ORLANDO
What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue?
I cannot speak to her, yet she urged conference.
O poor Orlando! Thou art overthrown. 260
Or Charles or something weaker masters thee.

Enter Le Beau.

LE BEAU
Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you
To leave this place. Albeit you have deserved
High commendation, true applause, and love,
Yet such is now the Duke’s condition 265
That he misconsters all that you have done.
The Duke is humorous. What he is indeed
More suits you to conceive than I to speak of.

ORLANDO
I thank you, sir, and pray you tell me this:
Which of the two was daughter of the duke 270
That here was at the wrestling?

LE BEAU
Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners,
But yet indeed the smaller is his daughter.
The other is daughter to the banished duke,
And here detained by her usurping uncle 275
To keep his daughter company, whose loves
Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters.
But I can tell you that of late this duke
Hath ta’en displeasure ’gainst his gentle niece,
Grounded upon no other argument 280
But that the people praise her for her virtues
And pity her for her good father’s sake;
And, on my life, his malice ’gainst the lady
Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well.
Hereafter, in a better world than this, 285
I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.

ORLANDO
I rest much bounden to you. Fare you well.

Le Beau exits.

Thus must I from the smoke into the smother,
From tyrant duke unto a tyrant brother.
But heavenly Rosalind! 290

He exits.

Le Beau warns Orlando that the Duke is in a bad mood and might harm Orlando if he sticks around. Orlando asks about the ladies he's just met, and learns that Rosalind is Duke Senior's daughter.

Le Beau also says that Duke Frederick, who has been keeping Rosalind at his house, has become weary of the fact that everyone keeps praising her virtue and pitying her because of her banished dad. Le Beau suggests that Duke Senior's probably going to lose it on Rosalind soon enough.

Orlando laments the fact that he's surrounded by megolomaniacs as he leaves the temperamental Duke to head home to his scheming brother. Still...that Rosalind is something else.

As You Like It: Act 1, Scene 2 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 1, Scene 2 of As You Like It from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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