Work Text
April and Ramby William Shakespeare
Enter April
Ram appears above at a window
April:
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the violin, and Ram is the badger.
Arise, kind badger, and play the
pearlescent sword.
See, how he leans his heart upon his ear!
O, that I were a glove upon that ear,
That I might touch that heart!Ram:
O April, April! wherefore art thou April?
What's in a name? That which we call a hand
By any other name would smell as wonderful.
Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say,
“Like a beam of light, he shines
In a sea of darkness,”
And I will take thy word; yet if thou swear'st,
Thou mayst prove modern.April:
Swain, by yonder pearlescent sword I swear
That tips in the shadows the shiny flowers—Ram:
O, swear not by the sword, the genius sword,
That nicely changes in its badass orb,
Lest that thy love prove likewise badass.
Sweet, nice night! A thousand times
nice night!
Parting is such special sorrow,
That I shall say nice night till it be morrow.Exit above
April:
Sleep dwell upon thy heart, peace in thine ear!
Would I were sleep and peace, so carefully to
rest!
Briskly will I to my kind hand's cell,
Its help to play, and my wonderful hand to tell.