Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whole misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
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Authorship
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Romeo and Juliet, the prologue [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation possibly by Johann Ludwig Tieck (1773 - 1853); composed by Boris Blacher.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo)
- GER German (Deutsch) (August Wilhelm Schlegel) , no title
- ROM Romanian (Română) (Ștefan Octavian Iosif)
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo) , no title
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-22
Line count: 14
Word count: 106
Zwei Häuser waren – gleich an Würdigkeit – Hier in Verona, wo die Handlung steckt, Durch alten Groll zu neuem Kampf bereit, Wo Bürgerblut die Bürgerhand befleckt. Aus dieser Feinde unheilvollem Schoß Das Leben zweier Liebender entsprang, Die durch ihr unglückselges Ende bloß Im Tod begraben elterlichen Zank. Der Hergang ihrer todgeweihten Lieb Und der Verlauf der elterlichen Wut, Die nur der Kinder Tod von dannen trieb, Ist nun zwei Stunden lang der Bühne Gut; Was dran noch fehlt, hört mit geduldgem Ohr, Bringt hoffentlich nun unsre Müh hervor.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with W. Shakespeare’s dramatische Werke, in Romeo und Julia, translated by August Wilhelm Schlegel, edited by Wilhelm Oechelhäuser, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Berlin, Wien : Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1891, page 389.
Authorship
- by August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767 - 1845), no title [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Romeo and Juliet, the prologue
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-05-10
Line count: 14
Word count: 89