SCENE II. Higurashi 's orchard.
Enter Inuyasha
Inuyasha
He
jests at scars that never felt a wound.
Kagome appears above at a window
But, soft! what light through yonder
window breaks?
It is the east, and Kagome is the sun.
Arise,
fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale
with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be
not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick
and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my
lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks
yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will
answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the
fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat
her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if
her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek
would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in
heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That
birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans
her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that
hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
Kagome
Ay
me!
Inuyasha
She speaks:
O, speak
again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being
o'er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the
white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on
him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the
bosom of the air.
Inuyasha
O Inuyasha,
Inuyasha! wherefore art thou Inuyasha?
Deny thy father and refuse
thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll
no longer be a Higurashi.
Inuyasha
Aside
Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
Kagome
'Tis
but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a
Takashi.
What's Takashi? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor
face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other
name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other
name would smell as sweet;
So Inuyasha would, were he notInuyasha call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he
owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that
name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
Inuyasha
I
take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new
baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Inuyasha .
Kagome
What
man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
So stumblest on my
counsel?
Inuyasha
By a name
I know not how
to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to
myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I
would tear the word.
Kagome
My ears have not
yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know
the sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a
Montague?
Inuyasha
Neither, fair saint, if
either thee dislike.
Kagome
How camest thou
hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and
hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If
any of my kinsmen find thee here.
Inuyasha
With
love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
For stony limits
cannot hold love out,
And what love can do that dares love
attempt;
Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me.
Kagome
If
they do see thee, with katanas they will slice ye.
Inuyasha
Alack,
there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords:
look thou but sweet,
And I am proof against their
enmity.
Kagome
I would not for the world they
saw thee here.
Inuyasha
I have night's cloak
to hide me from their sight;
And but thou love me, let them find
me here:
My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death
prorogued, wanting of thy love.
Kagome
By
whose direction found'st thou out this place?
Inuyasha
By
love, who first did prompt me to inquire;
He lent me counsel and I
lent him eyes.
I am no pilot; yet, wert thou as far
As that
vast shore wash'd with the farthest sea,
I would adventure for
such merchandise.
Kagome
Thou
know'st the mask of night is on my face,
Else would a Miko blush
bepaint my cheek
For that which thou hast heard me speak
to-night
Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny
What I
have spoke: but farewell compliment!
Dost thou love me? I know
thou wilt say 'Ay,'
And I will take thy word: yet if thou
swear'st,
Thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries
Then
say, Jove laughs. O gentle Inuyasha,
If thou dost love, pronounce
it faithfully:
Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won,
I'll
frown and be perverse an say thee nay,
So thou wilt woo; but else,
not for the world.
In truth, fair Takashi, I am too fond,
And
therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light:
But trust me,
gentleman, I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning
to be strange.
I should have been more strange, I must
confess,
But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware,
My true
love's passion: therefore pardon me,
And not impute this yielding
to light love,
Which the dark night hath so
discovered.
Inuyasha
Lady, by yonder blessed
moon I swear
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree
tops--
Kagome
O, swear not by the moon, the
inconstant moon,
That monthly changes in her circled orb,
Lest
that thy love prove likewise variable.
Inuyasha
What
shall I swear by?
Kagome
Do not swear at
all;
Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self,
Which is the
god of my idolatry,
And I'll believe thee.
Inuyasha
If
my heart's dear love--
Kagome
Well, do not
swear: although I joy in thee,
I have no joy of this contract
to-night:
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden;
Too like
the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say 'It
lightens.' Sweet, good night!
This bud of love, by summer's
ripening breath,
May prove a beauteous flower when next we
meet.
Good night, good night! as sweet repose and rest
Come to
thy heart as that within my breast!
Inuyasha
O,
wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?
Kagome
What
satisfaction canst thou have to-night?
Inuyasha
The
exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine.
Kagome
I
gave thee mine before thou didst request it:
And yet I would it
were to give again.
Inuyasha
Wouldst thou
withdraw it? for what purpose, love?
Kagome
But to
be frank, and give it thee again.
And yet I wish but for the thing
I have:
My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep;
the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are
infinite.
Kaede calls within
I hear some noise
within; dear love, adieu!
Anon, good nurse! Sweet Montague, be
true.
Stay but a little, I will come again.
Exit, above
Inuyasha
O blessed, blessed night! I am
afeard.
Being in night, all this is but a dream,
Too
flattering-sweet to be substantial.
Re-enter Kagome, above
Kagome
Three words, dear Romeo, and good
night indeed.
If that thy bent of love be honourable,
Thy
purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow,
By one that I'll procure
to come to thee,
Where and what time thou wilt perform the
rite;
And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay
And follow thee
my lord throughout the world.
Kaede
Within
Madam!
Kagome
I come, anon.--But if thou
mean'st not well,
I do beseech thee--
Kaede
Within
Madam!
Kagome
By and by, I come:--
To cease
thy suit, and leave me to my grief:
To-morrow will I
send.
Inuyasha
So thrive my soul--
Kagome
A
thousand times good night!
Exit, above
Inuyasha
A
thousand times the worse, to want thy light.
Love goes toward
love, as schoolboys from
their books,
But love from love,
toward school with heavy looks.
Retiring
Re-enter Kagome, above
Kagome
Hist! Romeo, hist!
O, for a falconer's voice,
To lure this tassel-gentle back
again!
Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud;
Else would I
tear the cave where Echo lies,
And make her airy tongue more
hoarse than mine,
With repetition of my Inuyasha's
name.
Inuyasha
It is my soul that calls upon
my name:
How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night,
Like
softest music to attending ears!
Kagome
Romeo!
Inuyasha
My
dear?
Kagome
At what o'clock to-morrow
Shall
I send to thee?
Inuyasha
At the hour of
nine.
Kagome
I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till
then.
I have forgot why I did call thee back.
Inuyasha
Let
me stand here till thou remember it.
Kagome
I
shall forget, to have thee still stand there,
Remembering how I
love thy company.
Inuyasha
And I'll
still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home
but this.
Kagome
'Tis almost morning; I would
have thee gone:
And yet no further than a wanton's bird;
Who
lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his
twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
So
loving-jealous of his liberty.
Inuyasha
I
would I were thy bird.
Kagome
Sweet, so would
I:
Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.
Good night,
good night! parting is such
sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good
night till it be morrow.
Exit above
Inuyasha
Sleep
dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast!
Would I were sleep and
peace, so sweet to rest!
Hence will I to my ghostly father's
cell,
His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.
Exit