First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
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| Enter Orsino Duke of Illyria, Curio, and other | Music. Enter Orsino Duke of Illyria, Curio, and other | Illyria (n.) E seaboard of the Adriatic and its hinterland (Dalmatia); in modern Croatia | TN I.i.1.1 | |
| Lords. | lords | | TN I.i.1.2 | |
| Duke. | ORSINO | | | |
| IF Musicke be the food of Loue, play on,! | If music be the food of love, play on, | | TN I.i.1 | |
| Giue me excesse of it: that surfetting, | Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, | surfeit (v.)feed to excess, over-indulge, glut | TN I.i.2 | |
| The appetite may sicken, and so dye. | The appetite may sicken, and so die. | appetite (n.)desire, longing, inclination, fancy | TN I.i.3 | |
| That straine agen, it had a dying fall: | That strain again! It had a dying fall. | fall (n.)cadence, lowering of tune | TN I.i.4 | |
| | dying (adj.)fading, dying away | | |
| O, it came ore my eare, like the sweet sound | O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound | | TN I.i.5 | |
| That breathes vpon a banke of Violets; | That breathes upon a bank of violets, | | TN I.i.6 | |
| Stealing, and giuing Odour. Enough, no more, | Stealing and giving odour. Enough, no more! | | TN I.i.7 | |
| 'Tis not so sweet now, as it was before. | 'Tis not so sweet now as it was before. | | TN I.i.8 | |
| O spirit of Loue, how quicke and fresh art thou, | O spirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou, | quick (adj.)sharp, keen, alert | TN I.i.9 | |
| | fresh (adj.)ready, eager, hungry | | |
| That notwithstanding thy capacitie, | That, notwithstanding thy capacity | | TN I.i.10 | |
| Receiueth as the Sea. Nought enters there, | Receiveth as the sea, naught enters there, | | TN I.i.11 | |
| Of what validity, and pitch so ere, | Of what validity and pitch soe'er, | pitch (n.)height, elevation, high aspiration | TN I.i.12 | |
| | validity (n.)value, worth, estimation | | |
| But falles into abatement, and low price | But falls into abatement and low price | abatement (n.)lessening, decrease, diminution | TN I.i.13 | |
| Euen in a minute; so full of shapes is fancie, | Even in a minute. So full of shapes is fancy | fancy (n.)love, amorousness, infatuation | TN I.i.14 | |
| That it alone, is high fantasticall. | That it alone is high fantastical. | high (adv.)fully, altogether | TN I.i.15 | |
| | fantastical (adj.)fanciful, imaginative, full of wild ideas | | |
| Cu. | CURIO | | | |
| Will you go hunt my Lord? | Will you go hunt, my lord? | | TN I.i.16 | |
| Du. | ORSINO | | | |
| What Curio? | What, Curio? | | TN I.i.17 | |
| Cu. | CURIO | | | |
| The Hart. | The hart. | | TN I.i.18 | |
| Du. | ORSINO | | | |
| Why so I do, the Noblest that I haue: | Why, so I do, the noblest that I have. | | TN I.i.19 | |
| O when mine eyes did see Oliuia first, | O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, | | TN I.i.20 | |
| Me thought she purg'd the ayre of pestilence; | Methought she purged the air of pestilence. | methinks(t), methought(s) (v.)it seems / seemed to me | TN I.i.21 | |
| | purge (v.)cleanse, purify, get rid of impurities [in] | | |
| That instant was I turn'd into a Hart, | That instant was I turned into a hart, | | TN I.i.22 | |
| And my desires like fell and cruell hounds, | And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, | fell (adj.)cruel, fierce, savage | TN I.i.23 | |
| Ere since pursue me. | E'er since pursue me. | | TN I.i.24.1 | |
| Enter Valentine. | Enter Valentine | | TN I.i.24 | |
| How now what newes from her? | How now! What news from her? | | TN I.i.24.2 | |
| VALENTINE | | | |
| So please my Lord, I might not be admitted, | So please my lord, I might not be admitted, | | TN I.i.25 | |
| But from her handmaid do returne this answer: | But from her handmaid do return this answer: | | TN I.i.26 | |
| The Element it selfe, till seuen yeares heate, | The element itself, till seven years' heat, | element (n.)air, sky, heavens | TN I.i.27 | |
| Shall not behold her face at ample view: | Shall not behold her face at ample view, | | TN I.i.28 | |
| But like a Cloystresse she will vailed walke, | But like a cloistress she will veiled walk, | cloistress (n.)cloistered nun, member of an enclosed order | TN I.i.29 | |
| And water once a day her Chamber round | And water once a day her chamber round | | TN I.i.30 | |
| With eye-offending brine: all this to season | With eye-offending brine; all this to season | eye-offending (adj.)which hurts the eyes | TN I.i.31 | |
| | season (v.)preserve, keep | | |
| | brine (n.)salt water [i.e. tears] | | |
| A brothers dead loue, which she would keepe fresh | A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh | | TN I.i.32 | |
| And lasting, in her sad remembrance. | And lasting, in her sad remembrance. | sad (adj.)downcast, distressed, mournful, gloomy | TN I.i.33 | |
| | remembrance (n.)memory, bringing to mind, recollection | | |
| Du. | ORSINO | | | |
| O she that hath a heart of that fine frame | O, she that hath a heart of that fine frame | frame (n.)framework, structure, construction | TN I.i.34 | |
| To pay this debt of loue but to a brother, | To pay this debt of love but to a brother – | | TN I.i.35 | |
| How will she loue, when the rich golden shaft | How will she love, when the rich golden shaft | shaft (n.)[long and slender] arrow | TN I.i.36 | |
| Hath kill'd the flocke of all affections else | Hath killed the flock of all affections else | affection (n.)emotion, feeling | TN I.i.37 | |
| That liue in her. When Liuer, Braine, and Heart, | That live in her; when liver, brain, and heart, | liver (n.)part of the body thought to be the seat of the passions [especially sexual desire] | TN I.i.38 | |
| These soueraigne thrones, are all supply'd and fill'd | These sovereign thrones, are all supplied and filled – | | TN I.i.39 | |
| Her sweete perfections with one selfe king: | Her sweet perfections – with one self king! | self, onea sole, one and the same, a single | TN I.i.40 | |
| Away before me, to sweet beds of Flowres, | Away before me to sweet beds of flowers! | sweet (adj.)perfumed, scented, fragrant | TN I.i.41 | |
| Loue-thoughts lye rich, when canopy'd with bowres. | Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers. | canopy (v.)curtain, veil, cover [as if by a canopy] | TN I.i.42 | |
| Exeunt | Exeunt | | TN I.i.42 | |