Twelfth Night: Act 1, Scene 1
Enter DUKE ORSINO, CURIO,
Duke Orsino and other Lords; Musicians attending.
DUKE ORSINO
1 If music be the food of love, play on;
2 Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
3 The appetite may sicken, and so die.
3. The appetite may sicken, and so die: Orsino, worried
4 That strain again! it had a dying fall:
4. dying fall: slowing rhythm and/or diminishing volume.
5 O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound,
6 That breathes upon a bank of violets,
7 Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
8 'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
9 O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
9. quick and fresh: keen and hungry.
10 That, notwithstanding thy capacity
11 Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
12 Of what validity and pitch soe'er,
12. validity: value. pitch: height.
13 But falls into abatement and low price,
13. abatement: decline. price: worth.
14 Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
14. so full of shapes is fancy: So full of daydreams is love.
15 That it alone is high fantastical.
15. high fantastical: supremely imaginative.
CURIO
16 Will you go hunt, my lord?
DUKE ORSINO
16 What, Curio?
CURIO
16 The hart.
16. hart: stag.
DUKE ORSINO
17 Why, so I do, the noblest that I have:
17. the noblest that I have: i.e., the noblest "hart" I have, my heart.
18 O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first,
19 Methought she purged the air of pestilence!
20 That instant was I turn'd into a hart;
20. I turn'd into a hart: Orsinio compares himself to Actaeon.
21 And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds,
21. fell: fierce.
22 E'er since pursue me.
Enter VALENTINE.
22 How now! what news from her?
VALENTINE
23 So please my lord, I might not be admitted;
24 But from her handmaid do return this answer:
25 The element itself, till seven years' heat,
25. element: sky. seven years' heat: seven summers.
26 Shall not behold her face at ample view;
26. at ample view: in full view, without a veil.
27 But, like a cloistress, she will veiled walk
27. cloistress: secluded nun.
28 And water once a day her chamber round
29 With eye-offending brine: all this to season
29. eye-offending brine: salty tears. season: preserve.
30 A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh
30. brother's dead love: dead brother's love.
31 And lasting in her sad remembrance.
DUKE ORSINO
32 O, she that hath a heart of that fine frame
32. frame: condition, as in a good frame of mind.
33 To pay this debt of love but to a brother,
34 How will she love, when the rich golden shaft
34. golden shaft: Cupid's golden arrow.
35 Hath kill'd the flock of all affections else
35. affections else: other affections.
36 That live in her; when liver, brain and heart,
37 These sovereign thrones, are all supplied, and fill'd
37. sovereign thrones: 
The liver, brain, and heart are all 38. one self king: one and only king.
The liver, brain, and heart are all 38. one self king: one and only king. 38 Her sweet perfections with one self king!
39 Away before me to sweet beds of flowers:
40 Love-thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers.
Exeunt.