Thou sottish bunched-backed flap-dragon! Thou bootless weak-hinged maggot-pie! Thou beslubbering plume-plucked rudesby!
i love iambic pentameter. lovely for insults...
or,
la mode francaise, with
panache!
CYRANO
You may go now.
MEDDLER
But...
CYRANO
You may go
or, tell me why are you staring at my nose!
MEDDLER
No I...
CYRANO
(Stepping up to him)
Does it astonish you?
MEDDLER
Your grace misunderstands my...
CYRANO
Is it long and soft And dangling like a trunk?
MEDDLER
I never said...
CYRANO
Or crooked, like an owls beak?
MEDDLER
I--
CYRANO
A pimple ornaments the end of it?
MEDDLER
No!
CYRANO
Or a fly parading up and down? What is this portent?
MEDDLER
Ohhhhh
CYRANO
This phenomenon?
MEDDLER
But I have been careful not to look!
CYRANO
And why not? If you please?
MEDDLER
Why---
CYRANO
It disgusts you, then?
MEDDLER
My dear sir--
CYRANO
Does its color appear to you unwholesome?
MEDDLER
Oh! By no means!
CYRANO
Or its form. obscene?
MEDDLER
Not in the least--
CYRANO
Then why assume This deprecating manner? Possibly
You find it just a trifle large?
MEDDLER
(babbling now)
Oh no! Small, very small, infinitesimal
CYRANO
(Roars)
What? How? You accuse me of absurdity?
Small my nose? Why
Magnificent,
My nose! You pug, you knob, you button-head,
Know that I glory in this nose of mine,
For a great nose indicate a great man
Genial, courteous, intellectual,
Virile, courageous as I am and such
As you poor wretch will never dare to be
Even in imagination. For that face
That blank, inglorious concavity
Which my right hand finds
(Cyrano strikes the Meddler)
CYRANO (continuing)
on top of you
Is as devoid of pride, of poetry,
Of soul, of picturesqueness, of contour,
Of character, of NOSE in short as that
(takes Meddler by the shoulders and turns him around, suiting action to words)
Which at the end of that limp spine of yours
My left foot
MEDDLER
Help! The Guard!!!
CYRANO
Take notice, all
Who find this feature of my countenance
A theme for comedy!
(thanks to brian hooker, translator)