希律王︰啊！妳根本沒在聽。冷靜下來。我——我很冷靜。我非常冷靜。聽好。我在這個地方藏有珠寶——甚至連妳母親也未曾見過的珠寶；那些稀世的珍寶。我有一串四列的珍珠。它們就像是由一串月亮所連結而成的銀色長煉。它們像五十個月亮收集在一張金色的網中。只有在皇后美白的頸子才配得戴上它。如果妳戴上的話，那麼妳將成為一位美麗的皇后。我有兩種水晶石，一黑一紅，如同剔瑩的美酒。我有黃榴石，顏色如同老虎的眸子，紫如鴿眼，綠如貓眼。我有乳色燒製的玉石，猶如冷冽的火光，如同悲傷男子的心，害怕獨處在黑暗之中而不見天日。我有截子瑪瑙，外型如女子的眼球。我有月光石，它們會隨著月相而改變，一但見日，它們就蒼白無色。我有大如雞蛋的藍寶石，如同花朵一般青藍。海洋徜徉其中，月色從不會自裡頭的浪潮中消失。我有橄欖石、綠寶石與紅寶石。我有紫藍石與玉髓，我都給妳，我全部給妳，我還要附上其它的東西。印度國王送我四支鸚鵡羽毛製成的扇子，努米底亞（Numidia）國王送我一件駝毛外衣。我還有個透明水晶，那是不准給女人家看見，也不允許未行房的年輕男子所觀看的奇物。在蚌殼細琢的藏物箱裡，我有三顆奇妙的土耳其玉石。戴在額頭上，他可以想像到那些不存在的東西，握在手裡，他可以讓女人無法生育。這些都是無價之寶。它們超越了世間所有金錢能估算的範圍。還不只這些。在烏木櫃裡我有兩隻琥珀酒杯，它們就像是對金蘋果。如果有敵人將毒液倒入這些杯子裡，那麼妳喝來也猶如銀色果汁。在琥珀櫃中我有一雙玻璃鞋。我有從席瑞斯（Seres）所帶來的披風，幼發拉底（Euphrates）都市出產的玉雕手鐲……妳還想要什麼，莎樂美？告訴我妳還要什麼，我都願意給妳。只要妳所要求的，我都會給妳，除了那一樣東西。我願意給妳我所擁有的一切，除了生命。我願給妳最高祭司的披風。我願給妳聖堂的帳幔。
猶太人︰噢！噢！
莎樂美︰給我約翰的頭。
希律王〔深陷在椅子中〕︰答應她的要求吧！她的的確確是這個母親的女兒！ 〔第一士兵上前。希羅底從國王的手中脫下死亡指環，並給它遞給士兵，士兵將指環直接交給處刑人。處刑人面色驚恐。 〕誰除下我的指環？我的右手指上戴著的指環？誰喝了我的酒？我的杯中應該有酒。應該有滿滿的一杯酒。有人喝了我的酒！噢！大難即將臨頭。 〔處刑人走下水牢。 〕啊！為何我必須遵守我的誓言？國王永遠不該立下誓言。如果他們不遵守誓言，結果是可怕的，如果他們遵守，結果依然是可怕的。
希羅底︰我的女兒做得好。
希律王︰我確信即將有不幸的事情發生。
莎樂美〔她靠在水牢上仔細傾聽〕︰沒有聲音。我聽不到底下傳出任何聲音。他，這個男人，為什麼不大叫呢？啊，如果有人要殺我，我會大聲呼叫，我會盡力掙扎，我不會放棄……下手吧，下手吧，那曼，下手，我告訴你……不，我還是聽不到聲音。安靜，太安靜了。啊！有東西掉在地上。我聽到東西掉落在地上。那應該是劊子手的刀。他，這個奴隸膽怯了。他讓他的刀子掉落地上。他不敢殺他。他是個懦夫，這個奴隸！叫士兵下去。 〔她看著希羅底的侍從，向他說道。 〕過來，你是這個死人的朋友嗎？好，我告訴你，今晚死亡的人數還不夠。告訴那些士兵，吩咐他們下去，帶上我所要求的東西，陛下所允諾，那件屬於我的東西。 〔侍從後退。她轉向士兵。 〕過來，你們這些士兵。你們到水牢裡頭去，帶那個男人的頭上來。 〔士兵退後。 〕陛下呀，陛下，命令您的士兵，將約翰的頭帶來給我。
〔一隻巨大的黑色手臂，處刑人的手臂，從水牢下伸出來，提著銀色的盤子，裡頭裝著約翰的頭。莎樂美立刻抓著它。希律王用他的外衣蓋住他的臉。希羅底得意地搖著羽扇。拿撒勒人跪在地上開始祈禱。 〕
啊！你總算要承受我吻你的嘴了，約翰。好！我現在要吻你。我要用我的牙齒，如同咬著水果一般地吻你。是的，我現在要吻你的嘴，約翰。我說過的；我是不是說過呢？我說過。啊，我現在要吻你……但為何你不看著我，約翰？你那雙令人膽寒的眼睛，充滿憤怒與輕蔑的雙眼，現在卻緊閉著。你為何要閉著眼睛呢？睜開眼睛吧！揚起你的眼蓋，約翰！為何你不看著我？難道你怕我嗎，約翰，所以你才不敢看著我？ ……還有你的舌頭，像是四處噴灑毒液的紅蛇，現在不再動了，再也不說話了，約翰，那條向我吐出怨惡的猩紅毒蛇。很奇怪，不是嗎？那條紅毒蛇是怎麼了？ ……你的心中沒有我，約翰。你拒絕我。你向我口出惡語。你以妓女看我，以蕩婦待我，我，莎樂美，希羅底之女，猶太王國的公主！很好，約翰，我還活著，但你，你已經死了，而且你的頭顱還屬於我。我可以隨心所欲地處置。我可以拋給一旁的餓狗與空中的飛禽。狗兒餐咬之後，鳥兒飛來啄咽。 ……啊，約翰，約翰，你是我唯一愛的人。其它的男人在我心中都只產生厭惡之感。但你，你太美麗了！你的身體如同銀座上的純白大理石雕像。令人感到處於滿是白鴿與百合之間的花園裡。那是座銀白細工的象牙之塔。世上再也沒有任何東西比得上你白潔的身體。世上再也沒有任何東西比得上你烏黑的頭髮。在這世界裡，沒有什麼能與你的紅唇相比。你的聲音猶如爐中所散發出的奇特香氣，當我看著你時，我聽到一股特別的音樂。啊！為何你不看著我呢，約翰？在你的雙手與詛咒之後，你隱藏了你的臉龐。你閉上雙眼，見到你的神。所以，你已見到了你的神，約翰，但我，你卻沒見到我。如果你看到了我，你將會愛上我。我，我看你，約翰，我愛你。噢，我多麼地愛著你呀！我愛你，約翰，我只愛你……我希求你的美麗；我渴望你的身體；無論美酒與鮮果，都不能滿足我的需要。我現在該怎麼做呢，約翰？洪水與海洋都無法澆熄我的熱情。我是個公主，而妳卻蔑視我。我是個處女，而你卻奪走我的純潔。我是貞潔的，而你卻點燃我的血液……啊！啊！為何你不看著我，約翰？如果你看著我，你就會愛上我。很好，我知道你會愛上我，愛情的神秘，遠遠超越死亡的神秘。人們應該只要考慮愛情。
HEROD
Ah! thou art not listening to me. Be calm. As for me, am I not calm? I am altogether calm. Listen. I have jewels hidden in this place -- jewels that thy mother even has never seen; jewels that are marvellous to look at. I have a collar of pearls, set in four rows. They are like unto moons chained with rays of silver. They are even as half a hundred moons caught in a golden net. On the ivory breast of a queen they have rested. Thou shalt be as fair as a queen when thou wearest them. I have amethysts of two kinds; one that is black like wine, and one that is red
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like wine that one has coloured with water. I have topazes yellow as are the eyes of tigers, and topazes that are pink as the eyes of a wood-pigeon, and green topazes that are as the eyes of cats. I have opals that burn always, with a flame that is cold as ice, opals that make sad mens minds, and are afraid of the shadows. I have onyxes like the eyeballs of a dead woman. I have moonstones that change when the moon changes, and are wan when they see the sun. I have sapphires big like eggs, and as blue as blue flowers. The sea wanders within them, and the moon comes never to trouble the blue of their waves. I have chrysolites and beryls, and chrysoprases and rubies; I have sardonyx and hyacinth stones, and stones of chalcedony, and I will give them all unto thee, all, and other things will I add to them. The King of the Indies has but even now sent me four fans fashioned from the feathers of parrots, and the King of Numidia a garment of ostrich feathers. I have a crystal, into which it i s not lawful for a woman to look, nor may young men behold it until they have been beaten with rods. In a coffer of nacre I have three wondrous turquoises. He who wears them on his forehead can imagine things which are not, and he who carries them in his hand can turn the fruitful woman into a woman that is barren. These are great treasures. They are treasures above all price. But this is not all. In an ebony coffer I have two cups of amber that are like apples of pure gold. If an enemy pour poison into these cups they become like apples of silver. In a coffer incrusted with amber I have
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sandals incrusted with glass. I have mantles that have been brought from the land of the Serer, and bracelets decked about with carbuncles and with jade that come from the city of Euphrates . . . . What desirest thou more than this, Salome? Tell me the thing that thou desirest, and I will give it thee. All that thou askest I will give thee, save one thing only. I will give thee all that is mine, save only the life of one man. I will give thee the mantle of the high priest. I will give thee the veil of the sanctuary.
THE JEWS
Oh! oh!
HERODIAS
Give me the head of Iokanaan!
HEROD
[Sinking back in his seat.]
Let her be given what she asks! Of a truth she is her mothers child. [The first soldier approaches. Herodias draws from the hand of the Tetrarch the ring of death, and gives it to the Soldier, who straightway bears it to the Executioner. The Executioner looks scared.]
Who has taken my ring? There was a ring on my right hand. Who has drunk my wine? There was wine in my cup. It was full of wine. Some one has drunk it! Oh! surely some evil will befall some one. [The Executioner goes down into the cistern.]
Ah! wherefore did I give my
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oath? Hereafter let no king swear an oath. If he keep it not, it is terrible, and if he keep it, it is terrible also.
HERODIAS
My daughter has done well.
HEROD
I am sure that some misfortune will happen.
SALOME
[She leans over the cistern and listens.]
There is no sound. I hear nothing. Why does he not cry out, this man? Ah! if any man sought to kill me, I would cry out, I would struggle, I would not suffer . . . . Strike, strike, Naaman, strike, I tell you. . . . No, I hear nothing. There is a silence, a terrible silence. Ah! something has fallen upon the ground. I heard something fall. It was the sword of the executioner. He is afraid, this slave. He has dropped his sword. He dares not kill him. He is a coward, this slave! Let soldiers be sent. [She sees the Page of Herodias and addresses him.]
Come hither. Thou wert the friend of him who is dead, wert thou not? Well, I tell thee, there are not dead men enough. Go to the soldiers and bid them go down and bring me the thing I ask, the thing the Tetrarch has promised me, the thing that is mine. [The Page recoils. She turns to the soldiers.]
Hither, ye soldiers. Get ye down into this cistern and bring me the head of this man. Tetrarch, Tetrarch,
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command your soldiers that they bring me the head of Iokanaan.
[A huge black arm, the arm of the Executioner, comes forth from the cistern, bearing on a silver shield the head of lokanaan. Salome seizes it. Herod hides his face with his cloak. Herodias smiles and fans herself. The Nazarenes fall on their knees and begin to pray.]
Ah! thou wouldst not suffer me to kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan. Well! I will kiss it now. I will bite it with my teeth as one bites a ripe fruit. Yes, I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan. I said it; did I not say it? I said it. Ah! I will kiss it now . . . . But wherefore dost thou not look at me, Iokanaan? Thine eyes that were so terrible, so full of rage and scorn, are shut now. Wherefore are they shut? Open thine eyes! Lift up thine eyelids, Iokanaan! Wherefore dost thou not look at me? Art thou afraid of me, Iokanaan, that thou wilt not look at me? . . . And thy tongue, that was like a red snake darting poison, it moves no more, it speaks no words, Iokanaan, that scarlet viper that spat its venom upon me. It is strange, is it not? How is it that the red viper stirs no longer?. . .Thou wouldst have none of me, Iokanaan. Thou rejectedst me. Thou didst speak evil words against me. Thou didst bear thyself toward me as to a harlot, as to a woman that is a wanton, to me, Salome, daughter of Hero dias, Princess of Jud?a! Well, I still live, but thou art dead, and thy head belongs to me. I can do with it what I will. I can throw it to the dogs and to the birds of the air. That which the dogs
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leave, the birds of the air shall devour . . . . Ah, Iokanaan, Iokanaan, thou wert the man that I loved alone among men! All other men were hateful to me. But thou wert beautiful! Thy body was a column of ivory set upon feet of silver. It was a garden full of doves and lilies of silver. It was a tower of silver decked with shields of ivory. There was nothing in the world so white as thy body. There was nothing in the world so black as thy hair. In the whole world there was nothing so red as thy mouth. Thy voice was a censer that scattered strange perfumes, and when I looked on thee I heard a strange music. Ah! wherefore didst thou not look at me, Iokanaan? With the cloak of thine hands, and with the cloak of thy blasphemies thou didst hide thy face. Thou didst put upon thine eyes the covering of him who would see his God. Well, thou hast seen thy God, Iokanaan, but me, me, thou didst never see. If thou hadst seen me thou hadst loved me. I saw thee, and I loved thee. Oh, how I loved the e! I love thee yet, Iokanaan. I love only thee . . . . I am athirst for thy beauty; I am hungry for thy body; and neither wine nor apples can appease my desire. What shall I do now, Iokanaan? Neither the floods nor the great waters can quench my passion. I was a princess, and thou didst scorn me. I was a virgin, and thou didst take my virginity from me. I was chaste, and thou didst fill my veins with fire . . . . Ah! ah! wherefore didst thou not look at me? If thou hadst looked at me thou hadst loved me. Well I know that thou wouldst have loved me, and
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the mystery of Love is greater than the mystery of Death.