希律王︰她是隻野獸，妳的女兒，她完全是隻野獸。事實上，她所做的一切都是犯罪。我確信那是一件反對未知神的犯罪。
希羅底︰我同意我女兒的行為。現在，我願意待在這裡了。
希律王〔站起〕︰啊！這個亂倫的妻子！來吧！我不願意待在這兒。來，我告訴妳。將會有可怕的不幸即將來臨。馬那色，伊薩恰（Issachar），歐季亞（Ozias），熄滅火光。我再也看不下去。我再也承受不住眼前所見到的一切。熄滅火把！遮住月亮！遮住星星！讓我們躲到宮裡去，希羅底。我開始感到害怕。
〔奴隸熄滅火把。眾星消失。一抹烏雲飄至月亮之前，完全掩蓋月色。舞台黑暗。國王開始爬上階梯。 〕
莎樂美的聲音︰啊！我吻了你的嘴，約翰，我終於吻了你的嘴。你唇上的味道相當苦。難道是血的滋味嗎？ ……或許那是愛情的滋味……他們說愛情的滋味相當苦……但那又怎樣？那又怎麼？我終於吻了你的嘴，約翰。
〔一道月光透射出來，莎樂美沐浴在銀色光線之中。 〕
希律王〔轉過身來望向莎樂美〕︰殺了這個女人！
〔士兵們舉起盾牌，漸漸向前壓擠著莎樂美，希羅底之女，猶太王國的公主。 〕
落幕
HEROD
She is monstrous, thy daughter; I tell thee she is monstrous. In truth, what she has done is a great crime. I am sure that it is a crime against some unknown God.
HERODIAS
I am well pleased with my daughter. She has done well. And I would stay here now.
HEROD
[Rising.]
Ah! There speaks my brothers wife! Come! I will not stay in this place. Come, I tell thee. Surely some terrible thing will befall. Manasseh, Issachar, Ozias, put out the torches. I will not look at things, I will not suffer things to look at me. Put out the torches! Hide the moon! Hide the stars! Let us hide ourselves in our palace, Herodias. I begin to be afraid.
[The slaves put out the torches. The stars disappear. A great cloud crosses the moon and conceals it completely. The stage becomes quite dark. The Tetrarch begins to climb the staircase.]
THE VOICE OF SALOME
Ah! I have kissed thy mouth, Iokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth. There was a bitter taste on thy lips. Was it the taste of blood? . . . Nay; but perchance it was the taste of love. . .They
-67-
say that love hath a bitter taste. But what matter? what matter? I have kissed thy mouth, Iokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth.
[A ray of moonlight falls on Salome and illumines her.]
HEROD
[Turning round and seeing Salome.]
Kill that woman!
[The soldiers rush forward and crush beneath their shields, Salome, daughter of Herodias, Princess of Jud?a.]
[CURTAIN.]