约翰︰所多玛之女，不准靠近我！罩上妳的面纱，让风沙尘埃吹拂，到沙漠里去找寻上帝的儿子。
莎乐美︰那是谁，上帝的儿子？他像您一样漂亮吗，约翰？
约翰︰让开！我听到宫廷里响起死亡天使振翅的声音。
年轻叙利亚军官︰公主，我求您不要再过去了。
约翰︰上帝的天使，你们为何带剑来此？你们来这肮脏的宫廷里寻找谁？那位身穿紫袍者的死期尚未来临。
莎乐美︰约翰！
约翰︰是谁在说话？
莎乐美︰约翰，我渴望您的身体！您的身体就像园里从未染尘的百合。您的身体就像山中的雪一样洁白，就像犹太山上的雪，从山谷中流到平原。阿拉伯皇后花园里的玫瑰，都不及您身体的白晢。阿拉伯的玫瑰，阿拉伯的香料，落日时的余辉，海面上月亮的吸呼……这一切都比不上您身子冰洁的万一。让我抚摸您的身体。
约翰︰退下！巴比伦之女！世间最邪恶的女人。不准再对我说话。我不再听妳说话。我只听主的声音。
莎乐美︰您的身体太可怕了，像麻疯病人。像是受到毒蛇于其上横爬穿刺；像是蝎子于其上筑巢而居。像是所有一切令人作呕物事的白色坟墓。太可怕了，您的身子太可怕了。是您的头发令我迷恋无法自拔，约翰。您的头发像是串葡萄，就像是以东（Edom）葡萄园里垂下的串串黑色葡萄。您的头发像黎巴嫩（Lebanon）的杉树，像是黎巴嫩的巨大杉木，树影可容狮子休憩，可以让强盗在白昼躲藏。漫漫长夜，当月亮隐藏她的脸庞，当众星消失，但这一切都不黑暗。在世上没有任何东西比得上您头发的黑沈……让我抚摸您的头发。
约翰︰退下，所多玛之女！不准碰我。不准污蔑主的头颅。
莎乐美︰您的头发太可怕了，上头沾满了泥巴与灰尘。像是戴在您额前的可笑皇冠。像是盘绕在脖子上的一段段黑色小蛇。我不爱您的头发……我想要的是您的嘴唇，约翰。您的嘴唇彷佛是象牙高塔上的一段红带。彷佛是由象牙刀所切出来的石榴。泰尔（Tyre）园里盛开的石榴花，比玫瑰更显鲜红，但却相形失色。国王警跸的喇叭声，令敌人胆寒，但却相形失色。您的嘴唇比起踩在酿酒桶上的脚要来得鲜红。您的嘴唇比起出没于神庙上鸽子的脚要来得鲜红。它比起从林中走出的屠狮者的脚要来得鲜红。您的嘴唇像是渔夫在破晓的海上所寻获的血红珊瑚，那些只贡奉给国王的血红珊瑚！……它就像是莫比（Moab）人在矿场中挖出的朱砂，那些只贡奉给国王的朱砂。它就像是波斯国王的领结，以朱砂染色，再以珊瑚嵌饰而成。在这世上没有任何东西比得上您鲜红的嘴唇……让我吻您的嘴。
约翰︰不行！巴比伦之女！所多玛之女！不行。
莎乐美︰我要吻您的嘴，约翰。我要吻您的嘴。
年轻叙利亚军官︰公主，公主，您就像园中之香，高贵之主，不要看这个人，不要看他！不要对他说这种话。我再也受不了……公主，公主，请不要再说了。
莎乐美︰我要吻您的嘴，约翰。
年轻叙利亚军官︰啊！
〔他举刀自裁，倒在莎乐美与约翰之间〕
希罗底的侍从︰这位年轻的叙利亚军官自杀了！这位年轻的叙利亚军官自杀了！他杀了我的朋友！我曾送他小一瓶香水与白银加工的耳环，现在他自杀了。啊，他不是已经预言将要发生不幸的事吗？我，也曾预言过，将有不幸的事要发生。我知道月亮正寻求一件死亡的生命，但我不知道月亮要找的人竟然是他。啊！为何我不事先将他藏起来呢？如果我先将他藏在山洞里，月亮就找不到他了。
第一士兵︰公主，队长已经自杀了。
莎乐美︰让我吻您的嘴，约翰。
约翰︰妳不害怕吗，希罗底的女儿？我不是告诉过妳，我听到宫廷里有死亡天使振翅的声音，他不是已经来临了吗，那死亡天使？
莎乐美︰让我吻您的嘴。
约翰︰淫荡的女儿，只有一个人能够解救妳，那就是我说过的那一位。去找他吧。他正在加利利海的船上，他带着他的学徒而来。跪在岸上，称他的名字。当他来临时，跪在他的脚边，请求他赦免妳的罪。
IOKANAAN
Daughter of Sodom, come not near me! But cover thy face with a veil, and scatter ashes upon thine head, and get thee to the desert, and seek out the Son of Man.
SALOME
Who is he, the Son of Man? Is he as beautiful as thou art, Iokanaan?
IOKANAAN
Get thee behind me! I hear in the palace the beating of the wings of the angel of death.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess, I beseech thee to go within.
IOKANAAN
Angel of the Lord God, what dost thou here with thy sword? Whom seekest thou in this palace? The day of him who shall die in a robe of silver has not yet come.
SALOME
Iokanaan!
IOKANAAN
Who speaketh?
SALOME
I am amorous of thy body, Iokanaan! Thy body is white, like the lilies of a field that the
-22-
mower hath never mowed. Thy body is white like the snows that lie on the mountains of Jud?a, and come down into the valleys. The roses in the garden of the Queen of Arabia are not so white as thy body. Neither the roses of the garden of the Queen of Arabia, the garden of spices of the Queen of Arabia, nor the feet of the dawn when they light on the leaves, nor the breast of the moon when she lies on the breast of the sea . . . . There is nothing in the world so white as thy body. Suffer me to touch thy body.
IOKANAAN
Back! daughter of Babylon! By woman came evil into the world. Speak not to me. I will not listen to thee. I listen but to the voice of the Lord God.
SALOME
Thy body is hideous. It is like the body of a leper. It is like a plastered wall, where vipers have crawled; like a plastered wall where the scorpions have made their nest. It is like a whited sepulchre, full of loathsome things. It is horrible, thy body is horrible. It is of thy hair that I am enamoured, Iokanaan. Thy hair is like clusters of grapes, like the clusters of black grapes that hang from the vine-trees of Edom in the land of the Edomites. Thy hair is like the cedars of Lebanon, like the great cedars of Lebanon that give their shade to the lions and to the robbers who would hide them by day. The long black
-23-
nights, when the moon hides her face, when the stars are afraid, are not so black as thy hair. The silence that dwells in the forest is not so black. There is nothing in the world that is so black as thy hair . . . . Suffer me to touch thy hair.
IOKANAAN
Back, daughter of Sodom! Touch me not. Profane not the temple of the Lord God.
SALOME
Thy hair is horrible. It is covered with mire and dust. It is like a crown of thorns placed on thy head. It is like a knot of serpents coiled round thy neck. I love not thy hair . . . . It is thy mouth that I desire, Iokanaan. Thy mouth is like a band of scarlet on a tower of ivory. It is like a pomegranate cut in twain with a knife of ivory. The pomegranate flowers that blossom in the gardens of Tyre, and are redder than roses, are not so red. The red blasts of trumpets that herald the approach of kings, and make afraid the enemy, are not so red. Thy mouth is redder than the feet of those who tread the wine in the wine-press. It is redder than the feet of the doves who inhabit the temples and are fed by the priests. It is redder than the feet of him who cometh from a forest where he hath slain a lion, and seen gilded tigers. Thy mouth is like a branch of coral that fishers have found in the twilight of the sea, the coral that they keep for the kings! . . . It is like the
-24-
vermilion that the Moahites find in the mines of Moab, the vermilion that the kings take from them. It is like the bow of the King of the Persians, that is painted with vermilion, and is tipped with coral. There is nothing in the world so red as thy mouth . . . . Suffer me to kiss thy mouth.
IOKANAAN
Never! daughter of Babylon! Daughter of Sodom! never!
SALOME
I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan. I will kiss thy mouth.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess, Princess, thou who art like a garden of myrrh, thou who art the dove of all doves, look not at this man, look not at him! Do not speak such words to him. I cannot endure it. . . Princess, do not speak these things.
SAL0ME
I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Ah! [He kills himself, and falls between Salome and lokanaan.]
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
The young Syrian has slain himself! The
-25-
young captain has slain himself! He has slain himself who was my friend! I gave him a little box of perfumes and ear-rings wrought in silver, and now he has killed himself! Ah, did he not say that some misfortune would happen? I, too, said it, and it has come to pass. Well I knew that the moon was seeking a dead thing, but I knew not that it was he whom she sought. Ah! why did I not hide him from the moon? If I had hidden him in a cavern she would not have seen him.
FIRST SOLDIER
Princess, the young captain has just slain himself.
SALOME
Suffer me to kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.
IOKANAAN
Art thou not afraid, daughter of Herodias? Did I not tell thee that I had heard in the palace the beating of the wings of the angel of death, and hath he not come, the angel of death?
SALOME
Suffer me to kiss thy mouth.
IOKANAAN
Daughter of adultery, there is but one who can save thee. It is He of whom I spake. Go seek Him. He is in a boat on the sea of Galilee, and He
-26-
talketh with His disciples. Kneel down on the shore of the sea, and call unto Him by His name. When He cometh to thee, and to all who call on Him He cometh, bow thyself at His feet and ask of Him the remission of thy sins.