莎乐美十四

     希律王︰她是只野兽，妳的女儿，她完全是只野兽。事实上，她所做的一切都是犯罪。我确信那是一件反对未知神的犯罪。

     希罗底︰我同意我女儿的行为。现在，我愿意待在这里了。

     希律王〔站起〕︰啊！这个乱伦的妻子！来吧！我不愿意待在这儿。来，我告诉妳。将会有可怕的不幸即将来临。马那色，伊萨恰（Issachar），欧季亚（Ozias），熄灭火光。我再也看不下去。我再也承受不住眼前所见到的一切。熄灭火把！遮住月亮！遮住星星！让我们躲到宫里去，希罗底。我开始感到害怕。

     〔奴隶熄灭火把。众星消失。一抹乌云飘至月亮之前，完全掩盖月色。舞台黑暗。国王开始爬上阶梯。〕

     莎乐美的声音︰啊！我吻了你的嘴，约翰，我终于吻了你的嘴。你唇上的味道相当苦。难道是血的滋味吗？……或许那是爱情的滋味……他们说爱情的滋味相当苦……但那又怎样？那又怎么？我终于吻了你的嘴，约翰。

     〔一道月光透射出来，莎乐美沐浴在银色光线之中。〕

     希律王〔转过身来望向莎乐美〕︰杀了这个女人！

     〔士兵们举起盾牌，渐渐向前压挤着莎乐美，希罗底之女，犹太王国的公主。〕

     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.]