《莎乐美》第14章

恶兆。好，莎乐美，妳不会希望见到我遭到不幸的事吧？妳不希望如此。那么，请听我的话。　
莎乐美︰给我约翰的头。　
herod
no；　no！
herodias
that　is　well　said；　my　daughter。
herod
no；　no；　salome。　it　is　not　that　thou　desirest。　do　not　listen　to　thy　mothers　voice。　she　is　ever　giving　thee　evil　counsel。　do　not　heed　her。
salome
it　is　not　my　mothers　voice　that　i　heed。　it　is　for　mine　own　pleasure　that　i　ask　the　head　of　iokanaan　in　a　silver　charger。　you　have　sworn　an　oath；　herod。　forget　not　that　you　have　sworn　an　oath。
herod
i　know　it。　i　have　sworn　an　oath　by　my　gods。　i　know　it　well。　but。　i　pray　thee；　salome；　ask　of　me　something　else。　ask　of　me　the　half　of　my　kingdom；　and　i　will　give　it　thee。　but　ask　not　of　me　what　thy　lips　have　asked。
salome
i　ask　of　you　the　head　of　iokanaan。
herod
no；　no；　i　will　not　give　it　thee。
salome
you　have　sworn　an　oath；　herod。
herodias
yes；　you　have　sworn　an　oath。　everybody　heard　you。　you　swore　it　before　everybody。
herod
peace；　woman！　it　is　not　to　you　i　speak。
…57…
herodias
my　daughter　has　done　well　to　ask　the　head　of　iokanaan。　he　has　covered　me　with　insults。　he　has　said　unspeakable　things　against　me。　one　can　see　that　she　loves　her　mother　well。　do　not　yield；　my　daughter。　he　has　sworn　an　oath；　he　has　sworn　an　oath。
herod
peace！　speak　not　to　me！　。　。　。　salome；　i　pray　thee　be　not　stubborn。　i　have　ever　been　kind　toward　thee。　i　have　ever　loved　thee。　。　。　it　may　be　that　i　have　loved　thee　too　much。　therefore　ask　not　this　thing　of　me。　this　is　a　terrible　thing；　an　awful　thing　to　ask　of　me。　surely；　i　think　thou　art　jesting。　the　head　of　a　man　that　is　cut　from　his　body　is　ill　to　look　upon；　is　it　not？　it　is　not　meet　that　the　eyes　of　a　virgin　should　look　upon　such　a　thing。　what　pleasure　couldst　thou　have　in　it？　there　is　no　pleasure　that　thou　couldst　have　in　it。　no；　no；　it　is　not　that　thou　desirest。　hearken　to　me。　i　have　an　emerald；　a　great　emerald　and　round；　that　the　minion　of　c？sar　has　sent　unto　me。　when　thou　lookest　through　this　emerald　thou　canst　see　that　which　passeth　afar　off。　c？sar　himself　carries　such　an　emerald　when　he　goes　to　the　circus。　but　my　emerald　is　the　larger。　i　know　well　that　it　is　the　larger。　it　is　the　largest　emerald　in　the　whole　world。　thou　wilt　take　that；　wilt　thou　not？　ask　it　of　me　and　i　will　give　it　thee。
salome
i　demand　the　head　of　iokanaan。
…58…
herod
thou　art　not　listening。　thou　art　not　listening。　suffer　me　to　speak；　salome。
salome
the　head　of　iokanaan！
herod
no；　no；　thou　wouldst　not　have　that。　thou　sayest　that　but　to　trouble　me；　because　that　i　have　looked　at　thee　and　ceased　not　this　night。　it　is　true；　i　have　looked　at　thee　and　ceased　not　this　night。　thy　beauty　has　troubled　me。　thy　beauty　has　grievously　troubled　me；　and　i　have　looked　at　thee　overmuch。　nay；　but　i　will　look　at　thee　no　more。　one　should　not　look　at　anything。　neither　at　things；　nor　at　people　should　one　look。　only　in　mirrors　is　it　well　to　look；　for　mirrors　do　but　show　us　masks。　oh！　oh！　bring　wine！　i　thirst　。　。　。　。　salome；　salome；　let　us　be　as　friends。　bethink　thee　。　。　。　ah！　what　would　i　say？　what　wast？　ah！　i　remember　it！　。　。　。　salome；　……　nay　but　e　nearer　to　me；　i　fear　thou　wilt　not　hear　my　words；　……　salome；　thou　knowest　my　white　peacocks；　my　beautiful　white　peacocks；　that　walk　in　the　garden　between　the　myrtles　and　the　tall　cypress…trees。　their　beaks　are　gilded　with　gold　and　the　grains　that　they　eat　are　smeared　with　gold；　and　their　feet　are　stained　with　purple。　when　they　cry　out　the　rain　es；　and　the　moon　shows　herself　in　the　heavens　when　they　spread　their　tails。　two　by　two　they　walk　between　the　cypress…trees　and　the　black　
…59…
myrtles；　and　each　has　a　slave　to　tend　it。　sometimes　they　fly　across　the　trees；　and　anon　they　couch　in　the　grass；　and　round　the　pools　of　the　water。　there　are　not　in　all　the　world　birds　so　wonderful。　i　know　that　c？sar　himself　has　no　birds　so　fair　as　my　birds。　i　will　give　thee　fifty　of　my　peacocks。　they　will　follow　thee　whithersoever　thou　goest；　and　in　the　midst　of　them　thou　wilt　be　like　unto　the　moon　in　the　midst　of　a　great　white　cloud　。　。　。　。　i　will　give　them　to　thee；　all。　i　have　but　a　hundred；　and　in　the　whole　world　there　is　no　king　who　has　peacocks　like　unto　my　peacocks。　but　i　will　give　them　all　to　thee。　only　thou　must　loose　me　from　my　oath；　and　must　not　ask　of　me　that　which　thy　lips　have　asked　of　me。
＇he　empties　the　cup　of　wine。＇
salome
give　me　the　head　of　iokanaan！
herodias
well　said；　my　daughter！　as　for　you；　you　are　ridiculous　with　your　peacocks。
herod
peace！　you　are　always　crying　out。　you　cry　out　like　a　beast　of　prey。　you　must　not　cry　in　such　fashion。　your　voice　wearies　me。　peace；　i　tell　you！　。　。　。　salome；　think　on　what　thou　art　doing。　it　may　be　that　this　man　es　from　god。　he　is　a　holy　man。　the　finger　of　god　has　touched　him。　god　
…60…
has　put　terrible　words　into　his　mouth。　in　the　palace；　as　in　the　desert；　god　is　ever　with　him　。　。　。　。　it　may　be　that　he　is；　at　least。　one　cannot　tell；　but　it　is　possible　that　god　is　with　him　and　for　him。　if　he　die　also；　peradventure　some　evil　may　befall　me。　verily；　he　has　said　that　evil　will　befall　some　one　on　the　day　whereon　he　dies。　on　whom　should　it　fall　if　it　fall　not　on　me？　remember；　i　slipped　in　blood　when　i　came　hither。　also　did　i　not　hear　a　beating　of　wings　in　the　air；　a　beating　of　vast　wings？　these　are　ill　omens。　and　there　were　other　things。　i　am　sure　that　there　were　other　things；　though　i　saw　them　not。　thou　wouldst　not　that　some　evil　should　befall　me；　salome？　listen　to　me　again。
salome
give　me　the　head　of　iokanaan！
．co
莎乐美十三
…。网
希律王︰啊！妳根本没在听。冷静下来。我——我很冷静。我非常冷静。听好。我在这个地方藏有珠宝——甚至连妳母亲也未曾见过的珠宝；那些稀世的珍宝。我有一串四列的珍珠。它们就像是由一串月亮所连结而成的银色长炼。它们像五十个月亮收集在一张金色的网中。只有在皇后美白的颈子才配得戴上它。如果妳戴上的话，那么妳将成为一位美丽的皇后。我有两种水晶石，一黑一红，如同剔莹的美酒。我有黄榴石，颜色如同老虎的眸子，紫如鸽眼，绿如猫眼。我有乳色烧制的玉石，犹如冷冽的火光，如同悲伤男子的心，害怕独处在黑暗之中而不见天日。我有截子玛瑙，外型如女子的眼球。我有月光石，它们会随着月相而改变，一但见日，它们就苍白无色。我有大如鸡蛋?