Salome's Last Dance Page #3

her amber eyes and silver eyelids?

I don't know who she is.

I don't want to know!

Tell her to go away!

It is not to her that I wish to speak!

I am Salome,

daughter of Herodias,

Princess of Judea.

Get back, daughter of Babylon!

Fall back from the Lord's chosen one!

Your mother has stained the earth

with the wine of her iniquities..

and the cries of her sins

have reached the ears of God!

Talk on, John the Baptist!

Your voice intoxicates me!

Princess! Princess! Princess!

Speak again!

Speak again, John the Baptist!

And tell me what I must do. - Away!

Daughter of Sodom! Cover your face

with a veil and heap ashes on your head!

And go into the desert

to seek out the Son of Man!

Who is the Son of Man?

Is he as beautiful as you,

John the Baptist?

Back!

Back!

In the palace! I hear the beating

wings of the Angel of Death!

Princess, I beg you to go back inside!

Angel of the Lord!

Why are you here with your sword?

Whom do you seek in this foul palace?

The day of the one who will die

in a scarlet robe has not yet come!

John the Baptist!

- Who speaks?

John the Baptist..

I am in love with your body.

Your body is white..

like the lily of a meadow that the

scythe has never cut down.

Your body is as white..

as the snows on the mountains of Judah..

which descend to the valleys.

The roses in the garden

of the Queen of Arabia..

are not as white.. as your body.

Nor the footprints of dawn

which steal onto leaves,

nor the breasts of the

moon when she sets..

on the bosom of the sea.

There is nothing in the world

as white as your body.

Let me touch..

your body!

- Away!

Daughter of Babylon!

It is through woman that

evil entered the world.

Do not speak to me!

I do not wish to hear you.

I listen only to the

word of the Lord God!

Your body is hideous!

It is like the body of the leper!

It is like a wall of plaster

where vipers have passed!

Like a wall of plaster where

scorpions have made their nest!

It is horrible!

It is horrible, your body!

It is your hair..

that I am in love with..

John the Baptist.

Your hair is like

bunches of black grapes..

which hang from the vines of Edom,

in the country of the Edomites.

It is like the cedars of Lebanon,

like the large cedars of Lebanon,

which give shade to

the lions and to the robbers..

who hide during the day!

The long black nights,

the nights when the

moon hides herself,

when the stars are afraid..

are not as black!

The silence in the forest

is not as black a silence,

There is nothing in the world

as black as your hair!

Let me touch your hair!

Away! Daughter of Sodom!

Do not touch me!

Do not violate the

temple of the Lord God!

Your hair is horrible!

It's all covered in mud and dirt!

It is like a crown of thorns

placed on your brow!

It is like a knot of black snakes

twisting around your neck!

I don't like your hair!

It is..

your mouth that I am in love with..

John the Baptist.

Your mouth is like a band of scarlet..

around an ivory tower.

It is like a pomegranate

cut by an ivory knife.

The pomegranate flowers..

which bloom in the gardens of Tyre

and are redder than the roses..

aren't as red.

The red cries of trumpets

that herald the arrival of kings..

and frighten the enemies..

aren't as red.

Your mouth..

is redder than the feet of those

who tread the wine in the wine presses..

It is redder than the feet of the doves

which live in the temples..

who are fed by the priests.

It is redder than the feet of one

who comes out of the forest..

having killed a lion and

seen golden tigers!

Your mouth is like a branch of coral

which fishermen have found..

in the half-light of the sea

and saved for their king.

It is like the vermilion

that the Moabites find..

in the mines of Moab which

the kings take from them!

It is like the pearl of

the King of Persia..

which is painted vermilion

with all of its coral.

There is nothing in the world..

as red as your mouth!

Let me kiss..

your mouth!

Never! Daughter of Babylon!

Daughter of Sodom! Never!

I will kiss your mouth, John the Baptist!

I will kiss your mouth!

Princess..

Princess!

You who are like a bouquet of myrrh!

You who are the dove of doves!

Do not like at this man!

Do not look at him!

Do not say such things to him!

I cannot bear it!

Princess! Do not say such things!

I will kiss your mouth,

John the Baptist!

Now!

Let me kiss your mouth,

John the Baptist!

Princess, the young captain

has killed himself!

Let me kiss your mouth!

Are you not afraid,

daughter of Herodias?

Did I not tell you I heard the beating

wings of the Angel of Death!

And has not the angel come?

Let me kiss your mouth!

Adulteress' daughter!

There is only one man who can save you!

It is he I was speaking of.

He was my brother.

- Go and seek him out.

Closer even than a brother.

He's in the boat of the sea of Galilee,

teaching his disciples.

I gave him a little a box of perfumes..

and a ring of agate which

he always wore on his hand.

Kneel down by the water's

edge and call his name.

In the evenings, we would stroll by the

side of the river amongst the almond trees.

and he comes toward you.. - And he

would tell me stories about his country.

he comes to all those who call him..

Prostrate yourself at his feet

and ask forgiveness of your sins!

Let me kiss your mouth!

Be cursed, daughter

of an incestuous mother!

Be damned!

I will not look at you,

you are accursed! Salome!

You are accursed!

I will kiss your mouth,

John the Baptist!

I will kiss your mouth!

We must dispose of the body.

The only corpses the Tetrarch likes

to see are those he killed himself.

You're right. We must hide the body.

The Tetrarch mustn't see it!

The Tetrarch doesn't come here.

He never comes out in the dirt!

He's too afraid of the Prophet.

Where is Salome?

Where is the Princess?

Why did she not return to the

banquet as I commanded?

Ah! There she is!

You must not look at her.

You are always looking at her!

This moon is strange tonight!

Isn't the moon strange?

Like a madwoman looking

for lovers everywhere!

Ah, she's naked too!

She's completely naked!

The clouds have tried to clothe her,

but she doesn't want them.

She's showing herself

completely naked in the sky!

She's reeling across the clouds

like a drunken harlot!

I am sure, she's looking for lovers!

Doesn't she reel..

just like a drunken woman?

She's like a..

a crazy woman, isn't she?

Let's go in, there's nothing out here!

- No, I'm staying here. Manasseh!

Lay the couch down here,

light the torches,

bring out the ivory and marble tables!

The air here is..

delicious.

I shall take more wine with my guests.

To the ambassadors of Caesar..

one must afford..

all of the honors.

It's not because of them that

you're staying out here.

Yes, the air here is exquisite!

Come my dear Herodias, we're

keeping our guests waiting!

Oh! I've slipped!

Slipped in blood!

It's a bad omen, a very bad omen!

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