SALOMÉ
SCENE. —A great terrace in the Palace of Herod, set above the banqueting-hall. Some soldiers are leaning over the balcony. To the right there is a gigantic staircase, to the left, at the back, an old cistern surrounded by a wall of green bronze. Moonlight.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
How beautiful is the Princess Salomé to-night!
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
Look at the moon! How strange the moon seems! She is like a woman rising from a tomb. She is like a dead woman. You would fancy she was looking for dead things.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
She has a strange look. She is like a little princess who wears a yellow veil, and whose feet are of silver. She is like a princess who has little white doves for feet. You would fancy she was dancing.
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
She is like a woman who is dead. She moves very slowly.
[Noise in the banqueting-hall.]
FIRST SOLDIER
What an uproar! Who are those wild beasts howling?
SECOND SOLDIER
The Jews. They are always like that. They are disputing about their religion.
FIRST SOLDIER
Why do they dispute about their religion?
SECOND SOLDIER
I cannot tell. They are always doing it. The Pharisees, for instance, say that there are angels, and the Sadducees declare that angels do not exist.
FIRST SOLDIER
I think it is ridiculous to dispute about such things.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
How beautiful is the Princess Salomé to-night!
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
You are always looking at her. You look at her too much. It is dangerous to look at people in such fashion. Something terrible may happen.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
She is very beautiful to-night.
FIRST SOLDIER
The Tetrarch has a sombre look.
SECOND SOLDIER
Yes; he has a sombre look.
FIRST SOLDIER
He is looking at something.
SECOND SOLDIER
He is looking at some one.
FIRST SOLDIER
At whom is he looking?
SECOND SOLDIER
I cannot tell.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
How pale the Princess is! Never have I seen her so pale. She is like the shadow of a white rose in a mirror of silver.
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
You must not look at her. You look too much at her.
FIRST SOLDIER
Herodias has filled the cup of the Tetrarch.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
Is that the Queen Herodias, she who wears a black mitre sewn with pearls, and whose hair is powdered with blue dust?
FIRST SOLDIER
Yes; that is Herodias, the Tetrarch's wife.
SECOND SOLDIER
The Tetrarch is very fond of wine. He has wine of three sorts. One which is brought from the Island of Samothrace, and is purple like the cloak of Cæsar.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
I have never seen Cæsar.
SECOND SOLDIER
Another that comes from a town called Cyprus, and is yellow like gold.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
I love gold.
SECOND SOLDIER
And the third is a wine of Sicily. That wine is red like blood.
THE NUBIAN
The gods of my country are very fond of blood. Twice in the year we sacrifice to them young men and maidens; fifty young men and a hundred maidens. But it seems we never give them quite enough, for they are very harsh to us.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
In my country there are no gods left. The Romans have driven them out. There are some who say that they have hidden themselves in the mountains, but I do not believe it. Three nights I have been on the mountains seeking them everywhere. I did not find them. And at last I called them by their names, and they did not come. I think they are dead.
FIRST SOLDIER
The Jews worship a God that you cannot see.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
I cannot understand that.
FIRST SOLDIER
In fact, they only believe in things that you cannot see.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
That seems to me altogether ridiculous.
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN
After me shall come another mightier than I. I am not worthy so much as to unloose the latchet of his shoes. When he cometh, the solitary places shall be glad. They shall blossom like the lily. The eyes of the blind shall see the day, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened. The new-born child shall put his hand upon the dragon's lair, he shall lead the lions by their manes.
SECOND SOLDIER
Make him be silent. He is always saying ridiculous things.
FIRST SOLDIER
No, no. He is a holy man. He is very gentle, too. Every day, when I give him to eat he thanks me.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
Who is he?
FIRST SOLDIER
A prophet.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
What is his name?
FIRST SOLDIER
Jokanaan.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
Whence comes he?
FIRST SOLDIER
From the desert, where he fed on locusts and wild honey. He was clothed in camel's hair, and round his loins he had a leathern belt. He was very terrible to look upon. A great multitude used to follow him. He even had disciples.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
What is he talking of?
FIRST SOLDIER
We can never tell. Sometimes he says terrible things, but it is impossible to understand what he says.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
May one see him?
FIRST SOLDIER
No. The Tetrarch has forbidden it.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
The Princess has hidden her face behind her fan! Her little white hands are fluttering like doves that fly to their dove-cots. They are like white butterflies. They are just like white butterflies.
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
What is that to you? Why do you look at her? You must not look at her… Something terrible may happen.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
[Pointing to the cistern.]
What a strange prison!
SECOND SOLDIER
It is an old cistern.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
An old cistern! It must be very unhealthy.
SECOND SOLDIER
Oh no! For instance, the Tetrarch's brother, his elder brother, the first husband of Herodias the Queen, was imprisoned there for twelve years. It did not kill him. At the end of the twelve years he had to be strangled.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
Strangled? Who dared to do that?
SECOND SOLDIER
[Pointing to the Executioner, a huge Negro.]
That man yonder, Naaman.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
He was not afraid?
SECOND SOLDIER
Oh no! The Tetrarch sent him the ring.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
What ring?
SECOND SOLDIER
The death-ring. So he was not afraid.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
Yet it is a terrible thing to strangle a king.
FIRST SOLDIER
Why? Kings have but one neck, like other folk.
THE CAPPADOCIAN
I think it terrible.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
The Princess rises! She is leaving the table! She looks very troubled. Ah, she is coming this way. Yes, she is coming towards us. How pale she is! Never have I seen her so pale.
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
Do not look at her. I pray you not to look at her.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
She is like a dove that has strayed… She is like a narcissus trembling in the wind… She is like a silver flower.
[Enter Salomé.]
SALOMÉ
I will not stay. I cannot stay. Why does the Tetrarch look at me all the while with his mole's eyes under his shaking eyelids? It is strange that the husband of my mother looks at me like that. I know not what it means. In truth, yes, I know it.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
You have just left the feast, Princess?
SALOMÉ
How sweet the air is here! I can breathe here! Within there are Jews from Jerusalem who are tearing each other in pieces over their foolish ceremonies, and barbarians who drink and drink, and spill their wine on the pavement, and Greeks from Smyrna with painted eyes and painted cheeks, and frizzed hair curled in twisted coils, and silent, subtle Egyptians, with long nails of jade and russett cloaks, and Romans brutal and coarse, with their uncouth jargon. Ah! how I loathe the Romans! They are rough and common, and they give themselves the airs of noble lords.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Will you be seated, Princess?
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
Why do you speak to her? Why do you look at her? Oh! something terrible will happen.
SALOMÉ
How good to see the moon! She is like a little piece of money, you would think she was a little silver flower. The moon is cold and chaste. I am sure she is a virgin, she has a virgin's beauty. Yes, she is a virgin. She has never defiled herself. She has never abandoned herself to men, like the other goddesses.
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN
The Lord hath come. The son of man hath come. The centaurs have hidden themselves in the rivers, and the sirens have left the rivers, and are lying beneath the leaves of the forest.
SALOMÉ
Who was that who cried out?
SECOND SOLDIER
The prophet, Princess.
SALOMÉ
Ah, the prophet! He of whom the Tetrarch is afraid?
SECOND SOLDIER
We know nothing of that, Princess. It was the prophet Jokanaan who cried out.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Is it your pleasure that I bid them bring your litter, Princess? The night is fair in the garden.
SALOMÉ
He says terrible things about my mother, does he not?
SECOND SOLDIER
We never understand what he says, Princess.
SALOMÉ
Yes; he says terrible things about her.
[Enter a Slave.]
THE SLAVE
Princess, the Tetrarch prays you to return to the feast.
SALOMÉ
I will not go back.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Pardon me, Princess, but if you do not return some misfortune may happen.
SALOMÉ
Is he an old man, this prophet?
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Princess, it were better to return. Suffer me to lead you in.
SALOMÉ
This prophet … is he an old man?
FIRST SOLDIER
No, Princess, he is quite a young man.
SECOND SOLDIER
You cannot be sure. There are those who say he is Elias.
SALOMÉ
Who is Elias?
SECOND SOLDIER
A very ancient prophet of this country, Princess.
THE SLAVE
What answer may I give the Tetrarch from the Princess?
THE VOICE OF JOKANAAN
Rejoice not thou, land of Palestine, because the rod of him who smote thee is broken. For from the seed of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and that which is born of it shall devour the birds.
SALOMÉ
What a strange voice! I would speak with him.
FIRST SOLDIER
I fear it is impossible, Princess. The Tetrarch does not wish any one to speak with him. He has even forbidden the high priest to speak with him.
SALOMÉ
I desire to speak with him.
FIRST SOLDIER
It is impossible, Princess.
SALOMÉ
I will speak with him.
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
Would it not be better to return to the banquet?
SALOMÉ
Bring forth this prophet.
[Exit the slave.]
FIRST SOLDIER
We dare not, Princess.
SALOMÉ
[Approaching the cistern and looking down into it.]
How black it is, down there! It must be terrible to be in so black a pit! It is like a tomb… [To the soldiers.] Did you not hear me? Bring out the prophet. I wish to see him.
SECOND SOLDIER
Princess, I beg you do not require this of us.
SALOMÉ
You keep me waiting!
FIRST SOLDIER
Princess, our lives belong to you, but we cannot do what you have asked of us. And indeed, it is not of us that you should ask this thing.
SALOMÉ
[Looking at the young Syrian.]
Ah!
THE PAGE OF HERODIAS
Oh! what is going to happen? I am sure that some misfortune will happen.
SALOMÉ
[Going up to the young Syrian.]
You will do this tiling for me, will you not, Narraboth? You will do this thing for me. I have always been kind to you. You will do it for me. I would but look at this strange prophet. Men have talked so much of him. Often have I heard the Tetrarch talk of him. I think the Tetrarch is afraid of him. Are you, even you, also afraid of him, Narraboth?
THE YOUNG SYRIAN
I fear him not, Princess; there is no man I fear. But the Tetrarch has formally forbidden that any man should raise the cover of this well.