Salome

How beautiful princess Salome is tonight!

How strange the moon seems.

She looks like a woman rising from a tomb.

She looks very strange.

Like a little princess with small white doves for feet.

You would fancy she were dancing.

She is like a lifeless woman

slowly gliding along.

What an uproar!

Who are those howling like wild animals?

The Jews.

They never change. Always arguing about their religion.

It is ridiculous to get worked up about such things.

How beautiful princess Salome is tonight!

You are always looking at her.

You look at her too much.

It is dangerous to look at people in such a way.

Something terrible may happen.

She is very beautiful tonight.

The tetrarch looks very sombre.

Yes, he looks very sombre.

Who is he looking at?

I do not know.

How pale the princess is.

I have never seen her look so pale.

She is like the shadow of a white rose reflected in a silver mirror.

You must not look at her.

You look at her too much.

Something terrible may happen.

After me shall come another

who is stronger than I.

I am not worthy

to undo the straps of his sandals.

When he comes the desolate places shall rejoice.

When he comes the eyes of the blind shall see the day.

When he comes

the ears of the deaf shall be opened.

Make him be quiet!

He is a holy man.

He is always saying ridiculous things.

He is very gentle.

Every day when I bring him food he thanks me.

- Who is he? - A prophet.

- What is his name? - Jokanaan.

Where does he come from?

From the desert.

Many disciples used to follow him.

What does he talk about?

It is impossible to understand what he says.

May I see him?

No, the tetrarch has forbidden it.

The princess is getting up.

She is leaving the table.

She seems very upset.

- She is coming this way. - Do not look at her!

- Yes, she is coming towards us. - I beg you, do not look at her!

She is like a lost dove.

I cannot bear to stay there any longer.

Why does the tetrarch keep looking at me like that

with his mole's eyes under those shaking eyelids?

It is strange for my mother's husband to look at me like that.

How sweet the air is out here.

I can breathe freely.

In there are the Jews from Jerusalem,

tearing themselves to pieces over their foolish rituals.

Crafty, quiet Egyptians

and brutal hulking Romans with their uncouth language.

How I loathe the Romans.

Something terrible will happen.

Why do you look at her like that?

How good it is to see the moon.

She is like a silver flower, cold and chaste.

There is a virginal beauty about her.

The Lord has come.

The Son of Man has come.

Who was that who just spoke?

The prophet, princess.

Ah, the prophet

of whom the tetrarch is so frightened?

We know nothing about that, princess.

It was the prophet Jokanaan who called out.

Shall I order your litter?

The garden is beautiful at night.

He says terrible things about my mother, does he not?

We never understand what he says, princess.

Yes, he says terrible things about her.

Princess, Herod would like you to return to the feast.

I do not want to go back in.

Is this prophet an old man?

Princess, it would be better to go inside.

Let me lead the way.

Is this prophet an old man?

No, princess, he is quite young.

Do not rejoice, land of Palestine,

because the rod of him who beat you is broken.

For a basilisk shall come from the seed of the snake.

Its offspring shall devour the birds.

What a strange voice! I would like to speak to him.

Princess, Herod does not want anyone to speak to him.

He has forbidden even the High Priest to speak to him.

I wish to speak to him now.

It is not possible, princess.

I want to speak to him.

Have this prophet brought out!

We are not allowed to, princess.

How dark it is down there.

It must be terrible to live in so black a pit.

It is just like a tomb.

Did you not hear what I said?

Bring the prophet out! I want to see him.

We cannot do what you want.

What will happen now?

Something terrible, I am sure.

You will do this for me, Narraboth.

I have always been kind to you.

You will do this for me.

I just want to see this strange prophet.

People have talked about him so much.

I think Herod is afraid of him.

He has strictly forbidden

the cover of the cistern to be lifted.

You will do this for me, Narraboth.

Tomorrow, when I pass the gateway where the idol makers stand,

I shall drop a little flower for you.

A little green flower.

Princess, I cannot.

You will do this for me, Narraboth.

You know you will do this for me.

And tomorrow morning, when I glance at you through my veil,

I might even give you a smile.

Look at me, Narraboth!

You know only too well that you will do as I ask.

You know it well.

I know you will do it.

Let the prophet out.

Princess Salome wishes to see him.

Where is he whose cup of sins overflows?

Where is he who, wearing a silver robe,

will one day die before all people?

Let him come forward

that he may hear the voice of him

who cried aloud in the desert and in the houses of kings.

Who is he talking about?

No one can tell, princess.

Where is she who gave in to lust

when she stood before painted images of men

and who sent ambassadors into the land of Chaldea?

He is talking about my mother.

No, princess.

Yes, he is talking about my mother.

Where is she who gave herself to the leaders of Assyria?

Where is she who gave herself to the young men of Egypt?

With their fine linens and precious jewels,

their golden shields and bodies like giants.

Let her get up from her bed of depravity,

from her bed of incest.

She shall hear the words of him

who prepares the way of the Lord

and repent of her sins.

And even if she never repents, let her come,

for the scourge of the Lord is in his hand.

He is terrifying.

He is truly terrifying.

Princess, I beg you not to stay here.

His eyes are the most terrible thing about him.

They are like pitch-dark caves

where dragons live.

They are like black lakes troubled by fantastic moonlight.

Do you think he will speak again?

Princess, I beg you not to stay here.

How gaunt he is.

He is like an ivory statue.

I am sure he is as chaste as the moon.

His flesh must be as cool as ivory.

I must look closer at him.

No, princess.

I must look more closely at him.

Princess, princess!

Who is this woman looking at me?

I will not have her look at me.

Why does she look at me with golden eyes under those gilded eyelids?

I do not know who she is.

I do not wish to know who she is.

Ask her to go.

I do not wish to speak to her.

I am Salome, daughter of Herodias,

princess of Judaea.

Stand back, daughter of Babylon.

Do not come near the Lord's chosen one.

Your mother has filled the earth with the wine of her iniquities

and God has heard the cry of her sins.

Speak again, Jokanaan!

Your voice is music to my ears.

Princess, princess, princess!

Speak again, Jokanaan,

and tell me what I must do.

Daughter of Sodom,

do not come near me.

Cover your face with a veil.

Scatter ashes over your head, go out into the desert