on, to
me, Salomé, daughter of Herodias, Princess of Judaea! Well, I
still live, but thou art dead, and thy head belongs to me. I
can do with it what I will. I can throw it to the dogs and to
the birds of the air. That which the dogs leave, the birds of
the air shall devour... Ah, Iokanaan, Iokanaan, thou wert the
man that I loved alone among men! All other men were hateful
to me. But thou wert beautiful! Thy body was a column of
ivory set upon feet of silver. It was a garden full of doves
and lilies of silver. It was a tower of silver decked with
shields of ivory. There was nothing in the world so white as
thy body. There was nothing in the world so black as thy
hair. In the whole world there was nothing so red as thy
mouth. Thy voice was a censer that scattered strange
perfumes, and when I looked on thee I heard a strange music.
Ah! wherefore didst thou not look at me, Iokanaan With the
cloak of shine hands, and with the cloak of thy blasphemies
thou didst hide thy face. Thou didst put upon shine eyes the
covering of him who would see his God. Well, thou hast seen
thy God, Iokanaan, but me, me, thou didst never see. If thou
hadst seen me thou hadst loved me. I saw thee, and I loved
thee. Oh, how I loved thee! I love thee yet, Iokanaan. I love
only thee... I am athirst for thy beauty; I am hungry for thy
body; and neither wine nor apples can appease my desire. What
shall I do now, Iokanaan Neither the floods nor the great
waters can quench my passion. I was a princess, and thou
didst scorn me. I was a virgin, and thou didst take my
virginity from me. I was chaste, and thou didst fill my veins
with fire... Ah! ah! wherefore didst thou not look at me If
thou hadst looked at me thou hadst loved me. Well I know that