Salome

密友及文学上的遗嘱执行人Robert Ross写的序With reference to the charge of plagiarism brought against "Salomé" and its author, I venture to mention a personal recollection. Wilde complained to me one day that someone in a well-known novel had stolen an idea of his. I pleaded in defence of the culprit that Wilde himself was a fearless literary thief. "My dear fellow," he said, with his usual drawling emphasis, "when I see a monstrous tulip with four wonderful petals in someone else's garden, I am impelled to grow a monstrous tulip with five wonderful petals, but that is no reason why someone should grow a tulip with only three petals." THAT WAS OSCAR WILDE.

8. 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.10 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. 13 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. jokanaan: after me shall come another mighter 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. 14-15.23- salome: 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. 37-it is his eyes above all that are terrible.... they are like black lakes troubled by fantastic moons. 66- god is iat no time hidden. he showeth himself at all times and in everything. god is in what is evil even as he is in what is good.108- but i will look at you no more. neither at things, nor at people should one look. only in mirrors should one look, for mirrors do but show us masks. 122- the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death. love only should one consider. 124- salome: there was a bitter taste on thy lips. was it the taste of blood? but perhance it is the taste of love. they say that love hath a better taste. but what of that? what of that? i have kissed thy mouth, jokanaan. collection of british authors tauchnitz edition. vol. 4133. salome by oscar wilde. 1909.

I have kissed thy mouth, Iokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth. There was a bitter taste on thy lips. Was it the taste of blood?... Nay; but perchance it was the taste of love.. They say that love hath a bitter taste. But what matter? what matter? I have kissed thy mouth, Iokanaan, I have kissed thy mouth.

Ah! ah! wherefore didst thou not look at me? If thou hadst looked at me thou hadst loved me. Well I know that thou wouldst have loved me, and the mystery of Love is greater than the mystery of Death.