I love you.

How could I defend myself?  I had only my white, wonderful, sharp little teeth—­they were good only for kisses.  How could I defend myself?  It is only now that I carry on my neck this terrible burden of a head, and my look is commanding and straight, but then my head was light and my eyes gazed meekly.  Then I had no poison yet.  Oh, my head is so heavy and it is hard for me to hold it up!  Oh, I have grown tired of my look—­two stones are in my forehead, and these are my eyes.  Perhaps the glittering stones are precious—­but it is hard to carry them instead of gentle eyes—­they oppress my brain.  It is so hard for my head!  I look ahead and sway myself; I see you in a green mist—­you are so far away.  Come closer to me.

You see, even in sorrow I am beautiful, and my look is languid because of my love.  Look into my pupil; I will narrow and widen it, and give it a peculiar glitter—­the twinkling of a star at night, the playfulness of all precious stones—­of diamonds, of green emeralds, of yellowish topaz, of blood-red rubies.  Look into my eyes:  It is I, the queen—­I am crowning myself, and that which is glittering, burning and glowing—­that robs you of your reason, your freedom and your life—­it is poison.  It is a drop of my poison.

How has it happened?  I do not know.  I did not bear ill-will to the living.

I lived and suffered.  I was silent.  I languished.  I hid myself hurriedly when I could hide myself; I crawled away hastily.  But they have never seen me weep—­I cannot weep; and my easy dance grew ever faster and ever more beautiful.  Alone in the stillness, alone in the thicket, I danced with sorrow in my heart—­they despised my swift dance and would have been glad to kill me as I danced.  Suddenly my head began to grow heavy—­How strange it is!—­My head grew heavy.  Just as small and beautiful, just as wise and beautiful, it had suddenly grown terribly heavy; it bent my neck to the ground, and caused me pain.  Now I am somewhat used to it, but at first it was dreadfully awkward and painful.  I thought I was sick.

And suddenly...  Come closer to me.  Look into my eyes.  Hush!  Hush!  Hush!

And suddenly my look became heavy—­it became fixed and strange—­I was even frightened!  I want to glance and turn away—­but cannot.  I always look straight ahead, I pierce with my eyes ever more deeply, I am as though petrified.  Look into my eyes.  It is as though I am petrified, as though everything I look upon is petrified.  Look into my eyes.

I love you.  Do not laugh at my frank story, or I shall be angry.  Every hour I open my sensitive heart, for all my efforts are in vain—­ I am alone.  My one and last kiss is full of ringing sorrow—­and the one I love is not here, and I seek love again, and I tell my tale in vain—­my heart cannot bare itself, and the poison torments me and my head grows heavier.  Am I not beautiful in my despair?  Come closer to me.