Mata Hari

They want to make me a spy, but I am only a woman who loves to live.

My only crime was to be a free spirit in a world that fears freedom.

To dance is to pray, to love is to live, to suffer is to understand.

I am a woman of many secrets, but none of them are betrayals.

My exoticism was my shield, my beauty my weapon.

They will remember my name, not for my guilt, but for my legend.

A woman's greatest weapon is her beauty, and her greatest defense is her wit.

I gave my heart to many, but my soul to none.

The stage was my sanctuary, where I could be truly free.

I have lived for pleasure, and I will die with courage.

My life is an open book, but only a few can truly read it.

I danced away my sorrows, and found joy in every step.

They accuse me of being a German spy, but I am a citizen of the world.

My sensuality is not a weapon, it is an expression of my soul.

I have seen the world, loved many men, and lived a thousand lives in one.

The truth is often more scandalous than any lie.

I am a woman who dares to live on her own terms.

My beauty was my fortune, and my downfall.

They judged me for my past, but they did not know my heart.

I painted my own destiny, with colors of passion and defiance.