《先知》(The Prophet)愛

Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

愛

于是艾爾梅特拉說，請給我們談談愛吧。

他抬頭望著眾人，人群一片寂靜。他用洪亮的聲音說道：

當愛揮手召喚你們時，跟隨著他，

盡管他的道路艱難而險峻。

當他展翼擁抱你們時，依順著他，

盡管他羽翼中的利刃會傷害你們。

當他對你們說話時，要相信他，

盡管他的聲音會擊碎你的夢，像狂風盡掃園中的花。

愛雖可為你們加冕，也能將你們釘上十字架。他雖可助你們成長，也能將你們削砍剪刈。

他會攀至你們的高處，輕撫你們在陽光下顫動的最柔嫩的枝條，

他也會降至你們的根柢，動搖你們緊緊依附著大地的根須。

愛把你們像麥捆般聚攏在身邊。

他將你們脫粒，使你們赤裸。

他將你們篩選，使你們擺脫麩糠。

他碾磨你們，直至你們清白。

他揉捏你們，直至你們?nèi)犴槨?/p>

爾后，他把你們交與圣火，讓你們成為上帝圣宴上的圣餅。

這一切都是愛為你們所做，使你們或許能從中領悟自己心中的秘密，從而成為生命之心的一小部分。

但是如果你們出于畏懼只去尋求愛的和美與愛的歡樂，

那你們最好掩起自己的赤裸，離開愛的打谷場，

踏入那沒有季節(jié)的世界，在那里，你會開懷，但不是盡情歡笑;你會哭泣，但不是盡拋淚水。

愛除了自身別無所予，除了自身別無所取。

愛不占有，也不被占有;

因為愛有了自己就足夠了。

當你愛了，你不應稅'上帝在我心中"，而應說"我在上帝心中"。

別以為你可以指引愛的方向，因為愛，如果他認為你配，將指引你的方向。

愛別無他求，只求成全自己。

但如果你愛了，又必定有所渴求，那就讓這些成為你的所求吧：

融化為一道奔流的溪水，在夜晚吟唱自己的清曲。

體會太多溫柔帶來的痛苦。

被自己對愛的體會所傷害。

心甘情愿地淌血。

清晨，帶著一顆生翼的心醒來，感謝又一個充滿愛的日子;

午休，沉思愛的心醉神怡;

黃昏，帶著感激歸家;

睡前，為你心中的摯愛祈禱，唇間吟誦著贊美詩。