卡裏·紀伯倫/Kahlil Gibran
And a youth said,Speak to us of Friendship,
And he answered,saying:
Your friend is you needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger,and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind,nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words,in friendship,all thoughts,all desires,all exp ectations are born and shared,with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend,you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence,a s the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is n ot love but a net cast forth:and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide,let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need,but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter,and sharin g of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is r efeshed.
一個青年接著說，請為我們談談友誼。
他回答道：
你的朋友是對你需求的滿足。
他是你帶著愛播種，帶著感恩之心收獲的田地。
他也是你的餐桌，你的壁爐。
當你饑餓時會來到他身邊，向他尋求安寧。
當你的朋友傾訴他的心聲時，你不要害怕說出自己心中的“不”，也不要隱瞞你心中的“是”。
當他默默無語時，你的心仍可傾聽他的心。
因為在友誼的不言而喻中，所有的思想、所有的欲望、所有的期盼，都在無可言喻的歡愉中孕生而共享；
當你和朋友分別時，你也不會悲傷。
因為當他不在身邊時，他身上最為你所珍愛的東西會顯得更加醒目，就像山峰對於平原上的登山者那樣顯得格外清晰。
不要對你們的友誼別有所圖，除了追尋心靈的深耕外。
因為隻求表露自我而別無所求的愛，並非真愛，而是撒出的網，捕獲的盡是些無益的東西。
奉獻你最好的東西，給你的朋友。
若他定要知道你情緒的落潮期，那麽，把你的漲潮期一並告訴他。
因為，你若隻是為了消磨時光才去尋找朋友，這能算你的朋友嗎？
總該邀朋友共享生命才是。
因為朋友要帶給你滿足的需要，不是填滿你的空虛。
在友誼的滋潤下恣意歡笑，同享喜悅吧！
因為在細微事物的露珠中，你的心會找到煥發一新的晨曦。