卡裏·紀伯倫/Kahlil Gibran
卡裏·紀伯倫（1883—1931）,黎巴嫩詩人。阿拉伯現代文學複興運動的先驅之一，阿拉伯現代小說和散文的主要奠基者。他的作品蘊涵了豐富的社會性和深刻的東方精神，不以情節取勝，重在抒發豐富情感。從20世紀20年代起，紀伯倫的創作重心由小說轉向散文和散文詩，從用阿拉伯語寫作變為用英語寫作為主。《先知》是紀伯倫的頂峰之作。本文即選自《先知》。
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 s teep.
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 shatt er 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 f or your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branch es that quiver in the sun,so shall he descend to your roots and shake t hem 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 sacr ed bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secret s of your heart,and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's hear t.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pl easure,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 shal l laugh,but not all of your laughter,and weep,but not all of your tea rs.
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 fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires,let these be your desir es:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the nig ht.
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.
艾爾梅特拉說，請告訴我們有關愛的事情吧！
他抬頭望著眾人，四周一片寂靜。然後，他用洪亮的聲音說道：
當愛召喚你時，跟隨他，雖然他的道路艱難而險峻。
當他展翅擁抱你時，依順他，雖然他羽翼中的利刃會傷害你。
當他開口對你說話時，相信他，雖然他的聲音會擊碎你的夢，像狂風掃盡園中的花。
愛雖然可以為你加冕，但也能將你釘上十字架；他雖然可以幫助你成長，但也能將你削砍剪刈。
他會攀至你的高處，撫慰著你在陽光下顫動的最柔嫩的枝條，但也會潛至你的根部，動搖你緊緊依附著大地的根須。
愛把你像麥捆般聚攏在身邊。
他將你們脫粒，使你們**。
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，直至你們柔順。
爾後，愛用神聖的火烘焙你，讓你成為上帝聖宴上的聖餅。
這一切都是愛為你們所做，使你們能從中領悟自己內心的秘密，從而成為生命之心的一小部分。
但是，在恐懼中，你若隻是追求愛的平安與歡樂，那你倒不如遮蓋住自己的**，躲避愛的篩打，躲進那沒有季節的世界，在那裏，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，也別無所求。
愛，不占有也不被占有。因為，愛在愛裏滿足了。
你若付出愛時，不要說“上帝在我心中”，而應說“我在上帝心中”。而且，不要以為你可以為愛指引方向。因為，愛若認為你夠資格，它自會為你指引方向。
愛別無他求，隻求成全自己。
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：
融化自己，使之似潺潺細流，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，
並且心甘情願地淌血。
清晨，帶著一顆雀躍的心醒來，感謝又一個充滿愛的日子；
午休，沉思愛的心醉神怡；
黃昏，帶著感激之情歸家；
睡前，為你心中的摯愛祈禱，唇間吟誦著讚美詩。