[黎巴嫩]卡裏·紀伯倫/Kahlil Gibran
Then Almitra spoke again and said, and what of Marriage, master?
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forever more.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love,
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together,
For the pillars of the temple stand apart.
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.
艾爾梅特拉再度開口問道：大師，和我們談談有關婚姻的事，好嗎？
於是，他回答道：
你們一同出生，也將長相廝守。
當死神之翼驅散你們的日子時，你們也應在一起。
即使在上帝的記憶中，你們也將始終相守，
但是請在你們彼此的世界中保留一些空間，
好讓空中的風在你們之間舞蹈。
彼此相愛，但不要讓愛成為束縛，
讓愛成為奔流於你們靈魂海岸間的大海。
注滿彼此的杯盞，但不要隻從一隻杯中啜飲，
要將自己的麵包贈與對方，但不是享用同一塊。
兩人一起歡歌曼舞，同享歡愉，但仍要各自保持自我，
就像琴上的弦雖為同一旋律而振動，但琴與弦也是彼此分開的。