爱 On Love
[黎巴嫩]卡里·纪伯伦/Kahlil Gibran
卡里·纪伯伦（1883-1931），黎巴嫩诗人。阿拉伯现代文学复兴运动的先驱之一，阿拉伯现代小说和散文的主要奠基者。他的作品蕴涵了丰富的社会性和深刻的东方精神，不以情节取胜，重在抒发丰富情感。从20世纪20年代起，纪伯伦的创作重心由小说转向散文和散文诗，从用阿拉伯语写作变为用英语写作为主。《先知》是纪伯伦的顶峰之作。本文即选自《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 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 fulfill 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.
艾尔梅特拉说，请告诉我们有关爱的事情吧！
他抬头望着众人，四周一片寂静。然后，他用洪亮的声音说道：
当爱召唤你时，跟随他，虽然他的道路艰难而险峻。
当他展翅拥抱你时，依顺他，虽然他羽翼中的利刃会伤害你。
当他开口对你说话时，相信他，虽然他的声音会击碎你的梦，像狂风扫尽园中的花。
爱虽然可以为你加冕，但也能将你钉上十字架；他虽然可以帮助你成长，但也能将你削砍剪刈。
他会攀至你的高处，抚慰着你在阳光下颤动的最柔嫩的枝条，但也会潜至你的根部，动摇你紧紧依附着大地的根须。
爱把你像麦捆般聚拢在身边。
他将你们脱粒，使你们赤裸。
他将你们筛选，使你们摆脱麸糠。
他碾磨你们，直至你们清白。
他揉捏你们，直至你们柔顺。
尔后，爱用神圣的火烘焙你，让你成为上帝圣宴上的圣饼。
这一切都是爱为你们所做，使你们能从中领悟自己内心的秘密，从而成为生命之心的一小部分。
但是，在恐惧中，你若只是追求爱的平安与欢乐，那你倒不如遮盖住自己的赤裸，躲避爱的筛打，躲进那没有季节的世界，在那里，你会开怀，但不是尽情欢笑；你会哭泣，但不是尽抛泪水。
爱，除了自身别无所予，也别无所求。
爱，不占有也不被占有。因为，爱在爱里满足了。
你若付出爱时，不要说“上帝在我心中”，而应说“我在上帝心中”。而且，不要以为你可以为爱指引方向。因为，爱若认为你够资格，它自会为你指引方向。
爱别无他求，只求成全自己。
但如果你爱了，又必定有所渴求，那就让这些成为你的所求吧：
融化自己，使之似潺潺细流，在夜晚吟唱自己的清曲。
体会太多温柔带来的痛苦。
被自己对爱的体会所伤害，
并且心甘情愿地淌血。
清晨，带着一颗雀跃的心醒来，感谢又一个充满爱的日子；
午休，沉思爱的心醉神怡；
黄昏，带着感激之情归家；
睡前，为你心中的挚爱祈祷，唇间吟诵着赞美诗。
词汇笔记
beckon['bekən]v.（用头或手的动作）示意；召唤
You are silly, because, suffer as you may, you will not beckon it to approach, nor will you stir one step to meet it where it waits you.
你很傻，因为尽管你很痛苦，你却既不会主动去召唤它靠近你，也不会跨出一步，到它等候你的地方去迎接它。
yield[ji:ld]v.屈服；放弃
We shall never yield to a conqueror.
我们永远不会向征服者低头。
crown[kraun]v.为……加冕
No cross, no crown.
未经苦难，不得冠冕。
crucify['kru:sə,fai]v.把（某人）钉死在十字架上
But they cried out:"Away with him, away with him, crucify him."
他们喊著说：“除掉他、除掉他、钉他在十字架上。”
小试身手
他的声音会击碎你的梦，像狂风扫尽园中的花。
_____________________________________
爱虽然可以为你加冕，但也能将你钉上十字架。
_____________________________________
爱，不占有也不被占有。
_____________________________________
短语家族
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
even as：正如；正巧在……的时候
_____________________________________
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.
give thanks for：感谢……
_____________________________________