奉獻你們的心，但不要交由對方保管，因為只有生命之手才能包容你們的心。你們要站在一起，但不要靠得太近，因為柱子必須各自矗立，才足以支撐神殿，如同橡樹和柏樹無法在彼此的陰影下成長……
艾蜜特拉說，跟我們說說「愛」吧。他抬起頭，看著眾人，人們悄然無聲。他大聲說道：
當愛情召喚你，跟隨它，即使它的路途艱險又陡峭；當愛的翅膀擁抱你，順從它，即使它藏在翼梢的利劍可能傷了你；當愛情對你說話，相信它，即使它的聲音可能粉碎你的夢，如同北風將花園吹得荒蕪。
因為愛為你加冕時，也能把你釘上十字架；它呵護你的成長時，也會修剪你的枝葉；它爬上你的梢頭、輕撫你在陽光下微微顫動的嫩枝時，也會伏在你的根部，搖晃緊抓泥土的樹根。
愛採集你，好比收割麥穀；愛鞭打你，使你赤身露體；愛將你過篩，使你脫去榖殼。愛將你磨成潔白的麵粉，揉捏你，直至你成為柔軟的麵糰，然後將你放進它神聖的火焰中，使你成為聖餐中的聖餅。
愛會對你做這些事，使你明白自我心靈的祕密，進而成為生命本質的一部分。但是，如果恐懼使你只願追尋愛的平靜與歡愉，那倒不如遮掩你的赤裸，離開愛的打穀場，走入四季不分的世界。在那裡，你將歡笑，但無法盡興，你將流淚，卻無法盡情哭泣。
愛只付出自己，也只犧牲自己。愛不是占有，也無人能據為己有。因為愛就是圓滿自足；當你愛的時候，不要說「神在我心中」，應該說「我在神心中」；不要以為你可以主導愛的路徑，因為如果愛認為你值得，它自然會為你帶路。
愛別無他求，只想圓滿自己。但如果你心中有愛，又必有渴望，那就祈求這些吧：
願心柔軟，像奔流的小溪，對著夜晚吟唱它的旋律。願了解過多溫柔帶來的痛苦。願自己因領悟愛而受傷，並且心甘情願地淌血。願在黎明醒來時心情飛揚，感謝又有一天可以去愛；在中午歇息時，冥想愛的狂喜；在傍晚回家時，滿懷感激之情；然後在心裡為所愛的人禱告，並唱著讚美歌，安然入睡。
然後，艾蜜特拉又問，大師，那麼「婚姻」呢？他回答說：
你們一起出生，也將終生廝守。當死亡的白翼撲散你們的生命時，你們仍必相守。是的，即使在神靜默的記憶裡，你們也將同在。
但是，請在你們相依的世界中保留些許空間，讓天堂的微風在你們之間舞動。彼此相愛，但不要讓愛成為枷鎖，讓愛像是你倆靈魂海岸之間流動的海洋；斟滿彼此的杯子，但不要同飲一杯；彼此餵食麵包，但不要同吃一塊；一起唱歌舞蹈，快樂逍遙，但也要各自獨處保有自我。好比魯特琴的琴弦，雖因同一首樂曲振動，卻是各自獨立。
奉獻你們的心，但不要交由對方保管，因為只有生命之手才能包容你們的心。你們要站在一起，但不要靠得太近，因為柱子必須各自矗立，才足以支撐神殿，如同橡樹和柏樹無法在彼此的陰影下成長。
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.
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.
Then Almitra spoke again and said, “And what of Marriage,
master?” And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, 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.
作者介紹│紀伯倫（Kahlil Gibran，1883-1931）
生於黎巴嫩北部臨海的貝什里村（Bsharri）。此地孕育了基督與腓尼基文明，也是蘇美人愛與豐饒女神伊絲塔所居之地。豐富的宗教氣息與東方文化，使得他的詩作能在西方浪漫主義的精神上，更添東方神秘主義的靈性色彩。
紀伯倫一生顛沛流離、年少痛失至親，1908年又因發表小說《叛逆的靈魂》觸怒黎巴嫩當局，遭到放逐。即使飽嚐磨難，他仍筆耕不輟，1923年出版的《先知》即是他十多部作品中集大成之作，甫出版即轟動世界文壇。他將40多年來的人生閱歷，精煉成《先知》中26篇綻放著永恆智慧光芒的散文詩，以溫潤、豁達的話語撫慰因愛情、工作、生死而感到焦躁不安的人們。
本文經授權轉載自野人出版《先知：東方詩哲紀伯倫唯美散文詩集》（原標題：愛、婚姻）
責任編輯/謝孟穎
