于是爱尔米特说：请给我们谈爱。
他举头望着民众，他们一时静默了。他用洪亮的声音说：
当爱召唤你时，紧随它，
虽然它的道路艰险崎岖。
当它的羽翼遮覆你时，依顺它
虽然它羽翼中的利刃会伤害你。
当它开口对你说话时，相信它，
虽然它的声音会像狂风倾覆花园似地震碎你的梦想。
因为，爱既加冕于你，也必使你钉上十字架。
爱既使你成长，也必令你受管教。
爱既上升到枝头，抚慰着你在日光下颤动的嫩叶，
也必下潜至根部，摇撼你紧抓住泥土的根节。
爱把你们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。
而后，爱用神圣的火烘烤你，使你能洞悉自己内心的秘密，
并凭此成为“生命本质”的一小部分。
然而，在疑惧中，你若只寻求爱的平安与逸乐，
那倒不如遮盖住自己的赤裸，闪避过爱的筛打，
躲进那四季不分、笑不能尽兴地笑、
哭不能尽情地哭的世界。
爱，除了自身之外，别无所予也别无所求。
爱，不是占有也不是被占有;
因为，在爱里一切都得丰足。
你若付出爱时，不要说，“上帝在我的心中”，
应当说，“我在上帝的心中。”
而且，不要以为你可以为爱带路，
因为，爱若觉得你够资格，它自会为你带路。
爱除了成全自己之外，别无他求。
倘若你除了爱又非得有其它欲求的话，
那么，就让你欲求这些事吧：
融化自己，使之似潺潺细流，
对着夜晚欢唱。
能够明了太过温柔而带来的痛苦，
因着你自己对爱的了解而受伤;
并且顺服欢欣地让鲜血流淌。
黎明时以雀跃的心醒来，
为开展爱的另一天而献上感谢;
日中静息，冥想爱的狂喜;
晚潮退时，满怀感恩的心。
然后在睡时祈祷，
因为有被爱者在你的心中，
有赞美之歌在你的唇上。
Then said Almitre, spead 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.
--自《先知》(The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran,1923)
