說愛

翻譯 Kahlil Gibran 的 On Love
  
當愛向你招手，跟隨他，
雖然他的路艱難而陡峭。
當愛用翅膀環抱你，依從他，
雖然藏在他翎羽裏的劍會刺傷你。
當愛向你傾訴，相信他，
雖然他的聲音會打碎你的夢，
就像肆虐的北風摧毀花園。
   
因為，愛能加冕你，也能釘你在十字架。
愛能讓你生長，也能砍去你的枝葉。
愛能攀上樹尖，愛撫你在陽光裏搖曳的最柔軟的枝條，
也能落到根部，撼動你抓緊的泥土。
   
他像收割一捆穀物一樣收割你，
剝去殼，篩去麩皮，磨成粉。
他揉你到柔軟。
再放進聖火裏，你會變成上帝聖宴上的聖餅。
   
愛做這些事是讓你感知你心裏的秘密，藉此成為生命之靈的片段。
  
但是如果你懼怕，隻願意尋求愛的寧靜和歡愉，那麽你最好掩蓋自己，在愛的勵練中失去意識，到一個沒有季節的世界，
在那裏你可以笑，但不能開懷大笑，
你可以哭，但不能盡情流淚。
   
愛給予的隻是愛，愛索取的也隻是愛。
愛既不占有，也不被占有;
愛因著愛，便足夠。
   
當你愛著，你不該說:"上帝在我心裏", 而是說:"我在上帝心裏。"
並且，不要期望可以指引愛的航向，因為愛，如果發現你值得，他指引你的航向。
    
愛沒有別的渴望，隻為完成愛。
  
但若你因著愛而渴望，那讓這些成為你的渴望吧:
融化，像流淌的小溪在夜裏歡唱。
感知，那些太過溫柔的痛。
受傷，為對愛的切身理解，並心甘情願地流血。
淸晨醒來，以歡快的心感謝擁有愛的一天。
午間休息，沉思愛的狂喜。
傍晚回家，心懷感恩。
夜裏入睡，為心愛的人祈福，
並讓讚美的歌留在唇間。
    
Kahlil Gibran on Love 
   
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.