On Talking

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking."

And he answered, saying:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone.

The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape.

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand.

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words.

In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear;

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered

When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more.

　　一位學者說，請為我們講講言談。

　　他答道：

　　當你們無法與你們的思想和平共處，你們開始說話；

　　當你們無法繼續棲身於心靈的孤寂，你們將轉而棲息於唇舌，而聲音成為一種娛樂與消遣。

　　在許多言談中，你們的思想幾乎一半被扼殺。

　　因為思想是一隻屬於天空的鳥，在語言的牢恢興?蛟S能展翅，卻不能飛翔。

　　你們當中有些人因害怕獨處而變得饒舌。

　　獨處的沉寂向他們揭露他們赤裸的自我，於是他們逃逸。

　　有些人誇誇其談，卻缺乏知識與見地去闡述一個他們自己並不理解的真理。

　　有些人心中擁有真理，卻從不付諸言語。

　　在這些人的胸中，精神生活在沉默的節奏裡。

　　當你在路邊或集市上遇到你的朋友，讓你內中的精神啟動你的雙唇，引導你的喉舌。

　　讓你聲音中的聲音對他耳朵中的耳朵言說；

　　因為他的靈魂將保留你心靈的真理，

　　猶如葡萄酒，當顏色被忘卻，杯子也不復存在時，它的滋味仍將被銘記。