卡里·纪伯伦（1883-1931）,黎巴嫩诗人。阿à伯现代文学复兴运动的先驱之一，阿à伯现代小说和散文的主要奠基者。他的作品蕴o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à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à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。
孩子
On Children
卡里·纪伯伦 / Kahlil Gibran
And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life' s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer' s hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow the files, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
一位怀抱婴儿的妇女说，请你给我们讲讲孩子的事情。
他于是说：
孩子其实并不是你们的孩子。
他们是生命为自己所渴求的儿女。
他们借你们而生，却并非从你们而来。尽管他们与你们同在，却并不属于你们。
你们可以把你们的爱给予他们，却不能给予思想，因为他们有自己的思想。
你们可以庇护他们的身体，但不是他们的灵魂。
因为他们的灵魂栖息于明日之屋，那是你们在梦中也无法造访的地方。
你们可以努力地仿效他们，但是，不可企图让他们像你。
因为生命无法倒流，也不会滞留于昨日。
你们是1，而你们的孩子就像从弦上向前射出的生命之箭。
那射手瞄准无限之旅上的目标，用力将你弯曲，à满1，以使手中的箭射得又快又远。
让你欣然在射箭者的手中弯曲吧，
因为他既爱飞驰的箭，也爱手中握着的、稳健的1。
友 谊
On Friendship
卡里·纪伯伦 / Kahlil Gibran
And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship,
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is you needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;