作者：纪伯伦
译者：水石山房主人（仗剑书生）
On Love
《论爱》
Then said Almtra, "Speak to us of Love."
于是阿尔美特拉说：“请给我们讲讲爱。”
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.
他抬头望着众人，众人安静下来。
And with a great voice he said:
然后他朗声说道：
When love beckens to you follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep.
爱召唤你时，追随他，尽管他的路途艰险。
And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
他的翅膀拥抱你时，依顺他，尽管藏在羽翼中的利刃可能伤害你。
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
他与你交谈时信任他，
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
尽管他的话语会粉碎你的梦想，就像北风摧毁花园。
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
因为爱既为你加冕，也将你钉在十字架上。
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
他既培育你，也剪除你。
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
他能攀至你的高处，轻抚你在阳光下颤动的柔枝，
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
也能降到你的根基，摇撼你紧附在大地上的根茎。
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
他将你们像麦穗一样拢在他身边。
He threshes you to make you naked.
他舂打你使你脱壳。
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
他筛选你去除糠麸。
He grinds you to whiteness.
他碾磨你使你洁白。
He kneads you until you are pliant;
他揉压你直至柔韧。
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.
然后他将你置于圣火之上，使你成为上帝圣餐上的圣饼。
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.
爱对你所做的这一切，是让你知晓你心中的秘密，那些认知会化作生命之心的一部分。
But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
若你只是在忧惧中追寻爱的安逸和欢愉，
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
那你最好遮掩你的赤裸，离开爱的麦场，
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
进入那没有季节的世界，在那里，你能笑，但不能放声欢笑，你能哭，但不能尽情流泪。
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
爱所予的只有自身，所取的也只有自身。
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
爱不占有，也不被占有；
For love is sufficient unto love.
对爱而言，爱就足够。
When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, "I am in the heartof God.”
当你相爱，不要说“神在我心里”，而要说“我在神心里”。
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
不要认为你能指引爱的方向，因为爱若发现你值得，会指引你。
Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
爱别无所求，除了成全自己。
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
若你相爱，必有所期盼，让这些成为你的期盼：
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
融化自己，像奔流的小溪对夜晚唱起欢歌。
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
体会过度温存的痛楚。
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
让你被自己对爱的理解所伤；
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
并心甘情愿流血。
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
黎明时怀着飞扬的心醒来，感谢又一天在爱中来临；
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstacy;
午间休息时默念爱的欣喜；
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
黄昏时怀着感恩回家；
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praiseupon your lips.
然后安然入睡，带着对爱人的祈祷在你心田，对爱人的赞歌在你唇间。
翻译手记：
高中时第一次读到纪伯伦的《先知》和《沙与沫》，深为折服。而今再读，更感震撼。
之前的有些译者可能没做过农活，对Like sheaves of corn以下的一段译得不够准确。corn，有的译本译为谷穗，结合上下文看，这是不对的，应是麦穗，或者小米之类，而非稻谷。
