《先知》(The Prophet)婚姻

Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

婚姻

艾爾梅特拉又開口問道：婚姻又是怎樣的呢，大師?

他回答道：

你們一同降生，你們將永遠相依。

當死神的白色羽翼驅(qū)散你們的日子，你們也應在一起。

的確，你們始終相守，即使在上帝的記憶中。

但在聚守中你們要保留空間，

讓空中的風在你們之間飛舞。

彼此相愛，但不要讓愛成為束縛;

讓愛成為奔流于你們靈魂海岸間的大海。

盛滿彼此的杯盞，但不要只從一只杯盞中取飲。

彼此互贈面包，但不要只向一塊面包取食。

一起歡歌曼舞，但要保持各自的獨立。

魯特琴的琴弦也彼此分開，即使它們?yōu)橥皇讟非痤潯?/p>

奉獻你們的心，但不要讓對方保管。

因為只有生命之手才能接納你們的心。

站立在一起，但不要靠得太近;

因為殿宇的支柱總是彼此分立的，

橡樹和松柏也不在彼此的陰影下生長。