《先知》(The Prophet)時間

And an astronomer said, "Master, what of Time?"

And he answered:

You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.

You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.

Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing.

Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness,

And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.

And that that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.

Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?

And yet who does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not form love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?

And is not time even as love is, undivided and paceless?

But if in you thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons,

And let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing.

時間

一位天文家說，大師，時間是怎樣的呢?

他答道：

你們想度量那無限而不可測量的時間。

你們想按時序和季節(jié)調(diào)整你們的舉止，甚至引導你們的精神。

你們愿意造一道時間的溪流，在岸邊目送流水逝去。

然而你們心中的無限，意識到生命的無限。

它知道昨天不過是今天的回憶，明天不過是今天的夢想。

因此，在你們體內(nèi)歌唱和思考的它，依然處于將星星撒落天宇的那最初一瞬的境界中。

你們之中誰會感覺不到愛的力量無窮無盡?

誰會感覺不到愛雖然無窮無盡，卻仍羈束于他自身，無法在愛的思緒中和愛的行為中轉(zhuǎn)移?

難道時間不就像愛，是不可分割沒有間隙的么?

但你們?nèi)粽J為以季節(jié)來衡量時間是必要的，那就讓每個季節(jié)都包含其他季節(jié)，

讓今天用記憶擁抱著過去，用希望擁抱著未來。