《先知》(The Prophet)死亡

Then Almitra spoke, saying, "We would ask now of Death."

And he said:

You would know the secret of death.

But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?

The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.

If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.

For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;

And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.

Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.

Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.

Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?

Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?

And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.

And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.

And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

死亡

然后艾爾梅特拉又開口道：現(xiàn)在我們想向您請教與死亡有關(guān)的一切。

他說：

你們想知道死亡的秘密。

但除非在生命的心中，你們能在哪里找到它呢?

只在黑夜睜眼的貓頭鷹，盲于白晝，不能揭開遮擋光明秘密的面紗。

假如你們真想一睹死亡之魂，那么清為生命之體敞開你們的心扉。

因為生與死是同一的，猶如河與海。

你們關(guān)于來世的知識消隱于你們希冀與欲望的深處;

就像雪下甜夢的種子，你們的心夢想著春天。

相信你們的夢吧，因為其中隱藏著通往永恒的門戶。

你們對死亡的恐懼，就像那個站在國王面前的牧羊人的戰(zhàn)栗，他的頭頂將榮幸地承接國王的手。

身承國王印記的牧羊人，在其戰(zhàn)栗之余不也感到快樂嗎?

但他為何更在意自己的戰(zhàn)栗呢?

難道死亡不就是在風(fēng)中探立、在陽光下融化?

難道停止呼吸不就是讓呼吸從無休的潮汐中解脫，使它得以升騰、擴展、毫無羈絆地去尋求上帝?

只有當(dāng)你們在沉默之水中取飲，你們才真正歌唱。

只有當(dāng)你們到達(dá)山頂，你們才真正開始攀登。

只有當(dāng)你們的肢體被大地占有，你們才真正起舞。