论爱
　　于是艾尔梅特拉说,请跟我们讲解爱吧。
　　 先知抬头望向众人,人群一片寂静。他用洪亮的
　　声音说道：
　　当爱之神召唤你的时候,跟随他，
　　虽然爱的路途险峻无常。
　　当爱之翼笼罩你的时候,顺从他，
　　虽然暗藏的羽剑可能将你刺伤。
　　当爱之声向你倾诉的时候,相信他，
　　虽然他的声音可能击碎你的梦想,如那北风给花
　　园带来荒凉。
　　
　　爱为你加冕,亦将你钉上十字架。
　　爱助你成长,亦将修剪你的枝丫。
　　爱升上你的顶梢柔抚阳光下颤动的嫩枝,
　　爱亦将探入你的根底撼动紧抱着大地的根须。
　　
　　你,如同爱所采集的玉米。
　　她碾打你,袒呈你赤裸之躯。
　　她扬筛你,剥去你桎梏之壳。
　　她磨砺你,始显你圣洁本色。
　　她揉捻你,直至你柔顺自如；
　　然后,爱点燃圣火将你碚制成上帝圣餐中的圣饼。
　　
　　历经了一切爱的磨砺,你会发现自己心中的秘密，
　　这个秘密继而成为一份生命的真谛。
　　
　　但是倘若你畏惧,且仅求爱的欢乐和安逸，
　　那最好将自己抱裹严实,逃离那爱的磨砺,
　　走入一个没有季节世界。那里,你笑却不尽欢；你
　　哭亦不尽泣。
　　
　　爱只给予爱,且仅接受爱；
　　爱不去占有,亦不被占有；
　　因为,爱充盈了爱。
　　
　　当你爱着的时候,不应该说,“上帝在我心中，"
　　而是说,"我在上帝心中。"
　　不要试图左右爱的航程，如果爱发现你值得,她将
　　示你航程。
　　
　　爱别无渴求,仅求自我满足。
　　但是如果你爱而且有所渴求,那么让这渴求是：
　　溶化,象一条流淌的小溪,将心曲献给夜晚；
　　领悟,过分温柔的痛苦；
　　挫伤,臆想中的爱情；
　　流血,心甘情愿。
　　黎明时分,萌醒中伸展翅膀迎接爱的又一天；
　　正午之际,平心小息冥想爱的甘甜；
　　夜幕降临,归家途返满载爱的情感；
　　然后,心中默咏对爱的人的祝福,唇间飘逸对她的
　　赞美之曲,安然入睡。
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　On Love
　　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, if
　　it finds you worthy, directs your course.
　　
　　 Love has no other desire but to fulfil 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.