THE COMING OF THE SHIP船来了/纪伯伦

屈联西

And she hailed him, saying: Prophet of God, in quest of the uttermost, long have you searched the distances for your ship. And now your ship has come, and you must needs go. Deep is your longing for the land of your memories and the dwelling-place of your greater desires; and our love would not bind you nor our needs hold you.Yet this we ask ere you leave us, that you speak to us and give us of your truth.And we will give it unto our children, and they unto their children, and it shall not perish.In your aloneness you have watched with our days, and in your wakefulness you have listened to the weeping and the laughter of our sleep.Now therefore disclose us to ourselves, and tell us all that has been shown you of that which is between birth and death. 接著她向他致意高喊說：『神啟先知啊！為探求那至上至極，為了你的歸船，已向遠方尋視許久。現今你的歸船已至，而你必要出行。如此深切是你渴盼，為了你憶念之土，為了你更欲留居之地；而我們的愛，必將無法羈縛你，我們的需，也將無法攬留你。在你離去前，必答應我們請求，向我們說講，賜予我們你的真理。我們將傳之子孫，傳之子子孫孫，永不遺滅。你獨處時，曾守視我們日日生涯。你不眠時，曾傾聽我們睡寐哭笑。所以，現在就向我們揭示我們一己，告訴我們所有昭顯於你，由生至死的種種吧！』
And he answered: People of Orphalese, of what can I speak save of that which is even now moving within your souls然後他回答說：『歐發里斯的人們啊！　除了你們心靈那仍在遷動的當下種種，我還能談論些什麼呢？