25)On Beauty(美)

The Prophet(先知)
Kahlil Gibran(哈利勒‧紀伯倫)

25)On Beauty美

And a poet said, "Speak to us of Beauty."
接著一個詩人說︰請談一談美。
And he answered:
他回答說︰
Where shall you seek beauty, and how shall you find her
你會在哪裡找到美, 又怎能找到美？
unless she herself be your way and your guide?
除非美成為你的方向和指引
And how shall you speak of her except she be the weaver of your speech?
你怎麼談論它，除非它是你言詞的編造者？
The aggrieved and the injured say,
受迫害和受傷的人說︰
"Beauty is kind and gentle.
「美是和藹而溫和的，
Like a young mother half-shy of her own glory she walks among us."
像一個年輕的母親走在我們其中，對她自己的榮耀有著幾分害羞。」
And the passionate say, "Nay, beauty is a thing of might and dread.
熱情的人說︰「不，美是雄偉而可畏的。
Like the tempest she shakes the earth beneath us and the sky above us."
像暴風雨一般，憾動我們腳下的大地與頭上的天空。」
The tired and the weary say, "beauty is of soft whisperings. She speaks in our spirit.
而疲累的人們說︰「美是輕聲細語，它在我們心底輕喚。
Her voice yields to our silences
它的聲音溶入我們的沈默，
like a faint light that quivers in fear of the shadow."
就像微弱的光因懼怕影子而發抖。」
But the restless say, "We have heard her shouting among the mountains,
而那心神不寧的人說︰「我們曾聽見它在山裡的呼喊，
And with her cries came the sound of hoofs,
帶著它的叫吼，那獸蹄之聲，
and the beating of wings and the roaring of lions."
飛翅的撲動及獅群的咆哮也隨之而至。」
At night the watchmen of the city say,
在夜裡，守城人說︰
"Beauty shall rise with the dawn from the east."
「美將在東方隨黎明升起。」
And at noontide the toilers and the wayfarers say,
在白天正午時候，辛苦工作的人與趕路的人卻說︰
"we have seen her leaning over the earth from the windows of the sunset."
「我們曾瞧見它在夕陽之窗，俯看著大地。」
In winter say the snow-bound,
在冬天，被雪困住的人說︰
"She shall come with the spring leaping upon the hills."
「它將與春天越過丘陵而來。」
And in the summer heat the reapers say,
而在夏日炎炎之下，收割者說︰
"We have seen her dancing with the autumn leaves,
「我們曾看到它和秋葉共舞，
and we saw a drift of snow in her hair."
那飄落的雪花也落在它的髮梢。」
All these things have you said of beauty.
這就是你們所謂的美，
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of needs unsatisfied,
但是, 其實，你們說的不是它，只是說出未得到滿足的需求，
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy.
美不是需求，是一種心靈的陶醉。
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth,
它不是一張乾渴的唇，也不是一隻伸出來的空手。
But rather a heart in-flamed and a soul enchanted.
而是一顆興奮的心和一個陶醉的靈魂。
It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear,
它不是你想目睹的影像或你想耳聞的歌曲。
But rather an image you see though you close your eyes
它是一個甚至閉上眼睛也能看見的影像，
and a song you hear though you shut your ears.
一首捂住耳朵也能聽見的歌曲。
It is not the sap within the furrowed bark,
它不是在粗皺的樹皮內的樹汁，
nor a wing attached to a claw,
也不是連著爪子的翅翼。
But rather a garden for ever in bloom
倒不如說是永遠盛放繽紛的花園
and a flock of angels for ever in flight.
和一群永遠翱翔的天使。
People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.
奧非裡斯城的人們，當生命揭開面紗，呈現出聖潔的面容時, 美就是生命，。
But you are life and you are the veil.
而你是那生命，也是那面紗。
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
美即是永恆，當它凝望鏡中的自己。
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.
而你是那永恆，也是那鏡子。