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, for

love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill 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 ecstacy;

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.

愛

紲落來，安美川講：「請開破愛予阮聽。」

伊擔頭看向眾人，眾人恬寂寂咧向望。

伊真大聲講：

若愛來共你挵門的時，請綴伊去，

雖罔這條路歹行閣崎。

若愛的翼欲共你攬的時，請接受，

雖罔翼股內可能有藏會傷人的利劍。

若愛講話的時，請相信伊，

雖罔伊的聲音可能會拍碎你的美夢，

親像北風予規个花園蔫去。

愛會使予你暢甲若國王，

嘛會使共你折磨甲若釘佇十字架。

你若一欉樹仔，愛會當予你成長，

伊嘛會當共你修剪，

伊會當衝懸來照顧曝著日頭的頂勻茈葉仔，

嘛會當落塗到你的根，幫助鑽入去愈深的塗底。

若收麥仔仝款，伊共你採集、舂拍、脫殼，

共你磨做白sut-sut的麵粉，

紲落來，閣共你撋成幼麵麵的麵粞，

閣再來，伊用神聖的火來共你烘，

你會變成神的聖餐中的聖麭。

經過以上「愛」所拍派的任務，

因此你會了解你內心的秘密，

你嘛會認知家己變成神的性命的一部份。

毋過你若是會驚惶，

變做干焦想欲追求愛的和平佮快樂。

若是按呢，你上好共家己掩崁起來，

離開愛的打穀埕，

覕入去一个無分季節的世界，

佇遐，你笑袂盡暢大聲，哭袂目屎四淋垂。

咱付出愛，就是干焦愛爾爾，

收著愛，嘛是只有愛爾爾。

愛毋是佔有，嘛毋是被佔有，

因為愛就是愛，毋免掛條件。

你心肝窟仔若是有愛，你無應該講：「神佇我的

心內。」

顛倒著講：「我佇神的心內。」

千萬毋通當做你會當指導愛的路線，

若是愛覺察你有值得愛，伊會指導你的路線。

愛無其他的要求，只是完成愛的本身。

假使你有愛，嘛有其他的慾望，

若按呢，就一定是以下所講的：

你共家己溶做一港輕快的溪水，唱歌到半暝。

若是傷過溫柔，就準備受綴來的痛。

認捌家己的愛，嘛著接受創傷，

就算流血流滴，嘛著歡喜甘願。

透早清醒的時，心情袂輸插翼欲飛，

並且感恩又閣是一工有愛的日子。

下晝時歇睏，並且冥想愛的狂喜，

暗頭仔轉去厝的時，心懷感激。

欲睏的時，為你心愛的人祈禱，

喙唱一條呵咾伊的歌。

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 cr...

推薦序　Kap母語ê 初戀重逢—序蔡緯賢台譯《先知》　李勤岸
推薦序　翁肇喜

先知
The Coming of The Ship　船來矣
On Love　愛
On Marriage　翁仔某
On Children　囡仔
On Giving　奉獻
On Eating and Drinking　食佮啉
On Work　作穡
On Joy and Sorrow　歡喜佮悲傷
On Houses　厝
On Clothes　衫仔褲
On Buying and Selling　買佮賣
On Crime and Punishment　罪佮罰
On Laws　法律
On Freedom　自由
On Reason and Passion　理性佮熱情
On Pain　痛苦
On self-Knowledge　自知
On Teaching　教育
On Friendship　友情
On Talking　講話
On Time　時間
On Good and Evil　善佮惡
On Prayer　祈禱
On Pleasure　享樂
On Beauty　媠
On Religion　宗教
On Death　死亡
Farewell　再會

譯者後記

推薦序　Kap母語ê 初戀重逢—序蔡緯賢台譯《先知》　李勤岸
推薦序　翁肇喜

先知
The Coming of The Ship　船來矣
On Love　愛
On Marriage　翁仔某
On Children　囡仔
On Giving　奉獻
On Eating and Drinking　食佮啉
On Work　作穡
On Joy and Sorrow　歡喜佮悲傷
On Houses　厝
On Clothes　衫仔褲
On Buying and Selling　買佮賣
On Crime and Punishment　罪佮罰
On Laws　法律
On Freedom　自由
On Reason and Passion　理性佮熱情
On Pain　痛苦
On self-Knowledge　自知
On Teaching　教育
On...