Then Almitra spoke again and said. And whatof Marriage, master?
And he answered saying:
You were born together, and together youshall be forever more.
You shall be together when the white wingsof death scatter your days.
Are you shall be together even in thesilent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in yourtogetherness,
And let the winds of heavens dance betweenyou.
Love one another, but make not a bond oflove:
Let it rather be a moving sea between theshores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not fromone cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat notfrom the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, butlet each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone thoughthey quiver with same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’skeeping.
For only the hand of life can contain yourhearts.
And stand together yet not too neartogether:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow notin each other’s shadow.
婚姻
艾密特又說：大師，請講講婚姻如何？
他答道：
你們既然命中注定在一起，便要永遠在一起。
當死神的白翼打散你們時，你們要在一起。
是的，即使在默念上帝時，你們也要在一起。
但讓你們在一起時，也留有空間。
讓天堂的風在你們之間跳舞。
你們要彼此相愛，切莫使愛成為束縛。
讓愛成為像海水一樣，在你們的靈魂兩岸間動盪。
斟滿對方的杯，但莫共飲一杯。
將你的麵包給對方，但莫吃同一個麵包。
一同歌唱、跳舞、一同歡樂，但要讓彼此不要干涉對方，
正像琴瑟弦線，彼此各不干擾，但他們可以合奏出音樂來。
獻出你們的心，但不要將自己的心交對方保管，
因為只有生命之手能容納你們的心。
你們要站在一起，但不要靠得太近：
因為神廟的廊柱，是分開豎起來的，
橡樹和柏樹不在彼此蔭影下生長。
