《先知》(The Prophet)言谈

And then a scholar said, "Speak of Talking."

And he answered, saying:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words many indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone.

The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape.

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand.

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words.

In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear;

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered

When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more.

言谈

一位学者说，请为我们讲讲言谈。

他答道：

当你们无法与你们的思想和平共处，你们开始说话;

当你们无法继续栖身于心灵的孤寂，你们将转而栖息于唇舌，而声音成为一种娱乐与消遣。

在许多言谈中，你们的思想几乎一半被扼杀。

因为思想是一只属于天空的鸟，在语言的牢笼中它或许能展翅，却不能飞翔。

你们当中有些人因害怕独处而变得饶舌。

独处的沉寂向他们揭露他们赤裸的自我，于是他们逃逸。

有些人夸夸其谈，却缺乏知识与见地去阐述一个他们自己并不理解的真理。

有些人心中拥有真理，却从不付诸言语。

在这些人的胸中，精神生活在沉默的节奏里。

当你在路边或集市上遇到你的朋友，让你内中的精神启动你的双唇，引导你的喉舌。

让你声音中的声音对他耳朵中的耳朵言说;

因为他的灵魂将保留你心灵的真理，

犹如葡萄酒，当颜色被忘却，杯子也不复存在时，它的滋味仍将被铭记。