On Beauty論美

By Gibran Khalil Gibran

Where shall you seek beauty, and how shall you find her unless she herself be your way and your guide? And how shall you speak of her except she be the weaver of your speech?

如果美不以自身為途徑，為向導，你們到哪里，又如何能找到她呢?如果她不是你們言語的編織者，你們又如何能談論她呢?

The aggrieved and the injured say, “Beauty is kind and gentle. Like a young mother half-shy of her own glory she walks among us.” And the passionate say,” Nay, beauty is a thing of might and dread. Like the tempest she shakes the earth beneath us and sky above us.” The tired and the weary say, “Beauty is of soft whisperings. She speaks in our spirit. Her voice yields to our silences like a faint light that quivers in fear of the shadow.” But the restless say,” We have heard her shouting among the mountains, and with her cries came the sound of hoofs, and the beating of wings and the roaring of lions.”

傷心痛苦者說：“美是善良而溫柔的。她像一位因自己的榮耀而半含羞澀的年輕母親，走在我們的身邊。” 熱情奔放者說：“不，美是強烈而令人驚畏的。她如暴風雨般震動我們腳下的大地，搖撼我們頭上的天空。” 疲憊怠倦者說：“美是溫柔的低語，她在我們的心中訴說。她的聲音波動在我們的沉默中，猶如一道微弱的光在對陰影的恐懼中顫抖。” 但活潑好動者說：“我們曾聽到她在山谷中大聲呼叫，隨其吶喊而來的是足蹄踏地、翅膀拍擊和雄獅怒吼的聲音。