大地之神_纪伯伦-第4章
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and lend your versed fingers to an idle eternity。
first god
nay； unto eternity unmoulded i would give my hands；
and to untrodden fields assign my feet。
what joy is there in songs oft heard；
whose tune the remembering ear arrests
ere the breath yields it to the wind？
my heart longs for what my heart conceives not；
and unto the unknown where memory dwells not
i would mand my spirit。
oh； tempt me not with glory possessed；
and seek not to fort me with your dream or mine；
for all that i am； and all that there is on earth；
and all that shall be； inviteth not my soul。
oh my soul；
silent is thy face；
and in thine eyes the shadows of night are sleeping。
but terrible is thy silence；
and thou art terrible。
third god
brothers； my solemn brothers；
the girl has found the singer。
she sees his raptured face。
panther…like she slips with subtle steps
through rustling vine and fern。
and now amid his ardent cries
he gazes full on her。
oh my brothers； my heedless brothers；
is it some other god in passion
who has woven this web of scarlet and white？
what unbridled star has gone astray？
whose secret keepeth night from morning？
and whose hand is upon our world？
first god
oh my soul； my soul；
thou burning sphere that girdles me；
how shall i guide thy course。
and unto what space direct thy eagerness？
oh my mateless soul；
in thy hunger thou preyest upon thyself；
and with thine own tears thou wouldst quench thy thirst；
for night gathers not her dew into thy cup；
and the day brings thee no fruit。
oh my soul； my soul；
thou grounded ship laden with desire；
whence shall e the wind to fill thy sail；
and what higher tide shall release thy rudder？
weighed is thine anchor and thy wings would spread；
but the skies are silent above thee；
and the still sea mocks at thy immobility。
and what hope is there for thee and me？
what shifting of worlds； what new purpose in the heavens；
that shall claim thee？
does the womb of the virgin infinite
bear the seed of thy redeemer；
one mightier than thy vision
whose hand shall deliver thee from thy captivity？
second god
hold your importunate cry；
and the breath of your burning heart；
for deaf is the ear of the infinite；
and heedless is the sky。
we are the beyond and we are the most high；
and between us and boundless eternity
is naught save our unshaped passion
and the motive thereof。
you invoke the unknown；
and the unknown clad with moving mist
dwells in your own soul。
yea； in your own soul your redeemer lies asleep；
and in sleep sees what your waking eye does not see。
and that is the secret of our being。
would you leave the harvest ungathered；
in haste to sow again the dreaming furrow？
and wherefore spread you your cloud in trackless fields and desolate；
when your own flock is seeking you；
and would fain gather in your own shadow？
forbear and look down upon the world。
behold the unweaned children of your love。
the earth is your abode； and the earth is your throne；
and high beyond mans furtherest hope
your hand upholds his destiny。
you would not abandon him
who strives to reach you through gladness and through pain。
you would not turn away your face from the need in his eyes。
first god
does dawn hold the heart of night unto her heart？
or shall the sea heed the bodies of her dead？
like dawn my soul rises within me
naked and unencumbered。
and like the unresting sea
my heart casts out a perishing wrack of man and earth。
i would not cling to that clings to me。
but unto that that rises beyond my reach i would arise。
third god
brothers； behold； my brothers；
they meet； two star…bound spirits in the sky encountering。
in silence they gaze the one upon the other。
he sings no more；
and yet his sunburnt throat throbs with the song；
and in her limbs the happy dance is stayed
but not asleep。
brothers； my strange brothers；
the night waxeth deep；
and brighter is the moon；
and twixt the meadow and the sea
a voice in rapture calleth you and me。
second god
to be； to rise； to burn before the burning sun；
to live； and to watch the nights of the living
as orion watches us！
to face the four winds with a head crowned and high；
and to heal the ills of man with our tideless breath！
the tentmaker sits darkly at his loom；
and the potter turns his wheel unaware；
but we； the sleepless and the knowing；
we are released from guessing and from chance。
we pause not nor do we wait for thought。
we are beyond all restless questioning。
be content and let the dreaming go。
like rivers let us flow to ocean
unwounded by the edges of the rocks；
and when we reach her heart and are merged；
no more shall we wrangle and reason of tomorrow。
first god
oh； this ache of ceaseless divining；
this vigil of guiding the day unto twilight；
and the night unto dawn；
this tide of ever remembering and forgetting；
this ever sowing destinies and reaping but hopes；
this changeless lifting of self from dust to mist；
only to long for dust； and to fall down with longing unto dust；
and still with greater longing to seek the mist again。
and this timeless measuring of time。
must my soul needs to be a sea whose currents forever confound one another；
or the sky where the warring winds turn hurricane？
were i man； a blind fragment；
i could have met it with patience。
or if i were the supreme godhead；
who fills the emptiness of man and of gods；
i would be fulfilled。
but you and i are neither human；
nor the supreme above us。
we are but twilights ever rising and ever fading
between horizon and horizon。
we are but gods holding a world and held by it；
fates that sound the trumpets
whilst the breath and the music e from beyond。
and i rebel。
i would exhaust myself to emptiness。
i would dissolve myself afar from your vision；
and from the memory of this silent youth； our younger brother；
who sits beside us gazing into yonder valley；
and though his lips move； utters not a word。
third god
i speak； my unheeding brothers；
i do indeed speak；
but you hear only your own words。
i bid you see your glory and mine；
but you turn； and close your eyes；
and rock your thrones。
ye sovereigns who would govern the above world and the world beneath；
god self…bent； whose yesterday is ever jealous of your tomorrow；
self…weary； who would unleash your temper with speech
and lash our orb with thunderings！
your feud is but the sounding of an ancient lyre
whose strings have been half forgotten by his fingers
who has orion for a harp and the pleiades for cymbals。
even now； while you are muttering and rumbling；
his harp rings； his cymbals clash；
and i beseech you hear his song。
behold； man and woman；
flame to flame；
in white ecstacy。
roots that suck at the breast of purple earth；
flame flowers at the breasts of the sky。
and we are the purple breast；
and we are the enduring sky。
our soul； even the soul of life； your soul and mine；
dwells this night in a throat enflamed；
and garments the body of a girl with beating waves。
your sceptre cannot sway this destiny；
your weariness is but ambition。
this and all is wiped away
in the passion of a man and a maid。
second god
yea； what of this love of man and woman？
see how the east wind dances with her dancing feet；
and the west wind rises singing with his song。
behold our sacred purpose now enthroned；
in the yielding of a spirit that sings to a body that dances。
first god
i will not turn my eyes downward to the conceit of earth；
nor to her children in their slow agony that you call love。
and what is love；
but the muffled drum and leads the long procession of sweet uncertainty
to another slow agony？
i will not look downward。
what is there to behold
save a man and a woman in the forest that grew to trap them
that they might renounce self
and parent creatures for our unborn tomorrow？
third god
oh； the affliction of knowing；
the starless veil of prying and questioning
which we have laid upon the world；
and the challenge to human forbearance！
we would lay under a stone a waxen shape
and say； it is a thing of clay；
and in clay let it find its end。
we would hold in our hands a white flame
and say in our heart；
it is a fragment of ourselves returning；
a breath of our breath that had escaped；
and now haunts our hands and lips for more fragrance。
earth gods； my brothers；
high upon the mountain；
we are still earth…bound；
through man desiring the golden hours of mans destiny。
shall our wisdom ravish beauty from his eyes？
shall our measures subdue his passion to stillness；
or to our own passion？
what would your armies of reasoning
where love encamps his host？
they who are conquered by love；
and upon whose bodies loves chariot ran
from sea to mountain
and again form mountain to the sea；
stand even now in a shy half…embrace。
petal unto petal they breathe the sacred perfume；
soul to soul they find the soul of life；
and upon their eyelids lies a prayer
unto you and unto me。
love is a night bent down to a bower anointed；
a sky turned meadow； and all the stars to fireflies。
true it is； we are the beyond；
and we are the most high。
but love is beyond our questioning；
and love outsoars our song。
second god
seek you a distant orb；
and would not consider this star
where your sinews are planted？
there is no centre in space
save where self is wedded to self；
and beauty filling our hands to shame our lips。
the most distant is the most near。
and where beauty is； there are all things。
oh； lofty dreaming brother；
return to us from times dim borderland！
unlace your feet from no…where and no…when；
and dwell with us in this security
which your hand intertwined with ours
has builded stone upon stone。
cast off your mantle of brooding；
and rade us； masters of the young earth green and warm。
first god
eternal altar！ wouldst thou indeed this night
a god for sacrifice？
now then； i e； and ing i offer up
my passion and my pain。
lo； there is the dancer； carved out of our ancient eagerness；
and the singer is crying mine own songs unto the wind。
and in that dancing and in that singing
a god is slain within me。
my god…heart within my human ribs
shouts to my god…heart in mid…air。
the human pit that wearied me calls to divinity。
the beauty that we have sought from the beginning
calls unto divinity。
i heed； and i have measured the call；
and now i yield。
beauty is a path that leads to self self…slain。
beat your strings
i will to walk the path。
it stretches ever to another dawn。
third god
love trium
