卡里·纪伯伦

KahilGibran

Pleasureisafreedomsong，butitisnotfreedom。Itistheblossomingofyourdesires；butitisnottheirfruit，itisadethcallinguntoaheight；butitisnotthedeenorthehigh，itisthecagedtakingwing；butitisnotsaceencomassed1。Ay，inverytruth，leasureisafreedomsong。AndIfainwouldhaveyousingitwithfullnessofheart；yetIwouldnothaveyouloseyourheartsinthesinging。

Someofyouryouthseekleasureasifitwasall，andtheyarejudgedandrebuked2。Iwouldnotjudgenorrebukethem。Iwouldhavethemseek，fortheyshallfindleasure，butnotheralone；sevenarehersisters，andtheleastofthemismorebeautifulthanleasure。Haveyounotheardofthemanwhowasdiggingintheearthforrootsandfoundatreasure?

Andsomeofyoureldersrememberleasureswithregretlikewrongscommittedindrunkenness。Butregretisthebecloudingofthemindandnotitschastisement。Theyshouldremembertheirleasureswithgratitude，astheywouldtheharvestofasummer。Yetifitcomfortsthemtoregret，letthembecomforted。

Andthereareamongyouthosewhoareneitheryoungtoseeknoroldtoremember；andintheirfearofseekingandrememberingtheyshunallleasures，lesttheyneglectthesiritoroffendagainstit。

Butevenintheirforegoingistheirleasure。

Andthustheytoofindatreasurethoughtheydigforrootswithquiveringhands。

Buttellme，whoishethatcanoffendthesirit?

Shallthenightingaleoffendthestillnessofthenight，orthefirefly3thestars?Andshallyourflameoryoursmokeburdenthewind?

Thankyouthesiritisastilloolwhichyoucantroublewithastaff?Oftentimesindenyingyourselfleasureyoudobutstorethedesireintherecessesofyourbeing。

Whoknowsbutthatwhichseemomittedtoday，waitsfortomorrow?Evenyourbodyknowsitsheritageanditsrightfulneedandwillnotbedeceived。

Andyourbodyistheharofyoursoul，anditisyourstobringforthsweetmusicfromitorconfusedsounds。

Andnowyouaskinyourheart，

"Howshallwedistinguish4thatwhichisgoodinleasurefromthatwhichisnotgood?

"Gotoyourfieldsandyourgardensandyoushalllearnthatitistheleasureofthebeetogatherhoneyoftheflower，butitisalsotheleasureoftheflowertoyielditshoneytothebee，fortothebeeaflowerisafountainoflife，andtotheflowerabeeisamessengeroflove，andtoboth，beeandflower，thegivingandthereceivingofleasureisaneedandanecstasy。