沙与沫_纪伯伦-第6章
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i stopped my guest on the threshold and said； 〃nay； wipe not your feet as you enter； but as you go out。〃
generosity is not in giving me that which i need more than you do； but it is in giving me that which you need more than i do。
you are indeed charitable when you give； and while giving； turn your face away so that you may not see the shyness of the receiver。
the difference between the richest man and the poorest is but a day of hunger and an hour of thirst。
we often borrow from our tomorrows to pay our debts to our yesterdays。
i too am visited by angels and devils； but i get rid of them。
when it is an angel i pray an old prayer； and he is bored；
when it is a devil i mit an old sin； and he passes me by。
after all this is not a bad prison； but i do not like this wall between my cell and the next prisoners cell；
yet i assure you that i do not wish to reproach the warder not the builder of the prison。
those who give you a serpent when you ask for a fish； may have nothing but serpents to give。 it is then generosity on their part。
trickery succeeds sometimes； but it always mits suicide。
you are truly a forgiver when you forgive murderers who never spill blood； thieves who never steal； and liars who utter no falsehood。
he who can put his finger upon that which divides good from evil is he who can touch the very hem of the garment of god。
if your heart is a volcano how shall you expect flowers to bloom in your hands？
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SAND AND FOAM（second part）
。小％说^t*xt…天。堂
sand and foam（second part）
a strange form of self…indulgence！ there are times when i would be wronged and cheated； that i may laugh at the expense of those who think i do not know i am being wronged and cheated。
what shall i say of him who is the pursuer playing the part of the pursued？
let him who wipes his soiled hands with your garment take your garment。 he may need it again； surely you would not。
it is a pity that money…changers cannot be good gardeners。
please do not whitewash your inherent faults with your acquired virtues。 i would have the faults； they are like mine own。
how often have i attributed to myself crimes i have never mitted； so that the other person may feel fortable in my presence。
even the masks of life are masks of deeper mystery。
you may judge others only according to your knowledge of yourself。
tell me now； who among us is guilty and who is unguilty？
the truly just is he who feels half guilty of your misdeeds。
only an idiot and a genius break man…made laws； and they are the nearest to the heart of god。
it is only when you are pursued that you bee swift。
i have no enemies； o god； but if i am to have an enemy
let his strength be equal to mine；
that truth alone may be the victor。
you will be quite friendly with your enemy when you both die。
perhaps a man may mit suicide in self…defence。
long ago there lived a man who was crucified for being too loving and too lovable。
and strange to relate i met him thrice yesterday。
the first time he was asking a policeman not to take a prostitute to prison； the second time he was drinking wine with an outcast； and the third time he was having a fist…fight with a promoter inside a church。
if all they say of good and evil were true； then my life is but one long crime。
pity is but half justice。
the only one who has been unjust to me is the one to whose brother i have been unjust。
when you see a man led to prison say in your heart； 〃mayhap he is escaping from a narrower prison。〃
and when you see a man drunken say in your heart； 〃mayhap he sought escape from something still more unbeautiful。〃
oftentimes i have hated in self…defence； but if i were stronger i would not have used such a weapon。
how stupid is he who would patch the hatred in his eyes with the smile of his lips。
only those beneath me can envy or hate me。
i have never been envied nor hated； i am above no one。
only those above me can praise or belittle me。
i have never been praised nor belittled； i am below no one。
your saying to me； 〃i do not understand you；〃 is praise beyond my worth； and an insult you do not deserve。 how mean am i when life gives me gold and i give you silver； and yet i deem myself generous。
when you reach the heart of life you will find yourself not higher than the felon； and not lower than the prophet。
strange that you should pity the slow…footed and not the slow…minded；
and the blind…eyed rather than the blind…hearted。
it is wiser for the lame not to break his crutches upon the head of his enemy。
how blind is he who gives you out of his pocket that he may take out of your heart。
life is a procession。 the slow of foot finds it too swift and he steps out；
and the swift of foot finds it too slow and he too steps out。
if there is such a thing as sin some of us mit it backward following our forefathers footsteps；
and some of us mit it forward by overruling our children。
the truly good is he who is one with all those who are deemed bad。
we are all prisoners but some of us are in cells with windows and some without。
strange that we all defend our wrongs with more vigour than we do our rights。
should we all confess our sins to one another we would all laugh at one another for our lack of originality。
should we all reveal our virtues we would also laugh for the same cause。
an individual is above man…made laws until he mits a crime against man…made conventions； after that he is neither above anyone nor lower than anyone。
government is an agreement between you and myself。 you and myself are often wrong。
crime is either another name of need or an aspect of a disease。
is there a greater fault than being conscious of the other persons faults？
if the other person laughs at you； you can pity him； but if you laugh at him you may never forgive yourself。
if the other person injures you； you may forget the injury； but if you injure him you will always remember。
in truth the other person is your most sensitive self given another body。
how heedless you are when you would have men fly with your wings and you cannot even give them a feather。
once a man sat at my board and ate my bread and drank my wine and went away laughing at me。
then he came again for bread and wine； and i spurned him；
and the angels laughed at me。
hate is a dead thing。 who of you would be a tomb？
it is the honour of the murdered that he is not the murderer。
the tribune of humanity is in its silent heart； never its talkative mind。
they deem me mad because i will not sell my days for gold；
and i deem them mad because they think my days have a price。
they spread before us their riches of gold and silver； of ivory and ebony； and we spread before them our hearts and our spirits。；
and yet they deem themselves the hosts and us the guests。
i would not be the least among men with dreams and the desire to fulfil them； rather than the greatest with no dreams and no desires。
the most pitiful among men is he who turns his dreams into silver and gold。
we are all climbing toward the summit of our hearts desire。 should the other climber steal your sack and your purse and wax fat on the one and heavy on the other； you should pity him；
the climbing will be harder for his flesh； and the burden will make his way longer。
and should you in your leanness see his flesh puffing upward； help him a step； it will add to your swiftness。
you cannot judge any man beyond your knowledge of him； and how small is your knowledge。
i would not listen to a conqueror preaching to the conquered。
the truly free man is he who bears the load of the bond slave patiently。
a thousand years ago my neighbour said to me； 〃i hate life； for it is naught but a thing of pain。〃
and yesterday i passed by a cemetery and saw life dancing upon his grave。
strife in nature is but disorder longing for order。
solitude is a silent storm that breaks down all our dead branches；
yet it sends our living roots deeper into the living heart of the living earth。
once i spoke of the sea to a brook； and the brook thought me but an imaginative exaggerator；
and once
