第4章 情歌(The Love Song)

從前，有個詩人寫了首情詩，詩是美麗的。他復寫了幾份，分送給他的朋友們和相識者，男的女的都送了，甚至送給了一位他只遇見過一次的、住在山嶺那一邊的年輕女子。 一兩天后，那年輕女子派人給他送來了一封信。她在信中寫道："讓我推心置腹地向你保證，我深深地被你寫給我的情詩感動了。現在就來吧，來看望了我的父親和我的母親，咱們就可以為訂婚作好安排了。" 詩人復信，他在信中對她說道："我的朋友啊，這不過是出之於詩人心靈的一首情詩，由每一個男人吟唱給每一個女子聽的。" 她再一次寫信給他，說道；"玩弄語言的偽君子和說謊者！從今天到我去世之日，我將因為你的緣故而憎恨一切詩人。"

The Love Song A poet once wrote a love song and it was beautiful. And he made many copies of it, and sent them to his friends and his acquaintances, both men and women, and even to a young woman whom he had met but once, who lived beyond the mountains. And in a day or two a messenger came from the young woman bringing a letter. And in the letter she said, "Let me assure you, I am deeply touched by the love song that you have written to me. Come now, and see my father and my mother, and we shall make arrangements for the betrothal."

And the poet answered the letter, and he said to her, "My friend, it was but a song of love out of a poets heart, sung by every man to every woman." And she wrote again to him saying, "Hypocrite and liar in words! From this day unto my coffin-day I shall hate all poets for your sake."