流浪者 第二章（5）（2/2）
《沙与沫》作者：（黎巴嫩）纪伯伦（Gibran… 2017-04-10 19:58
s and hew the stones for the cathedral, yet he gave them naught, though they knew the bishop’s coffer was full of gold and silver while they themselves were empty with hunger.
And the king called for the bishop, and when the bishop came the king spoke and said unto his,“That cross you wear upon your bosom should mean giving life unto life. But you have taken life from life and you have given none. Therefore you shall leave this kingdom never to return.”
Thus each day for a full moon men and women came to the king to tell him of the burdens laid upon them. And each and every day a full moon some oppressor was exiled from the land.
And the people of Sadik were amazed, and there was cheer in their heart.
And upon a day the elders and the youths came and surrounded the tower of the king and called for him. And he came down holding his crown with one hand and his sceptre with the other.
And he spoke unto and said, “Now, what would you do of me? Behold, I yield back to you that which you desired me to hold.”
But they cried. “Nay, nay, you are our rightful king. You have made clean the land of vipers, and you have brought the wolves to naught, and we welcome to sing our thanksgiving unto you. The crown is yours in majesty and the sceptre is yours in glory.”
Then the king said, “Not I, not I. You yourselves are king. When you deemed me weak and a misruler, you yourselves were weak and misruling. And now the land fares well because it is in your will. I am but a thought in the mind of you all, and I exist not save in your actions. There is no such person as governor. Only the governed exist to govern themselves.”
And the king re-entered his tower with his crown and his sceptre. And the elders and the youths went their various ways and they were content.
And each and every one thought of himself as king with a crown in one hand and a sceptre in the other.
And the king called for the bishop, and when the bishop came the king spoke and said unto his,“That cross you wear upon your bosom should mean giving life unto life. But you have taken life from life and you have given none. Therefore you shall leave this kingdom never to return.”
Thus each day for a full moon men and women came to the king to tell him of the burdens laid upon them. And each and every day a full moon some oppressor was exiled from the land.
And the people of Sadik were amazed, and there was cheer in their heart.
And upon a day the elders and the youths came and surrounded the tower of the king and called for him. And he came down holding his crown with one hand and his sceptre with the other.
And he spoke unto and said, “Now, what would you do of me? Behold, I yield back to you that which you desired me to hold.”
But they cried. “Nay, nay, you are our rightful king. You have made clean the land of vipers, and you have brought the wolves to naught, and we welcome to sing our thanksgiving unto you. The crown is yours in majesty and the sceptre is yours in glory.”
Then the king said, “Not I, not I. You yourselves are king. When you deemed me weak and a misruler, you yourselves were weak and misruling. And now the land fares well because it is in your will. I am but a thought in the mind of you all, and I exist not save in your actions. There is no such person as governor. Only the governed exist to govern themselves.”
And the king re-entered his tower with his crown and his sceptre. And the elders and the youths went their various ways and they were content.
And each and every one thought of himself as king with a crown in one hand and a sceptre in the other.