THE SAYINGS OF IMBAUN

 The Prophet of the gods said: "Yonder beside the road there sitteth a false prophet; and to all who seek to know the hidden days he saith: 'Upon the morrow the King shall speak to thee as his chariot goeth by.'"

 

Moreover, all the people bring him gifts, and the false prophet hath more to listen to his words than hath the Prophet of the gods.

 

Then said Imbaun: "What knoweth the Prophet of the gods? I know only that I and men know naught¹ concerning the gods or aught concerning men. Shall I, who am their prophet, tell the people this?

 

"For wherefore have the people chosen prophets but that they should speak the hopes of the people, and tell the people that their hopes be true?"

 

The false prophet saith: "Upon the morrow the king shall speak to thee."

 

Shall not I say: "Upon The Morrow the gods shall speak with thee as thou restest upon Pegana?"

 

So shall the people be happy, and know that their hopes be true who have believed the words that they have chosen a prophet to say.

 

But what shall know the Prophet of the gods, to whom none may come to say: "Thy hopes are true," for whom none may make strange signs before his eyes to quench² his fear of death, for whom alone the chaunt of his priests availeth naught?

 

The Prophet of the gods hath sold his happiness for wisdom, and hath given his hopes for the people.

 

Said also Imbaun: "When thou art angry at night observe how calm be the stars; and shall small ones rail when there is such a calm among the great ones? Or when thou art angry by day regard the distant hills, and see the calm that doth adorn³ their faces. Shalt thou be angry while they stand so serene⁴?

 

"Be not angry with men, for they are driven as thou art by Dorozhand. Do bullocks goad⁵ one another on whom the same yoke⁶ rests?

 

"And be not angry with Dorozhand, for then thou beatest thy bare fingers against iron cliffs.

 

"All that is is so because it was to be. Rail not, therefore, against what is, for it was all to be."

 

And Imbaun said: "The Sun ariseth and maketh a glory about all the things that he seeth, and drop by drop he turneth the common dew to every kind of gem⁷. And he maketh a splendour in the hills.

 

"And also man is born. And there rests a glory about the gardens of his youth. Both travel afar to do what Dorozhand would have them do.

 

"Soon now the sun will set, and very softly come twinkling in the stillness all the stars.

 

"Also man dieth. And quietly about his grave will all the mourners weep.

 

"Will not his life arise again somewhere in all the worlds? Shall he not again behold⁸ the gardens of his youth? Or does he set to end?"

1 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

2 quench   

vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制

参考例句：

• The firemen were unable to quench the fire.消防人员无法扑灭这场大火。
• Having a bottle of soft drink is not enough to quench my thirst.喝一瓶汽水不够解渴。

3 adorn   

vt.使美化，装饰

参考例句：

• She loved to adorn herself with finery.她喜欢穿戴华丽的服饰。
• His watercolour designs adorn a wide range of books.他的水彩设计使许多图书大为生色。

4 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

5 goad   

n.刺棒，刺痛物；激励；vt.激励，刺激

参考例句：

• The opposition is trying to goad the government into calling an election.在野反对党正努力激起政府提出选举。
• The writer said he needed some goad because he was indolent.这个作家说他需要刺激，因为他很懒惰。

6 yoke   

n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶

参考例句：

• An ass and an ox,fastened to the same yoke,were drawing a wagon.驴子和公牛一起套在轭上拉车。
• The defeated army passed under the yoke.败军在轭门下通过。

7 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

8 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。