5. Leila and Majnun

5. 萊拉與瑪吉努

The story of Leila and Majnun has been told in the East for thousands of years and has always exerted a great fascination, for it is not only a love-story, but a lesson in love; not love as it is generally understood by man, but the love that rises above the earth and heavens.

萊拉與瑪吉努的故事在東方流傳了數千年，始終深深吸引著人們，因為這不只是一個愛情故事，更是關於愛的教導；它所說的並不是人們通常所理解的愛，而是超越大地與諸天的愛。

A lad called Majnun from childhood had shown love in his nature, revealing to the eye of the seers the tragedy of his life. When Majnun was at school he became fond of Leila. In time the spark grew into a flame, and Majnun did not feel at rest if Leila was a little late in coming to school; with his book in his hand, he fixed his eyes on the entrance, which amused the scoffers and disturbed everybody there. The flame in time rose into a blaze and then Leila’s heart became kindled by Majnun’s love. Each looked at the other; she did not see anyone in the class but Majnun, nor did he see anyone save Leila. In reading from the book Majnun would read the name of Leila, in writing from dictation Leila would cover her slate with the name of Majnun.

有一個名叫瑪吉努的少年，從小便在天性中顯露出愛，使祕士們一眼便看見了他一生的悲劇。瑪吉努上學之後，喜歡上了萊拉。隨著時間過去，最初的火花燃成了火焰；只要萊拉上學稍微遲到一些，瑪吉努便坐立不安。他手中拿著書，雙眼卻一直盯著入口，惹得嘲笑他的人發笑，也使周圍所有人不得安寧。那火焰漸漸燃成烈火，萊拉的心也被瑪吉努的愛點燃了。他們彼此凝望；她在整間教室裡只看得見瑪吉努，而他除了萊拉之外也看不見任何人。瑪吉努讀書時，讀出的總是萊拉的名字；萊拉聽寫時，則把整塊石板都寫滿瑪吉努的名字。

“All else disappears when the thought of the beloved occupies the mind of the lover.”

「當摯愛者的念頭充滿愛者的頭腦時，其餘的一切便都消失了。」

Everyone in the school whispered to each other, pointing them out. The teachers were worried and wrote to the parents of both that the children were crazy and intensely fond of one another, and that there seemed no way to divert their attention from their love-affair which had stopped every possibility of their progress in study.

學校裡人人交頭接耳，指著他們議論。老師們很擔心，於是分別寫信給兩人的父母，說這兩個孩子簡直瘋了，深深迷戀著彼此；看來沒有任何辦法能使他們把注意力從這段愛戀中移開，而這份愛戀已使他們完全無法在學業上有所進展。

Leila’s parents removed her at once, and kept a careful watch over her. In this way they took her away from Majnun, but who could take Majnun away from her heart? She had no thought but of Majnun. Majnun, without her, in his heart’s unrest and grief, kept the whole school in a turmoil, until his parents were compelled to take him home, as there seemed to be nothing left for him in the school. Majnun’s parents called physicians, soothsayers, healers, magicians, and poured money at their feet, asking them for some remedy to take away from the heart of Majnun the thought of Leila. But how could it be done?

萊拉的父母立刻讓她退學，並嚴密看守著她。他們就這樣把她從瑪吉努身邊帶走了，可是又有誰能把瑪吉努從她心裡帶走呢？她除了瑪吉努之外，再也沒有別的念頭。失去萊拉之後，瑪吉努心中的不安與悲傷使整間學校都不得安寧，最後他的父母不得不把他帶回家，因為學校對他而言似乎已再沒有任何意義。瑪吉努的父母找來醫師、占卜者、療癒者和魔法師，把大把金錢奉到他們腳前，求他們想出什麼辦法，能從瑪吉努心裡除去萊拉的念頭。然而，這怎麼可能做到呢？

“Even Luqman the great physician of the ancients, had no cure for the love-sick.”

「即使是古代的名醫盧克曼，也沒有治療相思病的藥方。」

No one has ever healed a patient of love. Friends came, relations came, well-wishers came, wise counsellors came, and all tried their best to efface from his mind the thought of Leila, but all was in vain. Someone said to him, “O Majnun, why do you sorrow at the separation from Leila? She is not beautiful. I can show you a thousand fairer and more charming maidens, and can let you choose your mate from among them.”

從來沒有人能治癒一個為愛所苦的人。朋友來了，親戚來了，關心他的人來了，睿智的勸導者也來了；每個人都竭盡所能，想從他的頭腦中抹去萊拉的念頭，但一切都是徒勞。有人對他說：「噢，瑪吉努，你為什麼要因為和萊拉分離而如此悲傷？她並不美。我可以讓你看一千個比她更美、更迷人的少女，讓你從她們當中選一位作為伴侶。」

Majnun answered, “O, to see the beauty of Leila the eyes of Majnun are needed.”

瑪吉努回答：「啊，要看見萊拉的美，必須有瑪吉努的眼睛。」

When no remedy had been left untried, the parents of Majnun resolved to seek the refuge of the Ka’ba as their last resort. They took Majnun on the pilgrimage to Ka’bat-ullah. When they drew near to the Ka’ba a great crowd gathered to see them. The parents, each in turn, went and prayed to God, saying, “O Lord, Thou art most merciful and compassionate, grant Thy favor to our only son, that the heart of Majnun may be released from the pain of the love of Leila.” Everybody there listened to this intently, and wonderingly awaited what Majnun had to say.

所有可能的方法都嘗試過之後，瑪吉努的父母決定把克爾白（Ka’ba）作為最後的依靠。他們帶著瑪吉努前往真主的克爾白（Ka’bat-ullah）朝覲。當他們接近克爾白時，一大群人聚集過來看他們。父母輪流上前向神祈禱：「噢，主啊，祢是至為仁慈、至為慈悲的，求祢恩待我們唯一的兒子，使瑪吉努的心能從愛萊拉的痛苦中得到釋放。」在場的每個人都專心聽著，並好奇地等待瑪吉努會說些什麼。

[譯註] Ka’ba（克爾白，又稱「天房」）位於麥加禁寺中央，是伊斯蘭最重要的聖所，也是穆斯林禮拜時所朝向的方向。朝覲期間，朝聖者會環繞克爾白行走。

Then Majnun was asked by his parents, “Child, go and pray that the love of Leila may be taken away from your heart.” Majnun replied, “Shall I meet my Leila if I pray?” They, with the greatest disappointment, said, “Pray, child, whatever you like to pray.” He went there and said, “I want my Leila,” and everyone present said, “Amen.”

接著，父母對瑪吉努說：「孩子，去祈禱吧，祈求神把你心中對萊拉的愛帶走。」瑪吉努回答：「如果我祈禱，我就能見到我的萊拉嗎？」父母失望至極，只能說：「祈禱吧，孩子，你想祈求什麼就祈求什麼吧。」於是他走上前去，說：「我要我的萊拉。」在場所有人都說：「阿們。」

“The world echoes to the lover’s call.”

「世界回響著愛者的呼喚。」

When the parents had sought in every way to cure Majnun of his craze for Leila, in the end they thought the best way was to approach the parents of Leila, for this was the last hope of saving Majnun’s life. They sent a message to Leila’s parents, who were of another faith, saying, “We have done all we can to take away from Majnun the thought of Leila, but so far we have not succeeded, nor is there any hope of success left to us except one, that is your consent to their marriage.” They, in answer, said, “Although it exposes us to the scorn of our people, still Leila seems never to forget the thought of Majnun for one single moment, and since we have taken her away from school she pines away every day. Therefore we should not mind giving Leila in marriage to Majnun, if only we were convinced that he is sane.”

瑪吉努的父母想盡一切辦法，要治好他對萊拉的癡戀；最後他們認為，最好的辦法就是去找萊拉的父母，因為這已是挽救瑪吉努生命的最後希望。他們派人向信仰不同的萊拉父母傳話：「我們已經用盡一切方法，想除去瑪吉努心中對萊拉的念頭，但至今仍未成功。如今唯一剩下的希望，就是你們同意他們成婚。」萊拉的父母回答：「這件事雖然會使我們受到族人的嘲笑，可是萊拉似乎也沒有一刻能忘記瑪吉努。自從我們讓她離開學校之後，她一天比一天憔悴。因此，只要我們能確信瑪吉努神志正常，我們並不反對把萊拉嫁給他。」

On hearing this the parents of Majnun were much pleased and advised Majnun to behave sensibly, so that Leila’s parents might have no cause to suspect him of being out of his mind. Majnun agreed to do everything his parents desired, if he could only meet his Leila. They went, according to the custom of the East, in procession to the house of the bride, where a special seat was made for the bridegroom, who was covered with garlands of flowers. But as they say in the East that the gods are against lovers, so destiny did not grant these perfect lovers the happiness of being together.

瑪吉努的父母聽了十分高興，便勸瑪吉努好好表現得合情合理，好讓萊拉的父母沒有理由懷疑他神志失常。只要能見到自己的萊拉，瑪吉努答應父母要他做什麼都可以。於是，他們依照東方的習俗，列隊前往新娘家；那裡特別為新郎設了一個座位，瑪吉努身上也披滿了花環。然而東方有句話說，諸神總與戀人作對；命運終究沒有讓這兩個完美的愛者得到相聚的幸福。

The dog that used to accompany Leila to school happened to come into the room where they were sitting. As soon as Majnun’s eyes fell on this dog his emotion broke out. He could not sit in the high seat and look at the dog. He ran to the dog and kissed its paws and put all the garlands of flowers on the neck of the dog. There was no sign of reverence or worship that Majnun did not show to this dog.

那隻從前常陪萊拉上學的狗，恰巧走進了眾人所在的房間。瑪吉努的眼睛一落到牠身上，情感頓時迸發。他再也無法坐在高位上只是看著那隻狗。他跑到牠身邊，親吻牠的腳掌，把自己身上所有的花環都掛到牠的脖子上。凡是能表達敬意與崇敬的方式，瑪吉努沒有一樣不向這隻狗表示。

“The dust of the beloved’s dwelling is the earth of Ka’ba to the lover.”

「對愛者而言，摯愛者居所的塵土，就是克爾白的聖土。」

This conduct plainly proved him insane. As love’s language is gibberish to the loveless, so the action of Majnun was held by those present to be mere folly. They were all greatly disappointed, and Majnun was taken back home and Leila’s parents refused their consent to the marriage.

這樣的舉動顯然使眾人認定他瘋了。對沒有愛的人而言，愛的語言只是胡言亂語；因此，在場的人也只把瑪吉努的行為視為愚行。所有人都大失所望，瑪吉努被帶回家，萊拉的父母也拒絕再同意這樁婚事。

This utter disappointment made Majnun’s parents altogether hopeless, and they no longer kept watch over him, seeing that life and death to him were both the same, and this gave Majnun freedom to wander about the town in search of Leila, enquiring of everyone he met about Leila. By chance he met a letter-carrier who was carrying mail on the back of a camel, and when Majnun asked this man Leila’s whereabouts, he said, “Her parents have left this country and have gone to live a hundred miles from here.” Majnun begged him to give his message to Leila. He said, “With pleasure.” But when Majnun began to tell the message the telling continued for a long, long time.

這場徹底的失望使瑪吉努的父母完全失去了希望。他們看出，對瑪吉努而言，生與死已沒有什麼分別，於是也不再看管他。瑪吉努因此得以自由地在城裡四處遊蕩，尋找萊拉，逢人便問萊拉的消息。偶然間，他遇見一名郵差，正用駱駝馱著郵件。瑪吉努問他萊拉人在何處，那人回答：「她的父母已離開這個國家，搬到一百英里之外去了。」瑪吉努懇求他替自己帶話給萊拉。郵差說：「很樂意。」然而，瑪吉努一開始訴說要帶的話，就說了很久、很久。

“The message of love has no end.”

「愛的訊息永遠說不完。」

The letter-carrier was partly amused and partly he sympathized with his earnestness. Although Majnun, walking with his camel, was company for him on his long journey, still, out of pity, he said, “Now you have walked ten miles giving me your message, how long will it take me to deliver it to Leila? Now go your way, I will see to it.” Then Majnun turned back, but he had not gone a hundred yards before he returned to say, “O kind friend, I have forgotten to tell you a few things that you might tell my Leila.” When he continued his message it carried him another ten miles on the way. The carrier said, “For mercy’s sake, go back. You have walked a long way. How shall I be able to remember all the message you have given me? Still, I will do my best. Now go back, you are far from home.” Majnun again went back a few yards and again remembered something to tell the message bearer and went after him. In this way the whole journey was accomplished, and he himself arrived at the place to which he was sending the message.

郵差一方面覺得好笑，一方面又被他的真摯所感動。瑪吉努一路跟著他的駱駝步行，在這趟漫長旅程中倒也成了他的旅伴；然而出於憐憫，郵差終於說：「你為了告訴我這些話，已經跟著走了十英里。照這樣下去，我到底什麼時候才能把話帶給萊拉？現在回去吧，我會替你辦妥的。」瑪吉努於是轉身往回走，可是還不到一百碼，他又跑回來說：「噢，善良的朋友，我忘了還有幾件事要請你告訴我的萊拉。」他又繼續訴說，一邊說又一邊跟著走了十英里。郵差說：「看在老天的份上，回去吧。你已經走了這麼遠。你告訴我這麼多話，我怎麼可能全部記得？不過我一定會盡力。現在回去吧，你離家已經很遠了。」瑪吉努又往回走了幾步，忽然又想起有話要交代，便再次追了上去。就這樣，整趟旅程竟然走完了；最後，他自己也抵達了原本要託人送話去的地方。

The letter-carrier was astonished at this earnest love, and said to him, “You have already arrived in the land where your Leila lives. Now stay in this ruined mosque. This is outside the town; if you go with me into the town they will torment you before you can reach Leila. The best thing is for you to rest here now, as you have walked so very far, and I will convey your message to Leila as soon as I can reach her.”

郵差對這份真摯的愛驚嘆不已，便對他說：「你現在已經來到你的萊拉所住的地方了。先留在這座廢棄的清真寺裡吧。這裡位於城外；如果你跟我進城，恐怕還沒見到萊拉，就會先被人折磨。你已經走了這麼遠，現在最好先在這裡休息。我一找到萊拉，就會立刻把你的話帶給她。」

“Love’s intoxication sees no time nor space.”

「沉醉於愛的人，看不見時間，也看不見空間。」

Majnun listened to his advice and stayed there, and felt inclined to rest, but the idea that he was in the town where Leila dwelt made him wonder in which direction he should stretch out his legs. He thought of the north, south, east, and west, and thought to himself, “If Leila were on this side it would be insolence on my part to stretch out my feet towards her. The best thing, then, would be to hang my feet by a rope from above, for surely she will not be there.”

瑪吉努聽從了他的勸告，留在那裡。他原本想休息，然而一想到自己已來到萊拉所住的城鎮，就開始不知道雙腳究竟該朝哪個方向伸展。他想了想北方、南方、東方和西方，心裡說：「如果萊拉就在這個方向，我把腳朝她伸去，豈不是太無禮了？那麼最好的辦法，就是用繩子從上方把我的腳吊起來，因為她一定不會在那裡。」

“The lover’s Ka’ba is the dwelling place of the beloved.”

「愛者的克爾白，就是摯愛者居住的地方。」

He was thirsty, and could find no water except some rain-water that had collected in a disused tank.

他口渴了，四處都找不到水，只有一座廢棄水槽裡積著一些雨水。

When the letter-carrier entered the house of Leila’s parents he saw Leila and said to her, “I had to make a great effort to speak with you. Your lover Majnun, who is a lover without compare in all the world, gave me a message for you, and he continued to speak with me throughout the journey and has walked as far as this town with the camel.” She said, “For heaven’s sake! Poor Majnun! I wonder what will become of him.”

郵差進入萊拉父母家中，見到了萊拉，便對她說：「我費了很大的力氣才有機會和你說話。你的愛人瑪吉努——世上再也找不到像他這樣的愛者——託我帶話給你。他一路上不停地對我說著要帶給你的話，結果竟跟著駱駝一路走到了這座城。」萊拉說：「天啊！可憐的瑪吉努！不知道他會變成怎樣。」

She asked her old nurse, “What becomes of a person who has walked a hundred miles without a break?” The nurse said rashly, “Such a person must die.” Leila said, “Is there any remedy?” She said, “He must drink some rain-water collected for a year past and from that water a snake must drink, and then his feet must be tied and he must be hung up in the air with his head down for a very long time; that might save his life.” Leila said, “Oh, but how difficult it is to obtain!” God, who Himself is love, was the guide of Majnun, therefore everything came to Majnun as was best for him.

她問自己的老乳母：「一個人如果不休息，一口氣走了一百英里，會怎麼樣？」乳母隨口說道：「那樣的人一定會死。」萊拉問：「有沒有什麼辦法可以救他？」乳母說：「他必須喝下積存了一整年的雨水，而且還得是蛇喝過的水；然後把他的雙腳綁住，讓他頭朝下倒吊在空中很長一段時間。這樣也許能救他一命。」萊拉說：「噢，可是這些條件多麼難辦到啊！」神本身就是愛，也是瑪吉努的引導者，因此一切所發生在瑪吉努身上的事，都恰好成為對他最好的安排。

“Verily love is the healer of its own wounds.”

「的確，愛正是自己傷口的療癒者。」

The next morning Leila put her food aside, and sent it secretly, by a maid whom she took into her confidence, with a message to tell Majnun that she longed to see him as much as he to see her, the difference being only of chains; as soon as she had an opportunity, she said, she would come at once.

第二天早晨，萊拉把自己的食物留了下來，暗中託一名她所信任的侍女送去，並請她帶話給瑪吉努：她渴望見他，就如同他渴望見她一樣；兩人唯一的不同，只在於她身上有著束縛。只要一有機會，她一定立刻去見他。

The maid went to the ruined mosque, and saw two people sitting there, one who seemed self-absorbed, unaware of his surroundings, and the other a fat, robust man. She thought that Leila could not possibly love a person like this dreamy one whom she herself would not have cared to love. But in order to make sure, she asked which of them was named Majnun. The mind of Majnun was deeply sunk in his thought and far away from her words, but this man, who was out of work, was rather glad to see the dinner-basket in her hand, and said, “For whom are you looking?” She said, “I am asked to give this to Majnun. Are you Majnun?” He readily stretched out his hands to take the basket, and said, “I am the one for whom you have brought it,” and spoke a word or two with her in jest, and she was delighted.

侍女來到那座廢棄的清真寺，看見兩個人坐在那裡。一個人似乎完全沉浸在自己之中，對周遭毫無知覺；另一個則是個肥胖強壯的男子。她心想，萊拉怎麼可能愛上那個神思恍惚的人？連她自己都不會想愛這種人。為了確認，她便問兩人之中誰叫瑪吉努。真正的瑪吉努深深沉浸在自己的思念裡，根本聽不進她說的話；倒是那個失業的男子一看見她手中的餐籃便十分高興，問道：「你在找誰？」她說：「有人叫我把這個交給瑪吉努。你是瑪吉努嗎？」他立刻伸手接過籃子，說：「我就是你送東西來找的那個人。」接著又跟她說了幾句玩笑話，侍女非常開心。

On the maid’s return Leila asked, “Did you give it to him?” She said, “Yes, I did.” Leila then sent to Majnun every day the larger part of her meals, which was received every day by this man, who was very glad to have it while out of work. Leila one day asked her maid, “You never tell me what he says and how he eats.” She said, “He says that he sends very many thanks to you and he appreciates it very much, and he is a pleasant spoken man. You must not worry for one moment. He is getting fatter every day.” Leila said, “But my Majnun has never been fat, and has never had a tendency to become fat, and he is too deep in his thought to say pleasant things to anyone. He is too sad to speak.” Leila at once suspected that the dinner might have been handed to the wrong person. She said, “Is anybody else there?” The maid said, “Yes, there is another person sitting there also, but he seems to be beside himself. He never notices who comes or who goes, nor does he hear a word said by anybody there. He cannot possibly be the man that you love.”

侍女回來後，萊拉問：「你把東西交給他了嗎？」她回答：「交了。」從此萊拉每天都把自己大部分的餐食送給瑪吉努，而每天收到食物的卻都是那個男子。失業期間有人天天送食物給他，他當然十分高興。有一天，萊拉問侍女：「你從來沒有告訴我，他都說些什麼，又是怎麼吃東西的。」侍女回答：「他說非常感謝你，而且十分珍惜你送來的食物。他是個談吐很討喜的人。你完全不用擔心，他一天比一天胖了。」萊拉說：「可是我的瑪吉努從來不胖，也從沒有發胖的傾向；而且他深深沉浸在自己的思念裡，不可能對誰說那些討人喜歡的話。他悲傷得連話都說不出來。」萊拉立刻懷疑食物可能一直送錯了人。她問：「那裡還有別人嗎？」侍女說：「有，旁邊還坐著另一個人，可是那人似乎神志恍惚。他從不注意誰來誰走，別人在那裡說什麼，他一句也聽不見。他絕不可能是你所愛的那個人。」

Leila said, “I think he must be the man. Alas, if you have all this time given the food to the wrong person! Well, to make sure, today take on the plate a knife instead of food and say to that one to whom you gave the food, ‘For Leila a few drops of your blood are needed, to cure her of an illness.'”

萊拉說：「我想，那個人才一定是他。唉，如果這段時間你一直把食物送給了錯的人！這樣吧，為了確定，今天不要在盤子裡放食物，改放一把刀。然後對那個一直收你食物的人說：『萊拉需要你幾滴血，才能治好她的病。』」

When the maid next went to the mosque the man as usual came most eagerly to take his meal, and seeing the knife was surprised. The maid told him that a few drops of his blood were needed to cure Leila. He said, “No, certainly I am not Majnun. There is Majnun. Ask him for it.” The maid foolishly went to him and said to him aloud, “Leila wants a few drops of your blood to cure her.” Majnun most readily took the knife in his hand and said, “How fortunate am I that my blood may be of some use to my Leila. This is nothing, even if my life were to become a sacrifice for her cure, I would consider myself most fortunate to give it.”

侍女再次來到清真寺時，那個男子照往常一樣急切地走過來拿他的飯；可是看到盤子裡的刀，卻吃了一驚。侍女告訴他，萊拉需要幾滴他的血來治病。他立刻說：「不，不，我當然不是瑪吉努。那個人才是瑪吉努。去向他要吧。」侍女竟真的走到瑪吉努身邊，大聲對他說：「萊拉需要你幾滴血來治她的病。」瑪吉努毫不猶豫地拿起刀，說：「我是多麼幸運，我的血竟能對我的萊拉有一點用處。這根本算不了什麼；就算必須犧牲我的生命才能治好她，我也會認為能奉獻自己的生命是最大的幸運。」

“Whatever the lover did for the beloved, it could never be too much.”

「無論愛者為摯愛者做了多少，都永遠不會太多。」

He gashed his arm in several places, but the starvation of months had left no blood, nothing but skin and bone. When a great many places had been cut hardly one drop of blood came out. He said, “That is what is left. You may take that.”

他在自己的手臂上割了好幾刀，可是經過數月飢餓，他身上幾乎已沒有血，只剩皮包著骨頭。割了許多處之後，仍然幾乎連一滴血都流不出來。他說：「這就是我所剩下的了。你拿去吧。」

“Love means pain, but the lover alone is above all pain.”

「愛意味著痛苦，然而只有愛者能超越一切痛苦。」

Majnun’s coming to the town soon became known, and when Leila’s parents knew of it they thought, “Surely Leila will go out of her mind if she ever sees Majnun.” Therefore they resolved to leave the town for some time, thinking that Majnun would make his way home when he found that Leila was not there. Before leaving the place Leila sent a message to Majnun to say, “We are leaving this town for a while, and I am most unhappy that I have not been able to meet you. The only chance of our meeting is that we should meet on the way, if you will go on before and wait for me in the Sahara.”

瑪吉努來到城裡的消息很快便傳開了。萊拉的父母知道後心想：「萊拉如果真的見到瑪吉努，一定會失去理智。」於是他們決定暫時離開這座城，以為瑪吉努發現萊拉不在之後，自然就會回家。離開前，萊拉託人帶話給瑪吉努：「我們要暫時離開這座城。我非常難過，一直沒能見到你。我們唯一可能相見的機會，就是在路上見面。如果你先走一步，到沙漠裡等我，我們就能相見。」

Majnun started most happily to go to the Sahara, with great hope of once more seeing his Leila. When the caravan arrived in the desert and halted there for a while, the mind of Leila’s parents became a little relieved, and they saw Leila also a little happier for the change, as they thought, not knowing the true reason.

瑪吉努滿心歡喜地出發前往沙漠，懷著極大的希望，盼望能再次見到自己的萊拉。商隊抵達沙漠，停下來休息了一會兒；萊拉的父母心情稍微放鬆了一些。他們看見萊拉似乎也因為環境的改變而開心了一點——至少他們是這麼以為的，卻不知道真正的原因。

Leila went for a walk in the Sahara with her maid, and suddenly came upon Majnun, whose eyes had been fixed for a long, long time on the way by which she was to come. She came and said, “Majnun, I am here.” There remained no power in the tongue of Majnun to express his joy. He held her hands and pressed them to his breast, and said, “Leila, you will not leave me any more?” She said, “Majnun, I have been able to come for one moment. If I stay any longer my people will seek for me and your life will not be safe.” Majnun said, “I do not care for life. You are my life. O stay, do not leave me any more.” Leila said, “Majnun, be sensible and believe me. I will surely come back.” Majnun let go her hands and said, “Surely I believe you.” So Leila left Majnun, with heavy heart, and Majnun, who had so long lived on his own flesh and blood, could no more stand erect, but fell backward against the trunk of a tree, which propped him up, and he remained there, living only on hope.

萊拉和侍女一起到沙漠中散步，忽然遇見了瑪吉努。他的雙眼早已久久凝視著她將會前來的那條路。萊拉走近他，說：「瑪吉努，我來了。」瑪吉努的舌頭已沒有力量表達他的喜悅。他握住她的雙手，緊緊按在自己的胸前，說：「萊拉，你再也不會離開我了吧？」她說：「瑪吉努，我只能來這麼一會兒。如果再待久一點，我的家人就會來找我，到時你的生命也不安全。」瑪吉努說：「我不在乎生命。你就是我的生命。噢，留下來吧，不要再離開我。」萊拉說：「瑪吉努，清醒一點，相信我。我一定會回來。」瑪吉努放開她的雙手，說：「我當然相信你。」於是萊拉懷著沉重的心離開了瑪吉努。瑪吉努長久以來幾乎只靠自己的血肉支撐生命，此時已再也站不直，只能向後倒在一棵樹的樹幹上，由樹幹支撐著他的身體。他就這樣留在那裡，只靠著希望活下去。

Years passed and this half-dead body of Majnun was exposed to all things, cold and heat and rain, frost and storm. The hands that were holding the branches became branches themselves, his body became a part of the tree. Leila was as unhappy as before on her travels, and the parents lost hope of her life. She was living only in one hope, that she might once fulfil her promise given to Majnun at the moment of parting, saying, “I will come back.” She wondered if he were alive or dead, or had gone away or whether the animals in the Sahara had carried him off.

許多年過去了，瑪吉努這具半死的身體經受著一切——寒冷、炎熱、雨水、霜凍與風暴。他原本握著樹枝的雙手彷彿也變成了樹枝，他的身體成了那棵樹的一部分。萊拉在旅途中仍像從前一樣不快樂，父母也漸漸對她的生命失去了希望。她只靠著一個希望活著：有一天能履行自己在與瑪吉努分別時許下的承諾——「我會回來。」她不知道他究竟還活著，還是已經死了；不知道他是否已經離開，或是早已被沙漠中的野獸拖走。

When they returned their caravan halted in the same place, and Leila’s heart became full of joy and sorrow, of cheerfulness and gloom, of hope and fear. As she was looking for the place where she had left Majnun she met a woodcutter, who said to her, “Oh, don’t go that way. There is some ghost there.” Leila said, “What is it like?” He said, “It is a tree and at the same time man, and as I struck a branch of this tree with my hatchet I heard him say in a deep sigh, ‘O Leila.'”

當他們回程時，商隊又停在同一個地方。萊拉的心同時充滿了喜悅與悲傷、明朗與陰鬱、希望與恐懼。她尋找著當初留下瑪吉努的地方，途中遇見一名樵夫。樵夫對她說：「噢，不要往那個方向去。那裡好像有個幽靈。」萊拉問：「是什麼樣子？」他說：「那既像一棵樹，又像一個人。我用斧頭砍到那棵樹的一根樹枝時，竟聽見他深深嘆息著說：『噢，萊拉。』」

Hearing this moved Leila beyond description. She said she would go, and drawing near the tree she saw Majnun turned almost into the tree. Flesh and blood had already wasted, and the skin and bone that remained, by contact with the tree, had become like its branches. Leila called him aloud, “Majnun!” He answered, “Leila!” She said, “I am here as I promised, O Majnun.” He answered, “I am Leila.” She said, “Majnun, come to your senses. I am Leila. Look at me.” Majnun said, “Are you Leila? Then I am not,” and he was dead. Leila, seeing this perfection in love, could not live a single moment more. She at the same time cried the name of Majnun and fell down and died.

聽見這些話，萊拉心中的震動難以形容。她說自己一定要去。走近那棵樹時，她看見瑪吉努幾乎已經化成了樹的一部分。他的血肉早已消瘦殆盡，僅存的皮與骨長久貼著樹身，也彷彿成了它的枝幹。萊拉大聲呼喚：「瑪吉努！」他回答：「萊拉！」她說：「我來了，就像我答應你的那樣。噢，瑪吉努。」他回答：「我就是萊拉。」她說：「瑪吉努，清醒過來。我才是萊拉。看看我。」瑪吉努說：「你是萊拉嗎？那麼，我就不是了。」說完，他便死去了。萊拉看見愛竟達到如此圓滿的境地，也再無法多活片刻。她同時呼喊著瑪吉努的名字，倒下死去。

“The beloved is all in all, the lover only veils him. The beloved is all that lives, the lover a dead thing.”

「摯愛者是一切；愛者不過是遮蔽祂的帷幕。摯愛者是一切活著的存在；愛者本身只是一個死去之物。」

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