Seven times have I despised my soul:

——Kahlil Gibran

The first time when I saw her being meek that she might attain height.

The second time when I saw her limping before the crippled.

The third time when she was given to choose between the hard and the easy, and she chose the easy.

The fourth time when she committed a wrong, and comforted herself that others also commit wrong.

The fifth time when she forbore for weakness, and attributed her patience to strength.

The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.

And the seventh time when she sang a song of praise, and deemed it a virtue.

譯文

我曾七次鄙視我的靈魂

——卡里.紀伯倫

第一次，當它本可進取時，卻故作謙卑；

第二次，當它在空虛時，用愛欲來填充；

第三次，在困難和容易之間，它選擇了容易；

第四次，它犯了錯，卻借由別人也會犯錯來寬慰自己；

第五次，它自由軟弱，卻把它認為是生命的堅韌；

第六次，當它鄙夷一張丑惡的嘴臉時，卻不知那正是自己面具中的一副；

第七次，它側身于生活的污泥中，雖不甘心，卻又畏首畏尾。