On Marriage

Then Almitra spoke again and said,And what of Marriage master?

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together youshall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the whitewings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in thesilent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in yourtogetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dancebetween you.

Love one another, but make not a bond oflove:

Let it rather be a moving sea betweenthe shores of your souls.

Fill each other’s cup but drink not fromone cup.

Give one another of your bread but eatnot from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but leteach one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alonethough they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into eachother’s keeping.

For only the hand of Life can containyour hearts.

And stand together yet not too neartogether:

For the pillars of the temple standapart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grownot in each other’s shadow.