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There is something so unique about Christ. Of course, just as there are false dawns before the dawn itself, and winter-days so full of sudden sunlight that they will cheat the wise crocus into squandering its gold before its time, and make some foolish bird call to its mate to build on barren boughs[124a], so there were Christians before Christ. For that we should be grateful. The unfortunate thing is that there have been none since. I make one Exception, St Francis of Assisi. But then God had given him at his birth the soul of a poet, and he himself when quite young had in mystical marriage taken Poverty as his bride; and with the soul of a poet and the body of a beggar he found the way to perfection not difficult. He understood Christ, and so he became like him. We do not require the Liber Conformitatum[124.1] to teach us that the life of St Francis was the true Imitatio Christi[124.2]: a poem compared to which the book that bears that name is merely prose. Indeed, that is the charm about Christ, when all is said. He is just like a work of art himself. He does not really teach one anything, but by being brought into his presence one becomes something. And everybody is predestined to his presence. Once at least in his life each man walks with Christ to Emmaus.[124.3]
基督很有他独一无二之处。 当然，在拂晓前会出现虚幻的假曙光，冬日里也不时地会冒出片片阳光，使聪明的藏红花受骗，时候未到便把金蕾吐尽，使傻小鸟上当，呼唤伴侣在秃枝上筑巢[124a]；同样，在基督之前也有基督徒的。对此我们应当心存感激。不幸的是自他之后基督徒便一个也没有了。我说有一个例外，就是阿西西的圣弗兰西斯。但上帝在他出生时又给了他诗人的灵魂，而他本人很年轻时也在神秘的联姻中娶了贫穷为妻；有着诗人的灵魂和乞丐的躯体，他觉得通往至善至美的路并不难走。他理解基督，于是就变得像他了。并不需要《认证书》来告诉我们圣弗兰西斯的生平是真正的“师法基督”：同《师法基督》这首诗相比，那本书不过是平淡的散文而已。的确，这说到底是基督的魅力所在。他本人就像是件艺术品。他用不着真的教人什么，人只要带到他跟前就有所成了。而每个人命中都注定要被带到他跟前的，一生中至少有一次要与基督同行到以马忤斯村。
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