ｂｙ　纪伯伦

论孩子

一个怀中抱着孩子的妇人接下来说：请跟我们谈谈如何养育孩子。

先知回答说：

孩子并不是你的孩子。

他们是生命自我渴求的儿女。

他们通过你来到世间,却非源自于你，

他们同你一起生活,却非属于你。

你可以给孩子关爱,但决非你的思想，

因为孩子有自己的思想。

你可以给孩子生息之屋,但决非心灵的处所，

因为孩子的心灵栖息于明日的殿堂,那里,你无法造访,哪怕是在梦中。

你尽可以努力效仿他们,却不要迫使他们摹仿你。

因为岁月无法倒流,生命也不能滞留昨日。

你是弓,孩子则是弓弦上的待发之矢。

生命之神瞄准那通往永恒之路,以神力将你张满,从而,弦上之矢疾奔远方。

请为效弯弓之力而欣慰吧；

因为生命之神不但钟爱飞翔之矢,也钟爱稳健的弯弓。

On Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life\'s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer\'s hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.