ｂｙ　紀伯倫

論孩子

一個懷中抱着孩子的婦人接下來說：請跟我們談談如何養育孩子。

先知回答說：

孩子並不是你的孩子。

他們是生命自我渴求的兒女。

他們通過你來到世間,卻非源自於你，

他們同你一起生活,卻非屬於你。

你可以給孩子關愛,但決非你的思想，

因為孩子有自己的思想。

你可以給孩子生息之屋,但決非心靈的處所，

因為孩子的心靈棲息於明日的殿堂,那裡,你無法造訪,哪怕是在夢中。

你盡可以努力效仿他們,卻不要迫使他們摹仿你。

因為歲月無法倒流,生命也不能滯留昨日。

你是弓,孩子則是弓弦上的待發之矢。

生命之神瞄準那通往永恆之路,以神力將你張滿,從而,弦上之矢疾奔遠方。

請為效彎弓之力而欣慰吧；

因為生命之神不但鍾愛飛翔之矢,也鍾愛穩健的彎弓。

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.