你們的孩子並不是你們的孩子
他們是生命對自身的渴求的兒女
他們是藉你們而來,卻不是從你們來
他們雖和你們同在,卻不屬於你們
你們可以給他們愛,卻不可以給他們思想
因為他們有自己的思想
你們可以蔭庇他們的身體,卻不能蔭庇他們的靈魂
因為他們的心靈棲息於明日之屋,
即使在夢中,你們也無緣造訪
你們可以努力倣俲他們,卻不可企圖讓他們像你
因為生命不會倒行,也不會滯留於往昔
你們是弓,你們的孩子是被射出的生命的箭矢
那射者瞄準無限之旅上的目標,
用力將你彎曲,以使他的箭迅捷遠飛
讓你欣然在射者手中彎曲吧!!
原文:
Your chldren 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 through they are with you yet they belong not to you
You may give them your love but not your thouhts
For they have their own thouhts
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 not 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 Hia arrows may go swift and far
Let your bending in the Archeis hand be for gladness
For even as He loves the arrows that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable!
摘自紀伯倫"先知"一書
