孩子們Children

** The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran紀伯倫

一位懷抱者嬰兒的婦女說：「請告訴我們有關孩子們的道理。」

他就說：「

你們的子女不是你們的孩子；

他們都是生命所期待的兒女。

他們只是經你們而來，並不是由你們而來；

他們雖和你們在一起，卻不屬於你們。

你們可以給他們愛但是給不了他們的想法，因為他們有自己的思維。

他們的身軀或許住在你們的屋子裡，但是他們的靈不住那裡；

因為他們的靈住在你們不能探訪，甚至夢想不到的明日之屋裡。

你們可以努力的像他們一樣，但是休想讓他們像你們一樣。

因為生命不往回走也不會停留在昨天。

你們的子女宛如活生生的箭，正在你們這把弓上蓄勢待發；

萬能的弓箭手瞄著無窮遠處的標的，以祂的大能把弓彎曲，讓祂的箭能射得又快又遠；

願你們在弓箭手中的彎曲變成了喜樂;

因為當祂喜愛那飛出的箭時，祂也喜愛那穩定的弓。」

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 to-morrow, 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.

** Bill Lin譯