关于孩子（纪伯伦）

少年时所生的儿女好像勇士手中的箭。

箭袋充满的人便为有福；

他们在城门口和仇敌说话的时候，

必不至于羞愧！

《圣经》诗篇127：4-5

On

Children

Kahlil

Gibran

Your children are

not your children.

你的孩子不是你的孩子！

They are the sons

and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

他们是生命渴望自身的儿女

They come through

you but not from you,

他们经由你出生但却不是来自于你

And though they

are with you yet they belong not to you.

虽然他们和你在一起但并不属于你

You may give them

your love but not your thoughts, 

你可以给他们你的爱，但不要是你的思想

For they have

their own thoughts.

因为他们有自己的思想

You may house

their bodies but not their souls,

你可以为他们安身，但是不要禁锢他们的灵魂

For their souls

dwell in the house of tomorrow, 

他们的灵魂居住在明天的时空里

which you cannot

visit, not even in your dreams.

你探访不到，哪怕做梦也实现不了

You may strive to

be like them, 

你可以努力让自己和他们一样

but seek not to

make them like you.

但千万别企图让他们像你

For life goes not

backward nor tarries with yesterday.

因为生命不可能回头而且也不会为昨日停留

You are the bows

from which your children

你是那张弓，

as living arrows

are sent forth.

发射孩子生命之箭的弓

The archer sees

the mark upon the path of the infinite, 

弓箭手在无穷路上瞄准目标

and He bends you

with His might 

他用神力折弯你

that His arrows

may go swift and far.

好让那生命之箭射得迅速遥远

Let your bending

in the archer's hand be for gladness;

让你在他手掌中的弯度饱满愉悦吧

For even as He

loves the arrow that flies, 

因为他不仅爱着那飞驰的箭

so He loves also

the bow that is stable.

也爱着那坚稳的弓！