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翻译 Kahlil Gibran 的 On Children
     
你的孩子不是你的.  
他们是生命渴望自身的子女.
他们借助你诞生，但并非来自你,
而且, 虽然他们和你一起，却不属于你.
        
你可以给他们你的爱，但不要给他们你的思想.
因为他们有自己的思想.
你可以保护他们的身体，但不能禁锢他们的灵魂,
因为他们的灵魂属于明天,
你不能拜访，即使在梦里也不能.
你可以努力成为他们,
但不要设法让他们成为你.
因为生命不会倒退，也不会滞留在昨天.
    
你是弓，你的孩子是射向前方的箭.
弓箭手瞄准无限之路上的目标,
祂以圣神的力量弯曲你,
为了祂的箭能射得又快又远.
你要快乐地在祂的手中弯曲;
因为即便祂深爱那飞出的箭，
也爱稳定的弓.

On Children
      By: Kahlil Gibran

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.