On Children
致孩子
Your children are not your children
你的孩子,并不是你的孩子
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself
他们诞生于生命对于自身的渴望
They come through you but not from you
他们借助你来到这个世界,却非因你而来
And though they are with you
他们陪伴你
yet they belong not to you
却不从属于你
You may give them your love but not your thoughts
你可以给予他们你的关爱,却不能给予你的思想
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
你可以庇护他们的身体,却无法安置他们的灵魂
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow
因为他们的灵魂属于明天
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams
你在梦境中也到达不了的明天
You may strive to be like them
你可以拼尽全力,变成他们的样子
but seek not to make them like you
却不要试图让他们变成你
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday
因为生命不会向后退进,也不在过去停留
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth
你是弓,而孩子是从你那里射出的箭
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite
弓箭手遥望在无限之路上竖起的靶子
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far
用尽力气将弓拉开,把箭轻盈地射远
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness
在弓箭手的手中,你快乐地弯起腰
For even as He loves the arrow that flies
因为他爱那飞驰向前的箭
so He loves also the bow that is stable
也爱那稳定的