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

也爱那稳定的弓