貓小咪的天堂樂園

《先知》之四 ─ 孩子

譯者：Snow White (03/09/06’)

一位婦人懷抱著襁褓中的孩子說道：「向我們談談孩子吧。」

於是他說：

你們的孩子不是你們的，
他們是渴盼生命自身的兒女；

他們藉由你來到這世界，而非從你而來，
即使他們伴隨左右，但並不屬於你；
你可以給他們全部的愛，但不能灌輸你自身的想法，
因為他們有自己的見解；

你為他們的軀體提供住所，但卻鎖不住他們的靈魂，
因為他們的魂居於你永無可能造訪的明日，甚至是你自己的夢中；

你可以努力與他們相似，而非讓他們成為你的影子，
因為生命無從回顧，亦如昨日從未逗留；

你如同那發箭的弓，孩子們就如活生生的箭，
射手望見了無涯人生道路上的標的，用他的力量彎上了手中的弓，好讓箭得以發得既快又遠。
樂意地讓射手彎上你的弓吧，
因為如同他愛那把箭射得高遠一般，他也愛這把弓彎得穩健。

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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 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.