生命是不是有更多的可能?

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, 『先知』— 卡里．紀伯倫

Chapter 4 Children 第四章 小孩

Author：Kahlil Gibran, born in Lebanon, was a poet, philosopher, and artist. His poetry has been translated into more than twenty languages and his drawings and paintings have been exhibited in the great capitals of the world. He lived in the United States, which he made his home during the last twenty years of his life.

Your children are not your children.

你的孩子並不是你的。

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

他們乃是生命自身所渴望的兒女。

They come through you but not from you,

他們經由你們來到這個世界上，但不是從你們而來。

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

他們雖與你們同在，卻不屬於你們。

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

你們可以給他們的，是你們的愛而不是思想

For they have their own thoughts.

因為他們有自己的思想。

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

你們所能蔭庇的，是他們的身體而不是他們的靈魂。

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

因為他們的靈魂居於明日的世界，那是你們在夢中也無法探訪的地方。

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

你可以盡力使自己變的像他們一樣，卻不要讓他們像你一樣。

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

因為歲月無法倒流，生命也不會佇足於昨日。

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

你是弓，兒女是那張弓飛射出的生命之箭。

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.

神箭手瞄向無窮遠處的目標，以祂的神力拉著弓，把那箭射飛得又快又遠

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

任那神箭手將你彎滿，那是一種真正的喜悅。

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

因為，一如祂喜愛飛射的箭，祂也愛那沉穩的弓。