On children

Photo by Niklas Tidbury on Unsplash

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And a wowan who held a baby against her bosom said .Speak to us of Children. And she said:

这个女人对着抱在怀中的孩子对我们说：

Your children are not your children .

你的孩子其实并不属于你们。

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

他们是生命自己所渴望的子女。

They come through you but not from you,And though they are with you yet they not belong to you .

他们经过你们而不是来源于你们，并且，他们和你们相伴但并不属于你们。

You may give them you love but not your thoughts,For they have their own thoughts .

你们要给与他们爱而不是你们的思想，他们有自己的思想。

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.

你们要庇护他们身体而非灵魂，因为他们的灵魂属于明天——即使在梦中你们也无法触及的地方。

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

你们可以拼劲全力变成他们那样，但不要让他们变得像你。

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday .

因为时光既不会倒流也不会停留。

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

你们是弓，你们的孩子是从你们那离开的箭。

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,and He bends you with His might that His arrow may go swift and far

弓箭手看着未来道路上的箭靶，他用尽力气将你拉开，使他的箭射得又快又远。

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

怀着愉快的心情让自己在弓箭手中弯曲吧！

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

因为他爱一路飞翔的箭，也爱无比稳定的弓。