Your children are not your children. 

你的孩子不是你的孩子。 

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

他们是生命对自身渴望而诞生的儿女。

They come through you but not from you, 

他们借助你来到这世间，但并非因你而来，

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

他们在你身旁，却并不属于你。

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, 

你可以给予他们你的爱，却不能给予他们你的思想，

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，但不能庇护他们的灵魂，

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. 

那是你做梦都无法到达的明天。

You may strive to be like them, 

你可以拼尽全力变得像他们一样，

but seek not to make them like you. 

却不要让他们变得和你一样。

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. 

因为生命不会倒退，也不会在过去停留。

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

你们是弓，孩子们是从你们弓中射出的生命之箭。

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

那射者在无穷之中看定了目标，

and He bends you with His might，

也用神力将你们引满，

that His arrows may go swift and far. 

使他的箭矢迅速而遥远地射了出去。

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

怀着快乐的心情，在弓箭手的手中弯曲吧；

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, 

因为他爱那一路飞翔的箭，

so He loves also the bow that is stable. 

也爱那稳定的弓。

——选自 纪伯伦《先知》