你们的孩子，都不是你们的孩子，乃是生命为自己所渴望的儿女。
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
 

他们是借你们而来，却不是从你们而来。
They come through you but not from you,
 

他们虽和你们同在，却不属于你们。
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

 

你们可以给他们爱，却不可以给他们思想。
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

因为他们有自己的思想。
For they have their own thoughts.

你们可以荫庇他们的身体，却不能荫庇他们的灵魂。
You may house their bodies but not their souls,

因为他们的灵魂，是住在明日的宅中，那是你们在梦中也不能想见的。
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
 

你们可以努力去模仿他们，却不能使他们来像你们。
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

因为生命是不倒行的，也不与昨日一同停留。
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

 

你们是弓，你们的孩子是从弦上发出的生命的箭矢。
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
 

那射者在无穷之间看定了目标，也用神力将你们引满，使他的箭矢迅速而遥远地射了出来。
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.
 

让你们在射者手中的弯曲成为喜乐吧。
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

因为他爱那飞出的箭，也爱上了那静止的弓。
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

*作者：纪伯伦，美 籍黎巴嫩阿拉伯作家。被称为“艺术天才”“黎巴嫩文坛骄子”，是阿拉伯文学的主要奠基人，20世纪阿拉伯新文学道路的开拓者之一。其主要作品有《泪与笑》 《先知》《沙与沫》等，蕴含了丰富的社会性和东方精神，不以情节为重，旨在抒发丰富的情感。纪伯伦、鲁迅和泰戈尔一样是近代东方文学走向世界的先驱。

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