On Children 〜The Prophetより〜
子育ての学びで使うテキストの冒頭にあった詩です。
日本語訳を捜してたら原文を見つけたので紹介します。
かすかな痛みとともに、心に響くことばです。
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.
by Kahlil Gibran
你们的儿女并不是你们的儿女；他们乃是「生命」的儿女。
他们是透过你来到这个世界，但不是因为你而来到这个世界。
虽然他们是与你们在一起，他们却不是属于你们的。你可以将爱给他们，却不能将思想给他们，因为他们有自己的思想。
你们可以供给他们的身体安居之所，却不能禁锢他们的灵魂。
因为他们的灵魂会有自己将来的居所，那里你不能造访，它甚至不会出现在你梦中。
你可以努力仿效它们，却不能勉强他们仿效你。
因为生命不会倒退，也不会停留在昨天。你正如一把强弓，你的儿女是射出去的活箭。
弓箭手看见那在无限路程的目标，他会尽力弯曲你，使所射出的箭去得快而远。
愿你能愉快地让弓箭手把你弯曲。
因为它不但喜爱飞驰的箭，也喜爱稳定的弓。
―纪伯伦，「先知」
