【聆听经典】父母是弓，孩子是箭——纪伯伦论孩子

纪伯伦的哲理诗之所以伟大，是因为诗里竭力的歌颂了那位伟大造物之主的作为。在这里，祂是生命Life, 是那握住弓和箭的射手Archer。父母只有让自己深深降服在这位创造了自己和孩子的生命之主手中，沉浸在祂的爱里，才能真正的理解、并养育孩子！（编者）

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。 
他们是借你们而来，却不是从你们而来； 
他们虽和你们同在，却不属于你们。 
你们可以给他们爱，却不可以给他们思想；
因为他们有自己的思想。 
你们可以荫庇他们的身体，却不能荫蔽他们的灵魂；
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。 
你们可以努力去模仿他们，却不能使他们来象你们；
因为生命是不倒行的，也不与昨日一同停留。 
你们是弓，你们的孩子是从弦上发出的生命的箭矢。 
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的射了出来。
让你们在射者手中的弯曲成为喜乐吧。 
因为他爱那飞出的箭，也爱了那静止的弓。 
- 卡里尔•纪伯伦，《先知》第四章，冰心 译

英文原著：

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. 
- Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, Chapter 4 

编者注：纪伯伦（Kahlil Gibran）是黎巴嫩阿拉伯诗人、作家、画家。被称为“艺术天才”、“黎巴嫩文坛骄子”，是阿拉伯现代小说、艺术和散文的主要奠基人，20世纪阿拉伯新文学道路的开拓者之一。