你的子女，其實不是你的子女。

他們是生命對於自身渴望而誕生的孩子。
他們藉助你來到這世界，卻非因你而來。
他們在你身旁，卻並不屬於你。
你可以給予他們的是你的愛，卻不是你的思想，
因為他們有自己的思想。
你可以庇護的是他們的身體，卻不是他們的靈魂，
因為他們的靈魂屬於明天，屬於你做夢都無法到達的明天，
你可以拚盡全力，變得像他們一樣，
卻不要讓他們變得和你一樣，
因為生命不會後退，也不在過去停留。
你是弓，兒女是從你那裡射出的箭。
弓箭手望著未來之路上的箭靶，
它用盡力氣將你拉開，使他的箭射得又快又遠。
懷著快樂的心情，在弓箭手的手中彎曲吧，
因為他愛一路飛翔的箭，也愛無比穩定的弓。

原文：

On Children
Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longingfor itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not toyou.
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 withyesterday.
You are the bows from which your children

as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of theinfinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be forgladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

這首英文詩，是紀伯倫《先知》中的一首作品《孩子》，翻譯者是冰心。