你的孩子並非你的。 Your children are not your children. 他們是生命對自身渴慕所生的孩子。 They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. 他們經你而來，但非由你造生， They come through you but not from you. 他們和你相伴，但卻不屬於你。 And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. 你可以給他們你的愛，卻不能給他們你的思想， You may give them your love but not your thoughts. 因為他們擁有自己的思想。 For they have their own thoughts. 你只能圈囿他們的身體而非他們的靈魂。 You may house their bodies but not their souls. 因為他們的靈魂寓居在明日的住所中，非你能觀覽的地方，甚至不在你的夢中。 For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. 你可以盡力去模仿他們，但是不要指望他們會和你相像。 You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. 因為生命是不逆行，也不會在昨日停留。 For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. 你是讓孩子是從弦上射發他們生命箭矢的那把弓。 You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. 那射手看到了無盡路上的標靶，於是他用神力將你扯滿，讓他的箭急馳遠射。 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. 你應在射手的掌中感到歡欣； Let your bending in the Archer’s hand be for gladness; 因為他愛飛去的箭矢，也愛靜存於掌中的彎弓。 For even as He loves the arrows that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
