Bow and Arrow
弓与箭

Translation by Kai Chen 陈凯 翻译

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 they belong not to you.

你的后代并不是你的财产。
他们是生命对自身渴望的表达。
他们被你生养但并不从你那儿来，
虽然他们在你身边但他们并不属于你。

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.

你可以将爱给他们但你不可以将思想灌注给他们，
这是因为他们有独立的头脑。
你可以拥抱他们的身体但你不能占有他们的灵魂，
这是因为他们的灵魂属于未来，那未来超出你的能力与梦境。

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 bow 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 arrow 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.

你可以试着去模仿他们，但不要让他们来模仿你，
这是因为生命不走回头路，也不会徘徊在昨天。
你是一把弓，你的后代是这弓上射出的生命之箭。
弓手（上苍）将目光瞄向那无尽宇宙中的靶环，
他将弓拉满，那箭如流星。
让你在弓手的伟力中感到欣慰；
因为那弓手不光热爱那离弦的箭，他也热爱那坚实的弓。