《你的孩子》【黎巴嫩】纪伯伦

你的孩子不属于你
他们是生命的渴望
是生命自己的儿女
经由你来到世上，与你相伴
却有自己独立的轨迹
给他们爱而不是你的意志
孩子，有自己的见地
给他一个栖身的家
不要把他的精神关闭
他们的灵魂属于明日世界
你无从闯入，梦中寻访也将被拒
让自己变得像个孩子
不要让孩子成为你的复制
昨天已经过去
生命向前奔涌
没有回头，不能阻碍
你是自然之神手中一张弓
幸福而谦卑地弯身
把羽箭般的孩子射向远方
送往无际的未来
爱——是孩子的飞翔
也是你强健沉稳的姿态
（——尹建莉，译）
英文原诗：
On Children
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.