一本歷經時間淬鍊的雋永小品

多年以後依然能令深藍瘋狂為之尋找

終於讓朋友從台北家裡的書櫃帶回西雅圖了...

Children --- by Kahlil Gibran 「The Prophet」---
孩子 --- by 紀伯倫 「先知」---

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
你們的孩子，都不是你們的孩子，乃是生命為自己所渴望的兒女。

They come through you but not from you,
他們是藉你們而來，卻不是從你們而來；

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
他們雖和你們同在，卻不屬於你們。

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
你們可以給他們愛，卻不可給他們思想，因為他們有自己的思想。

You may house their bodies but not their souls,
你們可以蔭庇他們的身體，卻不能蔭庇他們的靈魂，

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
因為他們的靈魂，是住在明日的宅中，那是你們在夢中也不能想見的。

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
你們可以努力去模仿他們，卻不能使他們來像你們，

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
因為生命是不倒行的，也不與昨日一同停留。

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent
forth.
你們是弓，你們的孩子是從弦上發出的生命的箭矢。

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.
那射者在無窮之中看定了目標，也用神力將你們引滿，

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
使他的箭矢迅疾而遙遠地射了出去。讓你們在射者手中的彎曲成為喜樂吧；

For even as he loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
因為他愛那飛出的箭，也愛了那靜止的弓。