Children, by Khalil Gibran

Un dos poemas máis bonitos que teño lido, do poeta libanés Khalil Gibran.

One of my favourite poems, by Khalil Gibran.



HIJOS


Tus hijos no son tus hijos


son hijos e hijas de la vida


deseosa de si misma.


No vienen de ti, sino a través de ti


y aunque estén contigo


no te pertenecen.





Puedes darles tu amor,


pero no tus pensamientos,


pues, ellos tienen sus propios pensamientos.


Puedes abrigar sus cuerpos,


pero no sus almas, porque ellas,


viven en la casa del mañana,


que no puedes visitar


ni siquiera en sueños.





Puedes esforzarte en ser como ellos,


pero no procures hacerlos semejantes a ti


porque la vida no retrocede,


ni se detiene en el ayer.





Tú eres el arco del cual, tus hijos


como flechas vivas son lanzados.


Deja que la inclinación


en tu mano de arquero


sea para la felicidad.



(ENGLISH VERSION)

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.