醒心／省心

The Madman 瘋子

我在精神病院的花園裡碰見了一個年輕人，他看上去面色蒼白，人很可愛，富有奇想。我在他旁邊的長凳上坐下，我問：“你為什麼會在這兒呢？”

他驚訝地望著我說：“這是一個不禮貌的問題，不過我會回答你。我的父親想把我變成他的複製品，我的叔叔也指望我跟他一樣。我的母親希望我像她那大名鼎鼎的父親，而我的姐姐以為她那航海的丈夫是個十全十美的榜樣，要我學他。我的哥哥想讓我跟他一樣，做個好的運動員。”

“我的老師依然如此，要我成為哲學老師、音樂老師、邏輯學老師，他們也都很堅決，每個人不過是要我成為他們鏡子裡的影子。”

“因此，我來到了這個地方。我發現在這兒我的神志更正常點。至少，我能做回我自己。”

突然他轉過來對我說：“告訴我，你也是被教育和忠告趕到這個地方的嗎？”

我回答道：“不，我只是個訪客。”

然後他回答道：“噢，你是住在精神病院墻那邊的病人。”

原文：

It was in the garden of a madhouse that I met a youth with a face pale and lovely and full of wonder.And I sat beside him upon the bench,and I said,”Why are you here?”

And he looked at me in astonishment,and he said,”It’s an unseemly question,yet I will answer you.My father would make of me a reproduction of himself,so also would my uncle.My mother would have me the image of her famous father,and my sister regards her seafaring husband as the perfect example for me to follow. My brother thinks I should be like him,a fine athlete.”

“And my teachers also,the doctor of philosophy,and the music master,and the logician,they too were determined,and each would have me bet a reflection of his own face in a mirror.”

“Therefore I came to the place.I find it more sane here,At least,I can be myself.”

Then of a sudden he turned to me and he said,”But tell me,were you also driven to this place by education and good counsel?”

And I answered,”No,I am a visitor.”

And he answered,”Oh,you are one of those who live in the madhouse on the other side of the wall.”

- Kahlil Gibran, “The Wanderer”

On Children 論孩子

孩子實際上並不是“你們的”孩子

他們乃是生命本身的企盼

他們只是經你而生，並非從你們而來

他們雖與你們同在，卻不屬於你們

你們可以給予他們的，是你們的愛而不是思想

因為他們有自己的思想

你們可以庇蔭他們的身體，卻不能庇蔭他們的靈魂

因為他們的靈魂居於明日的世界

那是你們在夢中也無法探訪的地方

你可以努力地學像他們一樣，但是，

不要白費力氣要他們像你

因為歲月無法倒流，生命也不會停滯於昨日

你們是弓，孩子是從你們身上發出的生命之箭

那射箭者在蒼茫路途中看定目標

用神力將你們引滿一個彎弓

使你手中的箭射得又快又遠

當為射箭者所成就的一切歡欣喜悅

因為祂不僅愛那射出的飛箭，也愛手中握的那穩固的彎弓

- 紀伯崙《先知》(王季慶譯)

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 arrows that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

- Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet"