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.
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 hands be for happiness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
So He loves the bow that is stable.
So much wisdom! The amazing beauty, intelligence, and purity of heart that this man had should be exposed to each generation!
Sadly the writer is a minion for the great deceiver, the Devil. He has done a great work by becoming the archer within in this text that the writer is completely unwittingly helping to lie steal, kill and destroy. Especially in this case the traditional family bonds.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
I first read Mr Gibran in the 70's...he has always been in my thoughts ever since...such a deep and knowing man...Thank you for this opportunity to revisit words of wisdom...11/30/2017...🌿🌿🌿