The Crescent Moon 11: The Judge

The Judge

Say of him what you please, but I know my child’s failings.
I do not love him because he is good, but because he is my little child.
How should you know how dear he can be when you try to weigh his merit against his faults?
When I must punish him he becomes all the more a part of my being.
When I caught his tears to come my heart weeps with him.
I alone have a right to blame and punish, for he only may chastise who loves.

Original author: Rabindranath Tagore.

审判官

你想说他什么尽管说吧, 但是我知道我孩子的短处。
我爱他并不因为他好，只是因为他是我的小小的孩子。
你如果把他的好处与坏处两两相权一下，恐怕你就会知道它是如何的可爱吧?
当我必须责罚他的时候，他更成为我生命的一部分了。
当我使他眼泪流出时，我的心也和他同哭了。
只有我才有权去骂他，去责罚他。因为只有热爱的人才可以惩戒人。

原作者：Rabindranath Tagore。中文译者：郑振铎。