The Ecphorizer
| On The Birth Of My Son |
| Su Tung P'O (1036-1101) |
Issue #34 (June 1984)
(Translated by Arthur Waley in 1918)
Families, when a child is born
Want it to be intelligent.
I, through intelligence,
Having wrecked my whole life,
Only hope the baby will prove
Ignorant and stupid.
Then he will crown a tranquil life
By becoming a Cabinet Minister.
Families, when a child is born
Want it to be intelligent.
I, through intelligence,
Having wrecked my whole life,
Only hope the baby will prove
Ignorant and stupid.
Then he will crown a tranquil life
By becoming a Cabinet Minister.
(From the Oxford Book of Quotations, page 524. No.1)
(contributed by The Ecphorizer Staff)
In order to get around copyright limitations, our staff researches backward in time for the occasional filler, producing this nearly 1000-year-old verse.
More Articles by Su Tung P'O (1036-1101)
Contributor Profile
| Son of Tartan |
| Burt Schmitz |
Issue #34 (June 1984)
cartoon by Burt Schmitz
Contributor Profile
Burt Schmitz
Burt Schmitz has drawn a number of covers for The Ecphorizer as well as providing interior art. He recently worked on a large illustrated tourist map for a Silicon Valley promotion firm.