Arishima Takeo 有島武郎
1918 · Taisho Japan
Little ones. Hold in your hearts the blessing of your father and mother, unhappy and at the same time happy, and set out on your journey through the human world. The road ahead is long. And it is dark. But you must not be afraid. The road opens before those who are not afraid. Go. Bravely. Little ones.
小さき者よ。不幸なそして同時に幸福なお前たちの父と母との祝福を胸にしめて人の世の旅に登れ。前途は遠い。そして暗い。然し恐れてはならぬ。恐れない者の前に道は開ける。
行け。勇んで。小さき者よ。"To My Little Ones" (Chiisaki mono e)
More from Arishima Takeo · #children
In the same thread
Su Shi 蘇軾
1083 · Song China · On the birth of a son in Huangzhou, his place of exile
Everyone raises a child hoping he will be clever. I have been ruined all my life by cleverness. I only wish my boy to be dull and simple, and, free of disaster and trouble, to rise to the highest offices.
人皆養子望聰明，我被聰明誤一生。
惟願孩兒愚且魯，無災無難到公卿。"Written in Jest at My Son's Bathing Ceremony," in the Complete Song Poems
Yi Gyubo 李奎報
earlier 13th century · Goryeo Korea · Sambaek, "three hundred," was his son's childhood name
Your milk teeth are still in and already you tip the cup; I fear your guts will rot before long. Do not take after your father, forever falling down drunk; all his life people have called him mad. Everything that went wrong in my life was drink, and now you like it too. What is to be done? I am sorry I ever named you Sambaek, Three Hundred: I am afraid you will tip three hundred cups a day.
汝今乳齒已傾觴 心恐年來必腐腸
莫學乃翁長醉倒 一生人導太顚狂
一世誤身全是酒 汝今好飮又何哉
命名三百吾方悔 恐爾日傾三百杯Dongguk Yi Sangguk jip, "My Son Sambaek Drinks Wine"
Kahlil Gibran
1923 · Bsharri, Lebanon · New York, USA
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.The Prophet, "On Children"
Ma Yuan 馬援
c. AD 42 · Later Han China · To nephews who liked to talk of other people's faults: do not rashly imitate the gallant Du Jiliang
If you imitate Jiliang and fail, you sink into being one of the world's frivolous men. As they say: "Paint a tiger and fail, and it ends up looking like a dog."
效季良不得，陷爲天下輕薄子，所謂‘畫虎不成反類狗’"Letter of Admonition to My Nephews Yan and Dun"
1 in 100 Billion · The social network of those who came before us