Relationships
On the Birth of his Son
Translated by Arthur Waley (1918) · From A Hundred and Seventy Chinese Poems (1918)
Relationships
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.
Cite this poem
MLA
Tung-p’o, Su. “On the Birth of his Son.” Translated by Arthur Waley. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/su-tung-po/0/.
Chicago
Tung-p’o, Su. “On the Birth of his Son.” Translated by Arthur Waley. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/su-tung-po/0/.
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