Father’s Day is celebrated worldwide to honor fathers and fatherhood and to recognize the contribution that fathers make on their children’s lives. Many poems have been written to celebrate fathers and fatherhood since ancient times by poets around the world. Today we will share with you some fantastic ones by, for, and about dads.
Fathers in traditional Chinese culture have been noted as stern disciplinarians, who encourage their kids by applying strict rules at home to help them grow. Lu You (1125–1209), a poet from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was one of such fathers. A line from one of his “to my son” poems has become a time-honored principle, which reads “What’s learned from books is superficial (浅薄的) after all. It’s crucial to have it personally tested somehow.”
Su Dongpo (1037-1101) is a great romantic poet from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). During the ups and downs of his political career, the poet wrote a poem titled “On the Birth of His Son”. Here is a translation by the British sinologist (汉学家) and poet Arthur Waley.
Families, when a child is born
Want it to be intelligent.
I, through intelligence,
Having wrecked (毁掉) my whole life,
Only hope the baby will prove
Ignorant and stupid.
Then he will crown a tranquil (安宁的) life
By becoming a Cabinet Minister.
After savoring fathers’ love and wisdom in ancient Chinese poems, let’s appreciate a western one, written by Robert Hayden.
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?
Have you been inspired to think of other poetic lines in praise of father after reading these poems? What do you think is the best way to express love to your father on this special day? Share with us in the comment section below. We will select up to 5 lucky readers and send each of them a limited edition gift.
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