On the Birth of his Son
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.
by Su Shi (1037-1101); he is generally viewed as the greatest poet of the Sung dynasty in China and was also known as Su Dong-po or Si Tung-p’0.
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In the Dark 
May 2, 2014 at 6:33 pm
This is cool! I can identify with the sentiments of this ancient dude.
(did they really have cabinet ministers in the 11th century?)
May 2, 2014 at 6:37 pm
Indeed. The poet himself was a government minister at various times in his life…
May 3, 2014 at 9:54 am
Started reading this when only the first 4 lines were visible, and thought ‘it sounds like D H Lawrence’.