A Joke for the Baptism of my Newborn
- Poetry of Su Shi

《洗儿戏作》
A Joke for the Baptism of my Newborn by Su Shi
中文原文( Chinese )

人皆养子望聪明，

我被聪明误一生。

惟愿孩儿愚且鲁，

无灾无难到公卿。

English Translation

All parents want their kids to be clever;

Yet my cleverness had my life all screwed.

I hope this son to stay simple and stupid; -

Good fortune favours dummies and fools.

The Chinese Baby Baptism is a traditional ceremony where a newborn is bathed for the first time three days after birth. While most parents and relatives express their best wishes for the child to become handsome, intelligent, and wealthy, Dongpo just wanted him to be stupid and simple-minded for a smooth life. This is just a reflection of how he felt after his 103 days in prison followed by the banishment to Huangzhou where his fourth son was born in 1083. He understood that a clever person may become the victim of his own ingenuity.

- Last updated: 2024-10-08 21:31:53
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Why Chinese poems is so special?
The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
How to read a Chinese poem?
Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.

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