Quote#Children
On parent knees, a naked new-born child
Quote byWilliam Jones · 1746–1794
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: "From the Persian", in The Asiatick Miscellany, vol. 2 (1786) p. 374. Reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).
English (original)
On parent knees, a naked new-born child, Weeping thou sat'st while all around thee smiled; So live, that sinking in thy last long sleep, Calm thou mayst smile, while all around thee weep.
— William Jones
More from William Jones
What constitutes a state? Men who their duties know, But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain. And sovereign law, that state's collected will, O'er thrones and globes elate, Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill.
Than all Bocara's vaunted gold, Than all the gems of Samarcand.
Of armies on the chequer’d field array’d, And guiltless war in pleasing form display’d; When two bold kings contend with vain alarms, In ivory this, and that in ebon arms.
Go boldly forth, my simple lay, Whose accents flow with artless ease, Like orient pearls at random strung.
Seven hours to law, to soothing slumber seven, Ten to the world allot, and all to heaven.
My opinion is, that power should always be distrusted, in whatever hands it is placed.