Mother to Son

Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So, boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps.

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

母親致兒子

蘭斯頓 休斯

噢，兒子，我來告訴你：

我的人生沒有水晶般的階梯。

那上面釘著釘子，

有碎片，

木板也是裂開的，

地面沒鋪地毯———

光禿禿的。

但一直以來，

我都在往上爬，

爬上樓梯平臺，

爬到拐角處，

有時要摸著黑，

那里一點兒光都看不見，

所以，兒子，你不要回頭。

不要在臺階上停下來。

因為這樣一來，你爬起來會更艱難。

這時，不要倒下———

因為我還在繼續，寶貝。

我還在往上爬，

我的人生，沒有水晶般的階梯。

About the poet:

James Mercer Langston Hughes, (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best-known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance.

Note:

This poem expresses a mother’s love and encouragement to her son. Whatever the son meets, the mother will be his forever supporter. Actually, this is the inner voice of every parent.