You have to start early

children, upbringing, parents, correctWhile I was walking with dad in the park
The sun was smiling, bright as a spark
The trees were beautiful, birds were singing
The shadows were light, not a shade of dark

There were wonderful trees, big and small
Beautiful trees, short and tall
Colorful, amazing, Allah`s creatures
Subhan Allah, it touched my soul

Among the trees, I saw one that was bent
“Wait dad”, I said rushing over in a sprint
With long, strong rope, I tied the tree
Pull, pull to straighten it up, that was what I meant

Dad watched surprisingly, looking for a while
He tapped my shoulder, with a big wide smile
He said: ” sweet heart this tree has grown old”
It can`t be corrected by you, little crocodile

Things when grown old are hard to change
The habits have hardened, the fuse is short-range
You have to start early to correct any flaws
A late start is always doomed. Not Strange.

The same with kids, you have to start early
They value what they learn, they value things dearly
What they learn young stays with them forever
if neglected when little, their future is curly

-Ahmad Shawqi-

Translated by Dr. Ekram and Mohamed Rida Beshir.

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