Desiderata/You Are A Child of The Universe

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and stars;
you have a right to be here.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace
there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly, and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter,
for always there will be greater
and lesser persons than yourself.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe
is unfolding as it should.

Enjoy your achievements
as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble;
it is a real possession
in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face
of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and lonliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe
is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery,
and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful.
Strive to be happy.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

By Max Ehrmann 1927

Comments

[tokio.livejournal.com]

For the record, this is called "The Desiderata," and I'm 50% sure it was not originally written by him.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

You're right about the title (I've corrected it), thank you.

All my searches come up with Ehrmann... so, I dunno.

[tokio.livejournal.com]

There's an antiquated plaque at my great grandmother's house that had that engraved upon it. It was dated sometime from the 1900s. I think we sold it to an antique store. It was written prose-style, not poem, and there were errors. It could have been fraudulent though, so, I'm really not sure.

[nosyparker.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderata

Desiderata" (Latin for "desired things", plural of desideratum) is an inspirational prose poem about attaining happiness in life. It was first copyrighted in 1927 by Max Ehrmann.

...

In the 1960s, it was widely circulated without attribution to Ehrmann, sometimes with the claim that it was found in Saint Paul's Church, Baltimore, Maryland, and that it had been written in 1692 (the year of the founding of Saint Paul's). Nevertheless, the estate of Ehrmann has kept various editions of the work in print.

[tokio.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks!

[writterer.livejournal.com]

Nice baby Endless icons. :)