Mothers' Day Proclamation
Boston, 1870
Mother's Day originated after the Civil War, as a protest to the carnage of that war, by women who had lost their sons. Here is the original Mothers Day Proclamation composed by Julia Ward Howe. The evil it addresses, the slaughter of one mother's child by another mother's child, is at least as prevalent today as it was when the ink of this Mother's Day Proclamation was still wet 144 years ago.
Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
A Mother’s Pledge to and Covenant with
Every Other Mother
I will not raise my precious child to kill your precious child.
And if it is within my power, I will
not hand over my beloved child to others
to kill your beloved child, or
to learn how to kill the one you cherish.
Spanish
Promesa de una madre y convenio entre todas las madres
No he de criar a mi adorado hijo para hacer morir a tu querido hijo.
Y si está dentro de mi poder, jamás entregaré
a mi preciado hijo a aquellos
cuyo propósito sea asesinar tu adorado niño,
Italian
Preghiera di una Madre e la sua promessa ad ogni altra Madre
Non faro’ crescere il mio prezioso pargolo affinche’ uccida i vostri preziosi figli.
E se e’ nel mio potere, non lo consegnero’ in mano ad altri
affinche’ gli insegnino ad uccidere i vostri amati figli;
O s’impari ad uccidere colui che voi amate.
French
La promesse et l'engagement d'une mère à toutes les autres mères
Je n'élèverai pas mon précieux enfant pour qu'il tue votre précieux enfant.
Et, si j'en ai le pouvoir, je ne céderai pas mes enfants bien-aimés à d'autres pour qu'ils tuent votre enfant bien-aimé ou pour qu'ils apprennent à tuer ceux que vous aimez.
Irish
Cor agus Coinn´ıoll idir M´athair agus Gach M´athair Eile
N´ı chun marbhtha do linbh ionmhain a th´ogfad mo leanbh ionmhainse,
n´a – ar feadh a bhfuil im chumas –
n´ı chun a chur ina dtuilleama´ı si´ud a bheadh ar t´ı a mharbhtha
n´o a chleachtfadh eala´ın a mharbhtha.
— ag tarrac as Soisc´eal na S´ıoch´ana
No comments:
Post a Comment