To my best precious friend

"Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime, Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day".

You taught me this proverb before our farewell.

I'd like to tell you about a Japanese poet, Kenji Miyazawa.

Though he was born at rich lender's family, he became a teacher of agricultural high school to teach poor peasants.

I learned his poem when I was 11 at elementary school. The  poem has greatly influenced me.

I visited to his birthplace after I had an operation.
Because it was the best thing that I really wanted to do, then.

I found the translation of the poem on the Internet.

Unbeaten by rain
By Kenji Miyazawa

Unbeaten by rain
Unbeaten by wind
Unbowed by the snow and the summer heat
Strong in body
Free from greed
Without any anger
Always serene

With a handful of brown rice a day
Miso and a small amount of vegetables suffice
Whatever happens
Consider yourself last, always put others first
Understand from your observation and experience
Never lose sight of these things

In the shadows of the pine groves in the fields
Live modestly under a thatched roof
In the East, if there is a sick child
Go there and take care of him
In the West, if there is an exhausted mother
Go there and relieve her of her burden
In the South, if there is a man near death
Go there and comfort him, tell him "Don't be afraid"
In the North, if there is an argument and a legal dispute
Go there and persuade them it’s not worth it

In a drought, shed tears
In a cold summer, carry on
Even with a sense of loss
Being called a fool
Being neither praised nor a burden

Such a person I want to be