Edgar Guest 埃得加•格斯特,英国出生的美国作家。他的感伤的诗拥有广泛的读者。1891年随家人到美国。4年后开始在《底特律自由新闻》当报导刑事案件的记者。后来写以日常生活为题材的歌谣,受到读者热烈欢迎。结果,他每写一首歌谣,全国报纸就一齐刊载,使他的名字家喻户晓,第一部诗集《久居》(1916)成为畅销书,此后又出版几部同样的诗集,也都是以家庭、母亲和勤劳的美德等为主题,充满乐观情绪。格斯特还出现在广播和电视上。
"How much do babies cost ?"said he
The other night upon my knee ;
And then I said :"They cost a lot ;
A lot of watching by a cot ,
A lot of sleepless hours and care ,
A lot of heartache and despair ,
A lot of fear and trying dread ,
And sometimes many tears are shed
In payment for our babies small ,
But every one is worth it all .
For babies people have to pay
A heavy price from day to day —
There is no way to get one cheap .
Why , sometimes when they’re fast asleep
You have to get up in the night
And go and see that they’re all right .
But what they cost in constant care
And worry , does not half compare
With what they bring of joy and bliss —
You’d pay much more for just a kiss .
Who buys a baby has to pay
A portion of the bill each day ;
He has to give his time and thought
Unto the little one he’s bought .
He has to stand a lot of pain
Inside his heart and not complain ;
And pay with lonely days and sad
For all the happy hours he’s had .
All this a baby costs , and yet
His smile is worth it all , you bet .