The Little Prince | Kaeko Yamashita (Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)
2008.05.15
Was "The Little Prince" my first love, or the third, or perhaps the fifth person I met? It was so long ago that I can't be sure. But he overlaps with the folktales and original bedtime stories my father told me almost every night until I started elementary school. A young child weaves these images into their brain cells in detail, and the father's words bring out the scenes from that woven memory, creating vivid images and shapes. If my father's story skipped or missed a part, I would press him to bring the scene to life, asking, "What happened to the rabbit? How is the fox today? Is the roof of the house okay...?" I think my father, in a pinch, would make an excuse, saying, "You have to feel the important things..." and quickly add to the story.
I think it was probably more than 35 years ago that I came to clearly recognize "The Little Prince," when I chose to study French at university and remember "Saint-Exupéry: Le Petit Prince" being used as a textbook. Thinking back now, I wonder if my approach to learning French would have been different if I had encountered the famously well-regarded "The Little Prince, written by Saint-Exupéry, translated by Iwanami Naito" sooner. When the copyright for "The Little Prince" expired in 2005, Hiroshi Minno also published a new translation, stating, "As for the title, I have taken the liberty of using 'Hoshi no Ojisama' (The Little Prince) from Iwanami Naito's translation as is... The original title is 'Le Petit Prince,' meaning 'The Little Prince,' but out of deep respect for the brilliant idea of crowning it with 'Hoshi no' (of the star), I have also used 'Hoshi no Ojisama' here." I am relieved that the title of my beloved character has not changed.
When I have time, I sometimes go to see my first love (or was he the third or fifth person I met?) at "The Little Prince Museum," nestled in the mountains of Gora, Hakone. This museum was opened in 2000 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Saint-Exupéry's birth. Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944) was a legendary aviator who left behind numerous works, including "Southern Mail," "Night Flight," "Wind, Sand and Stars," "Flight to Arras," and "A Sense of Life."
Among his many words that continue to fascinate me, one that stands out is what he has the wise fox say: "One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye" (Iwanami Naito's translation). And also, "You are responsible, forever, for what you have looked after. You must keep your promise to the rose..."
So as not to forget the fox's words, the prince repeats, "What is essential is invisible to the eye," and "I must keep my promise to that rose..."
In the fields of nursing education and nursing practice, there are many things that "cannot be seen with the eyes alone," and we spend a great deal of time learning "what it means to see with the heart." So that nursing students can become able to take responsibility forever for protecting the lives and personalities of the many people entrusted to the care of nurses... just like the prince, I too repeat these words every day: "You cannot see what is important unless you look with your heart." Saint-Exupéry also left us with the words, "To suffer as much as possible in order to come to terms with one's conscience." When I think of my first love, I want to understand the meaning of these words he left behind a little more deeply.
(Date of publication: 2008/05/15)