In Memoriam... Jack London ― Джек Лондон

CREDO

I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze
than it should be stifled by dry-rot.

I would rather be a superb meteor,
every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet.

The proper function of man
is to live,
not to exist.

I shall not waste my days
in trying to prolong them.

I shall use my time.

Placed here poetically, this quote by Jack London first appeared in the December 2, 1916 edition of the San Francisco Bulletin, less than two weeks after the author's death on November 22, 1916 at age 40. Journalist Ernest J. Hopkins, who visited the London ranch just weeks before London's death, is rumored to have embellished the London Credo beyond the first sentence.
The London Credo adorns the base of the Jack London statue in Jack London Square, Oakland, CA. Though he was born across the bay in San Francisco, London is considered a favored son of Oakland.

1 July 2020. Oakland, CA, USA. Two petitions are underway to change the name of Jack London Square in Oakland to Barbara Lee Square, after the longtime, progressive congresswoman who serves the East Bay or Bobby Seale, chairman and co-founder of the Black Panther Party.

КРЕДО

Я лучше буду пеплом, чем прахом!
Я бы предпочел, чтобы моя искра загорелась ярким пламенем,
чем заглушила ее сухая гниль.

Я предпочел бы быть великолепным метеором,
каждый атом меня сияющим великолепным светом,
чем сонной и постоянной планетой.

Функция человека — жить,
а не существовать.

Я не буду тратить свои дни
на попытки продлить их.

Я использую свое время.