A Supposed Debate Between Lao Tzu And Confucius(Bilingual) Poem by Perdita Young (Hanna Wang)

"We've been made to go into duel, "Confucius said,
"And you can see the news on each and every net;
So cease your roaming, and rack your head,
And stop fooling around, though it's your right.

"Of such things, "replied Lao Tzu, "I've no interest,
Since as curator I've seen plenty and enough.
The writing of books may consume one too much,
So‘Tao-Te Ching' is and will remain my last stitch."

"You are so wrong, in thinking thus, "advised the sage,
For things turn more complex for men of prestige；
As Masters, we have to talk and teach and publish,
Or we may be laid out and eventually perish..."

"It's foolish, you see, to set ideas down in writing,
And it is unwise, to solidify them in words stiff.
The Way that can be told is not an Unvarying Way,
And books spoil tastes, bringing disaster to this day! "

"You are wrong, in saying so, "Confucius judged,
"How can human be equated to bird and beast?
A man should be duly judged by what he can do,
And that has been well acknowledged worldwide! "

"But Man is no Machine, after all, "refuted Dan Lee,
"So please, please quit your dry preaching upon me.
Only he that's rid of desire sees the Essences Secret,
With desire one only sees the Outcomes and be a regret! "

"You are in the dark, "said the Sage, "to suppose
That your position should be as steady as ever;
Trying to keep your nose clean, `tis cool, but of no use,
Since one must compete with the clever of clever."

At this Lao Tzu looked abashed and ceased his bluff:
Knowledgeable as he was, he was not in the chair.
Intuition tells — he realized he did not fit for this era,
So he got on his water buffalo and retreated in a puff.

Feb.20th,2010.


孔子和老子"被过招"

"人们让咱俩过招，唇枪舌战，"孔子说道，
"消息已发布到网络，遍布各大论坛。
所以，别再到处漫游了，快开动脑力，
不要再无所事事，虽然这是你的私权。"

"这样的事情，我毫无兴趣，"老子答道，
"作藏书馆馆长之时，我已见得够多。
写书会消耗内功，也没什么意义，
所以《道德经》将永远是我最后的愚举。"

"你这样想，实在是很错，"先贤劝道，
因为对知名人士而言，情况更加的复杂；
作为大师，你我得讲演，授课，发表著作，
否则就可能浑浑噩噩，最终归于寂灭。

"唉，把思想写成文字，是多么的愚蠢，
将一切固化成刻板的字词，多么的不智。
道，如果可道，就不会恒久，不是‘常道'，
书本败坏品味，也带来灾祸，延绵至今！"

"你这样说话，非常的错，"孔子评判说，
"人怎可以自由散漫，等同于鸟兽？
应该有所作为，让社会评判你的价值，
这一看法在世界范围内都达成了共识！"

"然而，人毕竟不是器具，"老聃应声驳斥，
"所以请你快打住，停止这枯燥的说教。
‘常无欲'才可‘观其妙'，此乃吾之信条，
‘常有欲'之人，很遗憾呀，惟可‘观其缴'。"

"你有所不知，"圣人说道，"别以为
你的威望和地位仍一如既往地牢靠；
安分守己保持清高固然酷，但有啥用，
与你竞争的皆非寻常之辈，个个都是人精。"

这话让老聃面露愧色，不再玩"玄"论"道"，
因为他虽然博学，却并不握有话语的主宰权。
凭知觉，他明白自己并不适合这个时代，
所以他又骑上牛背，随一缕轻烟，颠然隐退。