He who is in harmony with the Tao
is like a newborn child.
Its bones are soft, its muscles are weak,
but its grip is powerful.
It doesn't know about the union
of male and female,
yet its penis can stand erect,
so intense is its vital power.
It can scream its head off all day,
yet it never becomes hoarse,
so complete is its harmony.
Translation of the Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell
This is Bright-Fey's translation of
ReplyDeletethe first four lines:
1. vital essence, a hand supporting your back
2. lifeforce energy, a hand cradling your abdomen
3. human spirit, a hand touching your heart
4. when these are balanced, poised, and equal
you become spontaneous and full of life
So, where is that hand? Do I imagine it? Do I try to feel it? What does it feel like? How does it feel? Is it real or pretend? Is the essence of my poetry pretend or real? It is descriptive of sensory action. It is experience put into words. It is intuition put into words. It is history put into words. It is future put into words. It is fact it is real it is here but perhaps not now. All of this is real, not false. Perhaps, the hand supporting my back is really real.
From LeGuin's translation of 55, comments, "The Way is more than the cycle of any individual life. . . . The Way never fails. We are waves. It is the sea."
ReplyDeleteRobert G. Henricks translation p.132, line 14--When things reach their prime they get old. Comment on line 14--"I think the point is that when people reach their prime, they are inclined to control their lives. But this leads to using up and wasting away one's vital powers and hence the starting of old age." This means to me, Enjoy every day. Don't abuse it in competition against yourself. Keep pace with your life. Remember to see the present moment, now. Don't lose sight of it by running ahead in anticipation. Stay close to your essence, harmony and constancy and wisdom.
ReplyDeleteMitchell translation: He who is in harmony with the Tao is like a newborn child.
ReplyDeleteHopkins, "There lives the dearest freshness deep down things."