Subscribe now

The concept of “Mystic Virtue” was first introduced in Chapter 10. In fact, Chapter 10 concludes with the exact same line as Chapter 51: 是謂玄德. That phrase was translated as “This is called the Mystic Virtue” in Chapter 10, and Dr. Hong and I see no reason to change it here in Chapter 51. But what else will be revealed about the dark, black, mysterious, mystic qualities of 德 (which is of course the Te in Tao Te Ching)?

The Translation

Tao gives birth to them,
Virtue raises them,
Matter shapes them,
Power completes them.

Therefore, among the Ten Thousand Things,
There is none that does not honor Tao or value Virtue.
Tao's honor and Virtue's value
Are not commanded but are always natural.

Thus, Tao gives birth to them,
Virtue raises them.
They nurture them, educate them,
Shelter them, mature them,
Support them, protect them.

Giving birth without possessing,
Acting without claiming credit,
Nurturing without dominating:
This is called the Mystic Virtue.

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命常自然。故道生之，德畜之；長之育之；亭之毒之；養之覆之。生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰，是謂玄德。

Our poetic reformatting:

道生之，
德畜之，
物形之，
勢成之。

是以萬物
莫不尊道而貴德。
道之尊，德之貴，
夫莫之命常自然。

故道生之，
德畜之；
長之育之；
亭之毒之；
養之覆之。

生而不有，
為而不恃，
長而不宰，
是謂玄德。

Terminology

• 物 (Wù) - here translated as “Matter,” the word literally means “thing(s)”

• 勢 (Shì) - here translated as “Power,” the word also means “force,” “influence,” and, yes, “male genitals”

Notes

• Is it just me or is Laozi, here in Chapter 51, likening Tao and Virtue to parents, with Tao understood as Mother and Virtue as Father? If so, is 玄德 the “Dark Father”?

• According to Derek Lin: “‘‘Them’ refers to all living things.”

• Ursula K. Le Guin’s title for Chapter 51 is “Nature, nurture.”

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Subtitle: Aren’t Men Frightful Idiots?

Greetings, Book Burners and Joyceans! G.J. Villa and I (a.k.a. Words & Music) are back with another episode of the Rejoyce! podcast series here on BAB. The time is now 4:00 PM on June 16, 1904, and we find ourselves in the Ormond Hotel. Observing the gold and bronze sirens behind the bar while listening to the divos of Dublin in the concert room, my sometime co-author and I share our contrapuntal notations on the eleventh chapter of Joyce’s novel for the benefit of all those enchanted by musical prose. Lend us your ears and press play above for the full audio experience. You can also feast your eyes by clicking on the coral-colored video below:

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• HJS highly recommends the RTE audiobook version of this chapter:

• The Ormond Hotel back in the day:

• Would Manet’s barmaid sonner la cloche?

• Beckett in Joycean mode:

• “Power for Richie”:

• Joycean playlist for Episode 11:

For an intro to the Rejoyce! series, see my post on Episode 1.

Subscribe now

The phrase 死地 (sǐdì) is tricky. We have chosen to translate it here as “Dead Land” (perhaps influenced by Eliot’s “Waste Land”?), but we also considered “Deadland(s),” “Dead Zone,” “Death Trap,” “Land of the Dead,” “Place of Death,” and “Dying-Place.” Which do you prefer in the context of Chapter 50 of the Tao Te Ching? Before answering, please read the following:

The Translation

To go beyond Life is to enter Death.
The Partisans of Life are three in ten.
The Partisans of Death are three in ten. 
The People whose lives are driven to the Dead Land are three in ten.
Why? Because such people live Life excessively. 

It is said that those good at preserving Life
May travel cross-country without encountering Rhinoceros or Tiger 
And join the Army without donning Armor or bearing Weapons: 
The Rhinoceros has nowhere to thrust its horn,
The Tiger has nowhere to put its claws,
The Weapon has nowhere to stick its blade.
Why? Because for such people there is no Dead Land.

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

出生入死。生之徒，十有三；死之徒，十有三；人之生，動之死地，十有三。夫何故？以其生，生之厚。蓋聞善攝生者，陸行不遇兕虎，入軍不被甲兵；兕無所投其角，虎無所措其爪，兵無所容其刃。夫何故？以其無死地。

Our poetic reformatting:

出生入死。
生之徒，十有三；
死之徒，十有三；
人之生，動之死地，十有三。
夫何故？以其生，生之厚。

蓋聞善攝生者，
陸行不遇兕虎，
入軍不被甲兵；
兕無所投其角，
虎無所措其爪，
兵無所容其刃。
夫何故？以其無死地。

Terminology

• 出生入死 (chūshēngrùsǐ) - another tricky phrase; idiomatically, it means something like “go through hell but still survive”; since 出 and 入 are opposites meaning “exit” and “enter,” it would be possible to translate 出生入死 very literally as “exit Life, enter Death,” but Dr. Hong strenuously opposed this interpretation; since 生 (shēng) also means “be born,” I argued for “escape the cycle of birth by embracing death,” but Dr. Hong nixed this as well

• 徒 (tú) - translated here as “partisan(s),” it could also mean “follower(s)” or “disciple(s)”

• 蓋聞 (gài wén) - another idiomatic phrase meaning “it is said . . .”

• 攝 (shè) - a very interesting word; here translated as “preserve,” it can also mean “nurture,” “absorb,” “assimilate,” and, in its modern sense, “photograph”

• 兕 (sì) - nobody is sure what this very odd-looking character means, but the best guess is “(female?) rhinoceros” or “bull”

• 虎 (hǔ) - “tiger”; add this, along with 兕, to the list of terms in the Taoist bestiary

Notes

• Congratulations to Dr. Hong and myself for finishing Chapter 50! We’ve only got 31 more to go!

• Derek Lin offers the following interpretation of the four types of people described herein:

Nine persons out of ten fit into one of the three previous categories [i.e., those described in stanza one]: fearful living, dangerous living, or excessive living. The rare exception, the one-in-ten minority [described in stanza two], is the type who can transcend the predictable patterns that most people fall into. Such people live in moderation; they do not shrink from the unfamiliar, but they are also not foolhardy. They are the skillful players—not spectators—in the game of life. They are fully engaged in their interactions with the world.

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Are you a sentimental fool looking for just another high from the drug that is love? Then take shelter from the emotional whirlwind as you listen to the fifth episode of G&P’s Re-Roxy podcast series. Craig and I focus this time on Siren, a very danceable album with funky bass and infectious melodies. Press play above to hear our complete breakdown and/or watch the video the below—and may you keep on burning till the end!

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• Atco clowns Congress:

• And itself: “We don’t want any trouble . . . just sales.”

• “I heard those slinky sirens wail—WHOOOO!”

• One of several versions of a Tim Buckley song:

• Siren tour program featuring the fickle “Prairie Rose”:

• Siren “Uncovered”:

• “Ay, ay, Captain!”

• What Paul Thompson brings to the table:

• Now hear what you’re missing:

• “’Taint no big thing”:

• Asia featuring Roxy touring bassist John Wetton:

• She sells what?

• The Bold Chester is just another crazy guy:

• “Viva Roxy Music” on Siren

P.S. The next episode in my Rejoyce! podcast series is, appropriately enough, “Sirens.”

Subscribe now

The word 心 (Xīn)—meaning “Heart,” “Mind,” “Soul,” “Core”—has appeared in previous chapters of the Tao Te Ching, but this is the first time it has been coupled with the phrase 百姓 (Bǎi Xìng)—meaning “The Hundred Families” or “The Common People.” Laozi suggests that the Taoist Sage (聖人) is a kind of father figure attuned to the thoughts and feelings of the masses. Non-judgmental, he sympathizes with “everyday people,” regardless of their moral character.

The Translation

The Sage does not have a constant Heart:
The Hundred Families' Heart is his Heart.

To those who are good, I am good.
To those who are not good, I am also good.
Virtue is good. 

To those who are trustworthy, I am trustworthy.
To those who are not trustworthy, I am also trustworthy.
Virtue is trustworthy.

While the Sage is under Heaven,
He curbs his desires, allowing what's under Heaven to mix with his Heart. 
The Hundred Families all turn to him with their ears and eyes.
The Sage considers all of them his Children. 

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

聖人無常心，以百姓心為心。善者，吾善之；不善者，吾亦善之；德善。信者，吾信之；不信者，吾亦信之；德信。聖人在天下，歙歙為天下渾其心，百姓皆注其耳目，聖人皆孩之。

Our poetic reformatting:

聖人無常心，
以百姓心為心。

善者，吾善之；
不善者，吾亦善之；
德善。

信者，吾信之；
不信者，吾亦信之；
德信。

聖人在天下，
歙歙為天下渾其心，
百姓皆注其耳目，
聖人皆孩之。

Terminology

• 信 (xìn) - translated here as “trustworthy,” the word can also mean “faith,” “letter,” “message,” “sign,” “believe”; it has appeared in previous chapters

• 歙 (shè) - Dr. Hong tells me this means “inhale” or “curb one’s desires”; I’m not sure why the word appears here in its reduplicated form and I can’t find it in any dictionary

• 皆 (jiē) - “all,” “each,” “every”

• 孩 (hái) - “child(ren)”

Notes

• The Japanese word for 心 is kokoro (こころ), which also means “spirit”:

• Sly’s Heart was with the Hundred Families:

• Dr. Hong finds my translation of stanzas two and three “problematic.” She recommends something like the following:

To those who are good I do good.
To those who are not good I also do good.
Become good.

Those who are trustworthy I trust.
Those who are not trustworthy I also trust.
Become trustworthy.

• Ursula K. Le Guin takes exception to the common interpretation of the last two lines:

The next to last line is usually read as saying that ordinary people watch and listen to wise people. But Lao Tzu has already told us that most of us wander on and off the Way and don’t know a sage from a sandpile. And surely the quiet Taoist is not a media pundit.

Similarly, the last line is taken to mean that the wise treat ordinary people like children. This is patronizing, and makes hash out of the first verse. I read it to mean that the truly wise are looked after (or looked upon) like children because they’re trusting, unprejudiced, and don’t hold themselves above or apart from ordinary life.

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Subtitle: O Rocks!

Good afternoon, Book Burners and Joyceans! It’s now 3:00 PM on June 16, 1904—and thus time to get your rocks off! Follow G.J. Villa (hard as granite) and myself (smooth as marble) as we navigate the labyrinthine streets of Dublin, observing from a safe distance the lives of the citizens in all their red-blooded triviality. Press play above to hear our mechanistic analysis of the entr’acte that is Episode 10 and/or watch the rainbow-themed video below:

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• Need a break from Ulysses? HJS recommends:

• Is Sylvia Beach my Memaw?

• One mystery solved:

• “Marie Kendall, charming soubrette”:

• As we thought:

• Not the “Troubles” you’re thinking of:

• Corny Kelleher is a busy man:

• Joycean playlist for Episode 10:

For an intro to the Rejoyce! series, see my post on Episode 1.

The Confucian notion of Learning (see above) is here contrasted with Tao. Laozi suggests that the accumulation of knowledge and the acquisition of formal education may actually hinder one’s ability to perceive the simplicity of true wisdom. Academic titles and degrees are poor substitutes for innate intelligence and common sense.

Subscribe now

The Translation

Enact Learning daily to increase.  
Enact Tao daily to decrease.

Decrease and again decrease
Until arriving at Non-Action.
In Non-Action, there is nothing not enacted.

Seize what's under Heaven by constant Non-Interference,
For when there is Interference,
It is not possible to seize what's under Heaven.

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

為學日益，為道日損。損之又損，以至於無為。無為而無不為。取天下常以無事，及其有事，不足以取天下。

Our poetic reformatting:

為學日益，
為道日損。

損之又損，
以至於無為。
無為而無不為。

取天下常以無事，
及其有事，
不足以取天下。

Terminology

• 學 (Xué) - translated here as “Learning,” it can also mean “Study,” “Knowledge,” “College”; cf. the title of the Confucian classic 大學 or “Great Learning,” a phrase which in modern times also means “university”

• 益 (yì) - translated here as “increase,” it can also mean “benefit,” “profit,” “useful”; paradoxically presented in Chapter 48 as being of dubious value

• 損 (sǔn) - translated here as “decrease,” it can also mean “damage,” “harm,” “injure,” “lose”; paradoxically presented in Chapter 48 as a net positive

• 事 (Shì) - translated here as “Interference” (or as “Non-Interference” when coupled with privative 無), it can also mean “Involvement,” “Matter,” “Responsibility,” “Business,” “Thing,” “Trouble”; Ursual K. Le Guin translates it as “Fuss”

Notes

• This chapter is being posted a few days late. Apologies for the delay.

• I was tempted to translate “seize what’s under Heaven” as “conquer the world.”

• Ursula K. Le Guin’s title for this chapter is “Unlearning.”

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Subtitle: A Man of Genius Makes No Mistakes

Good afternoon, Book Burners and Joyceans! It’s now 2:00 PM on June 16, 1904. Follow G.J. Villa (Sancho) and myself (Don Q.) to the National Library (not “Lie-berry”) in Dublin, where we get our Shakespeare on with Steve-O the Aristotelian and his Platonic adversaries. Press play above to hear the full dialectical exchange and/or watch the unbearably cerebral video below:

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• It appears that “mesial groove” is actually a term from dentistry, but if you look closely you can see why Mulligan uses it to describe Aphrodite’s asscrack:

• Taoist dialectic:

• Gaelic League poster from 1913:

• Shakespeare Junior:

• That’s “the queen’s leech Lopez” on the right, scheming to poison “carroty Bess”:

• Clearly Hiesos Kristos is a reference to Jesus Christ, but Gifford does not explain the strange spelling. The transliteration from the Greek would be Iesous Khristos, which Stephen/Joyce would have definitely known. We are thus left wondering why this particular orthographical choice was made. Another whiff by the Giff:

• Several Irish words and phrases appear in this episode: caubeen (traditional Irish beret or bonnet), gombeen (Irish slang for a dishonest or greedy person), mavrone (alas! or my sorrow!), pogue mahone (K.M.A.), acushla machree (O pulse of my heart!)

• Will the real Billy Shakes please stand up?

• So that’s what a “portcullis” is:

• Pronounced “GIG-let”:

• Joycean Playlist for Episode 9:

For an intro to the Rejoyce! series, see my post on Episode 1.

Subscribe now

Do you find yourself stranded in life and art? Then tune in to the fourth episode of G&P’s Re-Roxy podcast series as Craig and I give Ferry & Co.’s Country Life a spin. Out of the blue, I have to say that the Fourth Roxy Music Album is a really good time, and so is our analysis thereof. Press play above to hear the full convo, even if it takes all night. For the thrill of it all, you can also watch the video (with censored thumbnail, alas):

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• Under the Covers:

• Country Life 2.0 (in Hong Kong of all places):

• “Don’t want to learn about etiquette from glossy magazines”:

• Craig (ironically?) recommends:

• Caledonia’s finest:

• Was Geezer listening to Roxy?

• Yep, it was written for Pattie Boyd’s sister:

• #GuiltyPleasuresOfTheEighties

• VU callback:

• Brechtian Bryan:

• Mother of “Triptych”?

• Lone Star Hate:

• Davy Byrne’s “Prairie Rose”?

• EC takes the Ferry approach to songwriting:

Subscribe now

This week’s dose of Tao was the inspiration for George Harrison’s song “The Inner Light,” the B-side to Paul McCartney’s “Lady Madonna.” The lyrics were filched from a translation by Juan Mascaró, apparently with the translator’s blessing. The instrumental track was recorded in 1968 with Indian musicians in Bombay (or Mumbai, as the official Beatles website would have it). Ringo doesn’t play on this tune, but let’s imagine him counting us off anyway. . . .

The Translation

Without going outdoors, know what's under Heaven.
Without peering through the window, see Heaven's Tao.

The farther one goes forth, 
The less one knows. 

Therefore, the Sage without traveling knows,
Without seeing names,  
Without doing accomplishes.

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

不出戶知天下；不闚牖見天道。其出彌遠，其知彌少。是以聖人不行而知，不見而名，不為而成。

Our poetic reformatting:

不出戶知天下；
不闚牖見天道。

其出彌遠，
其知彌少。

是以聖人不行而知，
不見而名，
不為而成。

Terminology

• 出 (chū) - “exit,” “go out,” “go forth”

• 戶 (hù) - “door,” “household,” “home”

• 牖 (yǒu) - “window”

Notes

• Dr. Hong and I decided to maintain the original syntax of the last three lines. Should we have opted for “. . . knows without traveling, / Names without seeing, / Accomplishes without doing” instead?

• Play it again, George:

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

It is fitting that in this current Year of the Fire Horse we have a chapter of the Tao Te Ching featuring equine imagery. A horse which is under the influence of Tao, Laozi tell us, is used for peaceful purposes. On the other hand, a horse without the influence of Tao is trained for war. In the second stanza, the Old Master revisits the theme of contentment within limits, which most recently was touched upon in the vaguely Blakean forty-fourth chapter.

The Translation

When there is Tao under Heaven,
Galloping horses retreat to manure.
When there is not Tao under Heaven,
War horses breed in no man's land. 

There is no disaster greater than not knowing what is enough.
There is no fault greater than wanting to acquire. 
Therefore, knowing that enough is enough
Is always enough!

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

天下有道，卻走馬以糞。天下無道，戎馬生於郊。禍莫大於不知足；咎莫大於欲得。故知足之足，常足矣。

Our poetic reformatting:

天下有道，
卻走馬以糞。
天下無道，
戎馬生於郊。

禍莫大於不知足；
咎莫大於欲得。
故知足之足，
常足矣。

Terminology

• 馬 (mǎ) - this marks the first appearance in the Tao Te Ching of the very common word for “horse”; the character is also used, incidentally, in the Chinese version of “Mark” (as in “Mark Will”): 馬克 (Mǎkè)

• 糞 (fèn) - I desperately wanted to translate this as “shit,” but Dr. Hong persuaded me to use “manure” (which, like “shit,” can be both noun and verb)

• 郊 (jiāo) - here translated as “no man’s land,” it could also mean “suburbs” or “outskirts”

• 知足 (zhīzú) - “knowing what is enough” can also mean simply “contentment”

Notes

• Of the first stanza, Derek Lin aptly says: “These are among the most powerful and evocative images from the Tao Te Ching. The peaceful, pastoral scene of horses used for farming contrasts sharply with the misery and suffering of warfare.”

• Several English translations (Lin, Le Guin, Stephen Mitchell, et al.) feature an extra line at the beginning of the first stanza saying something like “There is no sin greater than desire,” but Dr. Hong and I cannot find a Chinese version of the text which would justify the inclusion of this line in our translation.

• Horse Playlist:

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Subtitle: Eat or Be Eaten

It’s lunchtime, Book Burners and Joyceans! Hope you’re hungry for an early afternoon chat about the tasty eighth episode of Ulysses, known to cannibals, carnivores, vegetarians, nutarians, and fruitarians as “Lestrygonians.” This often overlooked section of Joyce’s novel offers much food for thought, so press play above to hear GJ Villa (Caramel Crunch) and myself (Vanilla Fudge) chew the fat without spitting back on our plates the halfmasticated gristle. And, as always, you can watch, mukbang-style (figuratively speaking), on YouTube as well:

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• See the Giff whiff:

• I whiffed too. It’s El Catrín, not El Catarín:

• And although I got the sound of chyle right, I whiffed on the sense:

• Also, plovers are birds, not fish:

• But it’s all good. Let a thousand Joycean miscommunications bloom. (Yeah, I said it: BLOOM.)

• Note that the passage in which Bloom flashes back to his moment with Molly on Ben Howth includes a reference to the “earwigs” which will feature so prominently in the Wake.

• As for the etymology of Lestrygonians, I learned that this race of gigantic cannibals is descended from a certain son of Poseidon named Laestrygon. A dubious online source called Grokipedia adds the following: “One proposed etymology derives the name from the Greek words laisêion (‘raw hide’ or ‘skin’) and trygaô (‘to gather’), translating to ‘raw-hide gatherers’ or ‘skin-reapers,’ possibly alluding to their savage nature.”

• “Famished ghosts” (on p. 171 of my text) of course reminds me of the upcoming Hungry Ghost Festival (中元節), which will be celebrated in my part of the world on August 27 of the current Year of the Fire Horse.

• Stephen Rea as Bloom:

• Did the Marquis of Queensberry’s “somdomite” calling card inspire the “U.P.” incident with Denis Breen?

• Joycean Playlist for Episode 8:

For an intro to the Rejoyce! series, see my post on Episode 1.

Subscribe now

My focus on 正 (Zhèng)—translated here in Chapter 45 as “Rectitude,” but also meaning “right(ness),” “correct(ness),” “straight(ness),” “upright(ness),” “just(ice),” “order(ed),” “stable/stability,” etc.—probably misses the point of this week’s dose of Tao. Surely Laozi means to emphasize the “Stillness” (靜, Jìng) of the last two lines rather than “Rectitude”—which seems not to be a very Taoist concept at all. Still, I find 正 to be a very interesting lexical choice. So far as I can remember, this marks its first appearance in the Tao Te Ching, and it greatly surprises me because in modern times the term has been used by nefarious political actors to give the semblance of legitimacy and inevitability to their crimes and machinations. That old pirate and heroin trafficker Chiang Kai-Shek, for example, called himself 中正 (Zhōngzhèng), and he is the last person under Heaven I—or, hopefully, Laozi—would call “centered and upright.” But perhaps, by highlighting it in this way, we can reclaim the word “Rectitude,” which has been so much corrupted by power-hungry exploiters and manipulators. Is there an esoteric and more “correct” meaning of 正 which eludes mainstream normies and is known only to the initiated?

Leave a comment

The Translation

Great Success seems deficient,
But its function is not disadvantaged.
Great Fullness seems empty,
But its function is not exhausted.

Great Straightness seems bent,
Great Skill seems clumsy,
Great Eloquence seems inarticulate.

Restlessness overcomes Cold,
Stillness overcomes Heat.
Pure Stillness facilitates Rectitude under Heaven.

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

大成若缺，其用不弊。大盈若沖，其用不窮。大直若屈，大巧若拙，大辯若訥。躁勝寒靜勝熱。清靜為天下正。

Our poetic reformatting:

大成若缺，
其用不弊。
大盈若沖，
其用不窮。

大直若屈，
大巧若拙，
大辯若訥。

躁勝寒，
靜勝熱。
清靜為天下正。

Terminology

• 用 (Yòng) - translated here as “Function,” the word also appeared most recently in Chapter 40, where it was translated as “utility”

• 沖 (chōng) - translated here as “empty,” the word also appeared most recently in Chapter 42, where it was translated, somewhat reluctantly, as “mingling”; I still think a case can be made for translating 沖 as “dilute(d)”

• 靜 (Jìng) - translated here as “Stillness” (as mentioned above), the word can also mean “Calmness,” “Tranquility,” “Quietude,” “Motionlessness,” etc.

Notes

• Derek Lin aptly describes the “Great Skill” of line 6 as the “ultimate technique of no technique.”

• Referring to line 7—which he translates as “Great eloquence [with lower-case E] seems inarticulate”—Lin further says: “Test this teaching for yourself. Dedicate an entire day to the practice of minimal speech. Every time you want to say something, either say it with the fewest words possible or say nothing at all. Observe what happens. You may be surprised by how little you really need to talk.” This makes me question the entire enterprise of podcasting.

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Well, Audiophiles, Craig and I are finally back with the third installment of our Roxy Music series on Guitar & Pen. (We actually recorded it three weeks ago, but certain legal entanglements I’m currently dealing with caused this pod to be “stranded” in production hell for a brief period.) Here in Episode 3, my favorite Caledonian and I tune in to the first post-Eno Roxy Music album: Stranded (which Eno himself has called his favorite LP in the Roxy catalogue, interestingly enough). With new member Eddie Jobson playing the role of Eno 2.0 (and a more musical rather than anti-musical one at that) and John Gustafson filling in on bass, Ferry & Co. continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible for pop and rock in this late 1973 release. Now, admittedly, if you’re looking for love in a looking-glass world, it’s pretty hard to find, but that’s no reason not to press play above and hear my distinguished musicological guest and myself break the Third Roxy Music Album down for you. As always, you can also ogle us on YouTube if you are so inclined. I dressed as “glam” for you as I possibly could—and that’s really something!

Show Notes

• Now available at a second-hand bookstore in Taipei!

• Morrissey in “a zone where there is no doubt”:

• VU’s “Psalm”:

• “When the sun conjures up a broken spell au clair de lune . . .”

• Is KJ just a Tavistock psyop after all? (Say it ain’t so!)

• “Do you disapprove how we’ve wasted our time?” (sang Ferry three years previous to Henley’s variation on the same theme)

• G&P tentatively dips its toe into the whirlpool of Reddit:

Subscribe now

The title of today’s dose of Tao reminds us of William Blake’s line from “The Proverbs of Hell” in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: “You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.” This is not the first time we have seen similarities of phrasing or sentiment between Blake and Laozi (cf., for example, Chapter 2). According to the latter, though, once the knowledge of what is (more than) enough has been obtained, one may avoid disgrace. Perhaps so, but the Blakean in me would like to ask the Old Master: Who defines what it means to be “disgraced”?

Leave a comment

The Translation

Name or Body: which is more dear?
Body or Money: which is worth more?
Gain or Loss: which is more sick?

Thus it is that excessive love will incur great cost.
Too much hoarding will lead to profound loss.

He who knows what is enough is not disgraced.
He who knows when to stop is not in danger.
He can endure for a long time.

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

名與身孰親？身與貨孰多？得與亡孰病？是故甚愛必大費；多藏必厚亡。知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久。

Our poetic reformatting:

名與身孰親？
身與貨孰多？
得與亡孰病？

是故甚愛必大費；
多藏必厚亡。

知足不辱，
知止不殆，
可以長久。

Terminology

• 名 (Míng) - translated here (and elsewhere) literally as “Name,” the word can also mean “Fame”

• 身 (Shēn) - translated here (and elsewhere) literally as “Body,” the word can also mean “Life” or “Self”

• 貨 (Huò) - translated here as “Money,” the word can also mean “Goods,” “Commodity,” “Merchandise”

• 得 (Dé) - translated here with the noun “Gain,” the word is most often used as an adjective or verb (“ready,” “suitable,” “to allow,” “to gain,” “to get,” “to obtain”)

• 亡 (Wáng) - translated here as “Loss” (in contrast with “Gain” above), the word more literally means “Death” or “to die”

• 辱 (rǔ) - translated here as “disgraced,” the word can also mean “insulted,” “dishonored,” etc.

Notes

• Ursula K. Le Guin titled Chapter 44 “Fame and Fortune,” evidently alluding to 名 and 貨.

• Line 3 of this chapter resonates with me on both the personal and professional levels. I have recently been reminded that, paradoxically, losing is often winning, and vice versa.

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

無為 (wúwéi) was first mentioned in Chapter 2, where it was translated as “doing nothing.” It appeared again in Chapter 3, where it was translated as “without doing,” and Chapter 10, where it was translated as “without action.” Here in Chapter 43, Dr. Hong and I have opted to translate 無為 with the abstract noun “Non-Action.” This pairs nicely with “Non-Existence,” our translation of 無有 (wú yǒu), which first appeared in Chapter 40.

The Translation

The softest thing under Heaven
Runs roughshod over the hardest thing under Heaven.

Non-Existence enters where there is no opening.
I therefore know Non-Action's existential benefit.

Wordless teaching, 
Non-Action's benefit:
Under Heaven it is rarely attained. 

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。無有入無間，吾是以知無為之有益。不言之教，無為之益，天下希及之。

Our poetic reformatting:

天下之至柔，
馳騁天下之至堅。

無有入無間，
吾是以知無為之有益。

不言之教，
無為之益，
天下希及之。

Terminology

• 馳騁 (chíchěng) - both of these characters feature the radical for “horse”; the phrase is here translated as “runs roughshod over,” but we were tempted to substitute “tramples underfoot”

• 益 (yì) - here translated as “benefit,” the word can also mean “profit” or “advantage”

• 教 (jiào) - last seen in Chapter 42, this word means “teaching,” “instruction,” “religion,” etc.

Notes

• Regarding 馳騁, Derek Lin says: “I have translated the characters chi cheng as ‘override.’ This best represents the original meaning. The image evoked by these characters is a horseman riding a powerful, galloping steed. The rider cannot compare to the horse in terms of physical strength, but there is no question who is controlling whom. This is the perfect image for ‘the soft overcomes the hard.’”

• Of Line 3 Lin says: “Water seeps into and dissolves rocks; electricity flows through a block of metal. Thus, the intangible Tao can permeate all things, even if they appear to be solid, without any cracks or openings.”

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Somewhat surprisingly, it is not until Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching that we find the first mention of Yin (陰) and Yang (陽), concepts which are fundamental to the popular Western understanding of Taoism. The word for “Energy”—氣 or Qi—also makes its first appearance in this section of Laozi’s classic text. Immediately preceding the introduction of these all-important terms is a stanza which may be taken as a kind of Taoist creation myth, as if Laozi is condensing a non-existent Taoist Book of Perpetual Genesis into four lines. The chapter concludes with a couple of standard Taoist paradoxes and a restatement of the principle of non-aggression. Overall, Chapter 42 is a pivotal point in the book. But as Dr. Hong and I continue our journey through the Tao Te Ching, I tend to feel that way about every chapter we translate.

The Translation

Tao begets One,
One begets Two,
Two begets Three,
Three begets Ten Thousand Things.

Ten Thousand Things carry Yin and embrace Yang,
Mingling Energies to make Harmony.

What people hate is being orphaned, widowed, without food,
Yet kings and princes convert such conditions into titles.
Thus, things might be diminished as they increase,
Increased as they diminish. 

What people have taught, I also teach:
Those who are violent cannot die natural deaths. 
I will make this my teaching's foundation. 

Leave a comment

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰而抱陽，沖氣以為和。人之所惡，唯孤、寡、不穀，而王公以為稱。故物或損之而益，或益之而損。人之所教，我亦教之。強梁者不得其死，吾將以為教父。

Our poetic reformatting:

道生一，
一生二，
二生三，
三生萬物。

萬物負陰而抱陽，
沖氣以為和。

人之所惡，唯孤、寡、不穀，
而王公以為稱。
故物或損之而益，
或益之而損。

人之所教，我亦教之。
強梁者不得其死，
吾將以為教父。

Terminology

• 陰 (Yīn) - transliterated here as Yin, the word means “the Feminine Principle,” “passive,” “hidden,” “lunar,” “negative,” “secret,” “sinister,” “shade,” etc.

• 陽 (Yáng) - transliterated here as Yang, the word means “the Masculine Principle,” “active,” “open,” “positive,” “solar,” etc.

• 氣 (Qì) - translated here as “Energy” in its plural form (because both Yin’s and Yang’s “Energies” are implied), the word is sometimes simply transliterated into English as Qi; other meanings include “gas,” “air,” “breath,” “spirit,” “vital energy,” “life force,” etc.; cf. the Hindu concept of prana (प्राण)

• 和 (Hé) - translated here as “Harmony,” the word can also mean “Peace”

• 沖 (chōng) - translated here as “mingling,” the character includes the radical for “water” and can thus literally mean “mixing with water,” “rinsing,” “watering down,” “washing out,” or “diluting” (the latter of which might actually be preferable to “mingling”); 沖 also appeared in Chapter 4, where it was associated with Tao and translated as “empty” (though I’m now wondering whether I should have instead opted for the verbal form “empties”: “Tao empties” rather than “Tao is empty”?)

• 生 (shēng) - translated here as “beget(s)”; other translations considered include the past tense form “begat,” “engender(s)/engendered,” “generate(s)/generated,” “give(s) birth to/gave birth to,” etc.

• 教 (jiào) - translated here as “teach(ing),” it can also mean “instruct(ion), “religion,” etc.

• 父 (fù) - translated here as “foundation,” the word literally means “father,” “godfather,” “grandfather,” “uncle,” etc.

Notes

• Ursula K. Le Guin’s summary of Chapter 42: “Beginning with a pocket cosmology, this chapter demonstrates the ‘interplay of energy’ of yin and yang by showing how low and high, winning and losing, destruction and self-destruction, reverse themselves, each turning into its seeming opposite.”

• Dr. Hong explained things to me thus: “In the beginning, Yin and Yang clash and are in conflict, but then they gradually harmonize.” “Just like you and me,” I told her.

• One is also reminded of Horace’s notion of the concordia discors.

• Dumbing it down:

• Hindu Qi = Prana:

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

Subtitle: Blowin’ in the Wind

Happy Bloomsday, my fellow Joyceans! By way of celebration, Villa and I are back (after a rather lengthy delay) with the seventh installment of our Rejoyce! podcast series. Press play above to hear your two favorite windbags bloviate on “Aeolus,” Episode 7 of Ulysses. If you’d like to see the slideshow along with our ugly mugs, you can watch the video as well:

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• Wyndham Lewis’ sketch of Joyce is in the National Gallery of Ireland:

• Audiobook version of Episode 7:

• Take a deeper dive:

• “the onehandled adulterer”:

• “Akasic records of all that ever anywhere wherever was”:

• “Poor papa with his hagadah book, reading backwards with his finger to me”:

• “Poor Penelope. Penelope Rich” = Penelope Blount, Countess of Devonshire:

• Joycean playlist for Episode 7:

For an intro to the Rejoyce! series, see my post on Episode 1.

Subscribe now

This week’s Tao Te Ching post is something of a milestone. With the completion of Chapter 41, Dr. Hong and I have passed the midway point of our journey through the 81 chapters of Laozi’s classic text. And if in the second half of this journey we pick up the pace and do two chapters per week, we might very well finish the project before the end of 2026. Now isn’t that something to sing about?

Leave a comment

The Translation

When high-ranking scholars hear about Tao,
They diligently pursue it.
When mid-ranking scholars hear about Tao,
They seem both to preserve it and to lose it.
When low-ranking scholars hear about Tao,
They have a big laugh over it.

Without laughter it is not feasible to enact Tao.
Thus, there is the following proverb:

Bright Tao seems like darkness.  
Advancing Tao seems to retreat.   
Smooth Tao seems rough. 

Highest Virtue seems like a valley.
Ample Virtue seems insufficient.  
Respectable Virtue seems like laziness.

Excessive Whiteness seems dirty.
Simple Truth seems mutable.  

The Great Square is without corners.
The Great Weapon is the last to be forged.
The Great Music is faintly heard.
The Great Form is without shape.

Tao is secret, nameless.
It is only Tao that is good at supporting and accomplishing. 

The Original

Wang Bi’s original prose:

上士聞道，勤而行之；中士聞道，若存若亡；下士聞道，大笑之。不笑不足以為道。故建言有之：明道若昧；進道若退；夷道若纇；上德若谷；太白若辱；廣德若不足；建德若偷；質真若渝；大方無隅；大器晚成；大音希聲；大象無形；道隱無名。夫唯道，善貸且成。

Our poetic reformatting (which includes at least one controversial choice):

上士聞道，
勤而行之；
中士聞道，
若存若亡；
下士聞道，
大笑之。

不笑不足以為道。
故建言有之：

明道若昧；
進道若退；
夷道若纇；

上德若谷；
廣德若不足；
建德若偷；

太白若辱；
質真若渝；

大方無隅；
大器晚成；
大音希聲；
大象無形。

道隱無名。
夫唯道，善貸且成。

Terminology

• 士 (shì) - here translated as “scholar(s),” the word can also mean “warrior(s),” “knight(s),” “paladin(s)”

• 若 (ruò) - “(is) like,” “seem(s), “appear(s); translated here as “seem(s) or “seem(s) like”

• 存 (cún) / 亡 (wáng) - literally, “live” / “die”; here translated as “preserve” / “lose”

• 白 (bái) - literally, “white(ness)”; Derek Lin translates this as “integrity”

• 辱 (rǔ) - here translated as “dirty” (with a nod to Usula K. Le Guin); literally it means “disgrace(ful)”

• 器 (qì) - this word has appeared several times thus far (most recently in Chapter 36) and may be translated as “instrument,” “device,” “tool,” “utensil,” “vessel,” “weapon” (Dr. Hong and I opt for the latter here in Chapter 41)

Notes

• Following Ursula K. Le Guin, Dr. Hong and I moved the line on “Excessive Whiteness” to the position after the sequence of lines describing “Virtue.” Does this editorial decision represent a break with tradition? If you think so, please note that we couldn’t possibly corrupt the original text more than best-selling translator Stephen Mitchell has.

• Chapter 41 playlist:

For more information on the genesis and methodology of this book translation project, see my post on Chapter 1.

Subscribe now

For this second episode of season 5 of Texting, Black Power (Tomek) and El Sueño De La Razón (yours truly) invite you to a virtual exhibition of Francisco Goya’s “Black Paintings.” As they view these 14 (or 15?) artistic productions of the Spanish master’s dementia, your textually deviant guides hope to enhance your own aesthetic experience thereof by providing valuable background information on the techniques of chiaroscuro and tenebroso, conceptions of “the grotesque,” the origin of the peace sign, and the 14 (or 15?) Stations of the Cross, as well as callbacks to previous episodes on Cervantes and Picasso. Towards the end of the pod, the discussion veers off into wild speculations about Hesiod and the origin of myth, but one of the co-hosts (not the one currently based in Formosa) seems to think some of you may actually find that “interesting.” Press play above to listen and/or watch the video if you want to see all the pretty paintings in the slideshow (along with the podcasters’ ugly mugs):

Leave a comment

Show Notes

• I inadvertently spread some misinformation shortly after the 1-hour mark. Allow me to clarify:

• Malevich’s original Black Square (1915) is at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow:

• Another version of Black Square (1923?) is at the Russian Museum (not the Hermitage) in St. Petersburg:

• Down the street from the Russian Museum is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (which is a great name):

• Also at the Tretyakov is Ivan the Terrible and His Son by Ilya Repin:

• Would you like a close-up view?

• My sweet Lady Jane . . .

• Dali’s abstract crucifixion (with Gala in the bottom left):

• Baudelaire on “the last of the old masters, the first of the moderns”:

Goya, nightmare compact of things incredible;
Foetuses being fried for a witch's sabbath feast;
An old woman at a mirror, a little naked girl
Lowering an artful stocking to tempt a devil's lust.

• My namesake:

• Juan Goytisolo, bad boy of twentieth century Spanish lit: “For decades, my name was more popular in police stations than bookshops, and I do not mean to compliment the literary awareness of Spanish policemen.”

• The iconic Goya painting at the top of this post is referenced in my story “In Remembrance of Daryl the Ape,” which is featured in this scandalous collection:

The Next Text

I’m tempted to insist that we focus on Freedom Williams’ toilet rant for S5E3: