Calligraphy: dissing the philophers

 

My calligraphy, done for an o/s friend

"Reading Lao Zi" by the Tang poet Bai Juyi. Here's a translation, from Chinese poems: 

言者不如知者默
此语吾闻于老君
若道老君是知者
缘何自著五千文

yán zhě bù zhī zhī zhě mò
cǐ yǔ wú wén yú lǎo jūn
ruò dào lǎo jūn shì zhī zhě
yuán hé zì ruò wǔ qiān wén

Those who speak do not know, those who know are silent,

I heard this saying from the old gentleman.
If the old gentleman was one who knew the way,
Why did he feel able to write five thousand words?

The "old gentleman" is the philosopher Lao Zi. It really ought to be called "Dissing the dude". That's what Bai Juyyi is really doing.... Prime Tang Dynasty trolling. Or gentle fun, if you wish.

Lao Zi (aka Lao Tzu) developed what became Taoist philosophy in the 6th C BC, around the time of Confucius.