Martial poetry

[jon]

I wanted to start a thread that had nothing to do with moaning about art vs art and was not a troll....
Only thing i could think of was a nice poem i really like. Its part of my schools moral and ethical code and writen by Lao Tzu.

Tao Te Jing of Lao Tzu
[the classic of the way]

Only simple and quiet words will ripen of themselves.
For a whirlwind does not last a whole morning.
Nor does a sudden shower last a whole day.
Who is their author? Heaven and Earth!
Even Heaven and Earth cannot make such violent things last long.
How much truer is it of the rash endevours of man?
Hence, he who cultivates The Tao is one with The Tao.
He who practices virtue is one with virtue.
And he who courts loss is one with loss.
To be one with the Tao is to be welcome access to the Tao.
To be one with virtue is to be welcome access to virtue.
To be one with Loss is to be welcome access to loss.
Deficiency of faith on ones part, Entails faithlessness on the part of others.
Be reiable in all dealings.
This will lead to success.

One on tip-toe cannot stand correctly.
One astride cannot walk properly.
One who displays himself does not shine.
One who justifies himself has no glory.
One who boasts of his ability has no merit.
One who parades his own success will never endure.
In Tao these things are called "extrinsic trappings and extraneous neoplasms" which are loathed by all sensible beings.
Hence a man of Tao does not set his heart on them.

There was something undefined and yet complete in itself.
Born beofre Heaven and Earth.
Silent and boundless.
Standing alone without change.
Yet prevading all without fail.
It may be regarded as the Mother of the world.
I do know its name.
I style it "Tao"
And in the absence of a better adjective, I call it "The Great"



Sorry if this had nothing to do with anything i just think its an amazing peice of poetry and is still VERY relavent even in this day.
Anyone else got some martial poetry they feel they can post?
Anyone want to comment on the above?

[Mr Nunchaku]

That was a good post. Here is a website; maybe someone will find this interesting.

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/taoism.html

[No_Know]

It probablly sounds musical when spoken in the Chinese.

[jon]

Yeah i proberly should have related its an exact translation of meaning rather than word for word.
Hence it no longer rymes
Still cant say i really care, the meaning is still there and thats what counts.

[No_Know]

I think word for word was better. Translating from a translation or translationg from the source. The closer to the source, the closer to pure~. What ever the meanings to be gotten, direct seems better.~

[Xebsball]

Not really related to the poem you posted, but i thought i'd share this:


Yue Fei (1102-1141)
To the Tune of "Full River Red"

Wrath set my hair bristling in my helmet.
Standing by the rails see the drizzling rain has ceased,
Raising my eyes to the skies I shout in my vigorous aspiration.
At the age of thirty fame and heroic deeds are nothing but earth and dust.

With clouds or the moon, my battle fields have covered eight thousand lilong.
Do not tarry,
The hair of young men might grow white with deep regret.

The shame heaped on us in the year of Jing Kang is not yet wiped away.
When will the sorrows of the Emperor's subjects come to an end?
O let us ride on war chariots through to the Ho Lan Pass.
Our ambitions are to drive away foreign invaders,
while talking and laughing let them shed blood.
O let's start afresh,
To recover our dear rivers and mountains,
Then we will pay our tribute to Heaven.

[Ray Pina]

Awesome

[Machine_Phantom]

little by little the night turns around