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Secondary sourceBook

The Philosophers

Arthur Waley

A translated Tang-dynasty poem by Bai Juyi that gently teases Laozi for writing five thousand words while preaching silence.

The poem is about Laozi, mocking the contradiction between his words and his teaching on silence.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is Arthur Waley's English translation of a poem by the Tang poet Bai Juyi. The poem pokes fun at Laozi's famous saying that those who speak do not know, pointing out that Laozi himself wrote a long book.

Why it matters

The poem shows that centuries after Laozi supposedly lived, Chinese poets like Bai Juyi were still debating his ideas and finding humor in their paradoxes. It reveals how Laozi's teachings became part of an ongoing cultural conversation, not fixed, dead words.

Look closer

  • Why might a poet use humor to question a famous philosopher's claims?
  • What does the joke about writing five thousand words suggest about the limits of Laozi's own saying?
  • How does translation change the tone of an old poem for new readers?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Laozi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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