love-story.jpg

All the World's a Stage

Dao is so versatile! She can act and direct!

Everything exists because of her, and she conjures us, but not to adore her. When the story ends, we don't even know her name.

She nurtures and provides for us and we don't even notice. Objectively, you could say that we take her for granted.

Everything happens because of her and we don't even notice. You could say she's the star of the show.

Ultimately, she tells great stories because she doesn't sing her own praise.

Notes

This is one of a few poems that address directly, and in this one, true greatness is anonymous and goes unnoticed.

is an expression from chapter 1 that describes the objective state beyond desire that lets us , observe its subtleties, as opposed to , the subjective state of longing that , gives it meaning.

It's a love story.

Vocabulary

1 + 3
no, not; un-; negative prefix
zhǔ
3 + 4
master, chief owner; host; lord
zhī
4 + 3
marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
9 + 3
by means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to
12 + 2
exclamatory particle
12 + 6
his, her, its, their; that
gōng
19 + 3
achievement, merit, good result
30 + 2
may, can, -able; possibly
yòu
30 + 2
right; west; right-wing
míng
30 + 3
name, rank, title, position
37 + 0
big, great, vast, large, high
miào
38 + 4
mysterious, subtle; exquisite
xiǎo
42 + 0
small, tiny, insignificant
zuǒ
48 + 2
left; east; unorthodox, improper
cháng
50 + 8
common, normal, frequent, regular
jiào
60 + 13
frontier, border; inspect, patrol
shì
61 + 6
rely on, presume on, trust to
chéng
62 + 2
completed, finished, fixed
66 + 5
ancient, old; reason, because
70 + 4
in, at, on; interjection alas!
yǒu
74 + 2
have, own, possess; exist
76 + 7
desire, want, long for; intend
guī
77 + 14
return; return to, revert to
fàn
85 + 3
float, drift; afloat; careless
wèi
86 + 5
do, handle, govern, act; be
yān
86 + 7
thereupon, then; how? why? where?
86 + 8
negative, no, not; lack, have no
93 + 4
thing, substance, creature
shēng
100 + 0
life, living, lifetime; birth
zhōng
120 + 5
end; finally, in the end
ér
126 + 0
and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
néng
130 + 6
to be able; can, permitted to; ability
132 + 0
self, private, personal; from; Kangxi radical 132
wàn
114 + 8
ten thousand; innumerable
145 + 0
clothes, clothing; cover, skin; Kangxi radical 145
guān
147 + 18
see, observe, view; appearance; hexagram ䷓
160 + 12
words, speech, expression, phrase
dào
162 + 9
path, road, street; method, way
yǎng
184 + 6
raise, rear, bring up; support