Poem
Jimu Langge
Humility
Within the literary worldof an era not distance past
because something was missing
(materially and spiritually
though young,
I still experienced that era)
There was a phenomenon, or call it
the style of an entire era,
and that was humility
If one was not humble then nothing was possible
Humility was a moral virtue
Only with moral virtue could you become an important person
and not being humble was arrogant
Arrogance would not make an important person
Not becoming a big important person
meant you were an unimportant person
A little unimportant person was just
a fucking peon
What other reason is there for writing?
See, one lapse in concentration
and again I’m being influenced by that era
It was such a reactionary era
because it was so humble
I like people who aren’t humble
and like arrogant fellows even more
The more arrogant he is the more I respect him
And vice-versa: the more humble he is
the more it makes me look down on him
Even though I know he has
humility
Today
my son said
“People should be humble.”
This is what his teacher taught him
I didn’t say a word
I thought, “You’re still young,
wait till you get older.
After you can think for yourself,
the first thing I want you to do is
not be humble.”
To not be humble, you need arrogance
and to be arrogant, you don’t need humility
Of course if you say you can when you really can’t
you will suffer the bigger loss
But this already has nothing to do with humility
© Translation: 2007, d dayton
谦虚
谦虚
在文学界 距今不远的时代
因为缺少东西
（物质的和精神的
虽然我还少
但经历过那个时代）
有一种现象或者说
整整一个时代的风气
就是谦虚
不谦虚绝对行不通
谦虚是一种美德
要有美德才能成为大人物
而不谦虚就是狂妄
狂妄就成不了大人物
成不了大人物
就是小人物
小人物就是
他马的小人物
还有什么写头
你看，一不小心
我又被那个时代影响了
那是一个多么反动的时代啊
因为多么谦虚
我喜欢不谦虚的人
更喜欢狂妄的家伙
他越狂妄我越尊敬他
相反他越谦虚
越使我看不起
哪怕我知道他是在
谦虚
今天
我的儿子说
人应该谦虚
这是老师教他的
我沉默
我想你还小
等你长大后
能够独立思考后
我要你做的第一件事
就是不谦虚
不谦虚就要狂妄
狂妄就要不谦虚
当然你不行硬说行
是要吃亏的
但这已经和谦虚无关
© 2002, Jimu Langge
From: Jiaoqingqing de zuolun
Publisher: Hebei jiaoyu chubanshe, Shijiazhuang
From: Jiaoqingqing de zuolun
Publisher: Hebei jiaoyu chubanshe, Shijiazhuang
Poems
Poems of Jimu Langge
Close
Humility
Within the literary worldof an era not distance past
because something was missing
(materially and spiritually
though young,
I still experienced that era)
There was a phenomenon, or call it
the style of an entire era,
and that was humility
If one was not humble then nothing was possible
Humility was a moral virtue
Only with moral virtue could you become an important person
and not being humble was arrogant
Arrogance would not make an important person
Not becoming a big important person
meant you were an unimportant person
A little unimportant person was just
a fucking peon
What other reason is there for writing?
See, one lapse in concentration
and again I’m being influenced by that era
It was such a reactionary era
because it was so humble
I like people who aren’t humble
and like arrogant fellows even more
The more arrogant he is the more I respect him
And vice-versa: the more humble he is
the more it makes me look down on him
Even though I know he has
humility
Today
my son said
“People should be humble.”
This is what his teacher taught him
I didn’t say a word
I thought, “You’re still young,
wait till you get older.
After you can think for yourself,
the first thing I want you to do is
not be humble.”
To not be humble, you need arrogance
and to be arrogant, you don’t need humility
Of course if you say you can when you really can’t
you will suffer the bigger loss
But this already has nothing to do with humility
© 2007, d dayton
From: Jiaoqingqing de zuolun
From: Jiaoqingqing de zuolun
Humility
Within the literary worldof an era not distance past
because something was missing
(materially and spiritually
though young,
I still experienced that era)
There was a phenomenon, or call it
the style of an entire era,
and that was humility
If one was not humble then nothing was possible
Humility was a moral virtue
Only with moral virtue could you become an important person
and not being humble was arrogant
Arrogance would not make an important person
Not becoming a big important person
meant you were an unimportant person
A little unimportant person was just
a fucking peon
What other reason is there for writing?
See, one lapse in concentration
and again I’m being influenced by that era
It was such a reactionary era
because it was so humble
I like people who aren’t humble
and like arrogant fellows even more
The more arrogant he is the more I respect him
And vice-versa: the more humble he is
the more it makes me look down on him
Even though I know he has
humility
Today
my son said
“People should be humble.”
This is what his teacher taught him
I didn’t say a word
I thought, “You’re still young,
wait till you get older.
After you can think for yourself,
the first thing I want you to do is
not be humble.”
To not be humble, you need arrogance
and to be arrogant, you don’t need humility
Of course if you say you can when you really can’t
you will suffer the bigger loss
But this already has nothing to do with humility
© 2007, d dayton
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