S2E3 - The Captain /Shaping Wood The Agile Tao

This time, two poems from part 2 

- We talked about the role of a leader. what makes a leader one?

- We also talked about the constant attention required from a craftsperson of any kind to attend to its material.

Here are the poems, hope you enjoy them!

And a special thanks to Hekselman, Klampanis & Ravitz for the beautiful music I never get tired of.





29. The Captain (xxvi) 

A great captain tirelessly guides his ship at sea 

So that, safe in port, he may lose it in sleep. 



So calm is the master of haste 

And care the path to ease. 

The captain of a great ship 

Does not treat it like a pleasure boat 

Acting carelessly or hastily. 

Without care he loses his bearings at sea; 

Without calm he loses the trust of the crew. 



The great captain doesn’t lead his ship like a jade figurehead 

But steadies her like a stone keel.







Shaping Wood (xxvii) 

A great explorer leaves no trail unmapped; 

A great teacher no question unanswered; 

A great detective no fact unexplained; 

A great watchman no threat unchecked; 

A great tailor no thread unravelled. 



So the agile account for everyone 

And neglect no one. 

Accepting all, neglecting none, 

They account for the weakest. 



The strong must guide the weak 

For the weak are the source of their strength. 

If the strong are careless and neglect the weak, 

Chaos results no matter how clever they are. 



This is their method of adaptation: 

As wood is shaped, it becomes a tool; 

As a person is served, they become a servant; 

So a great carpenter leaves no wood uncarved.




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