The old man and the white hair

[Yoon-Ngan Chung <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

Dear Hakka Friends, 

I know this has nothing to do with Hakkalogy.
However, this could be the problem that some of you
are facing every day.

   The old man and the white hair

The old man:
                    White hair, white hair!
                    You grow on the side of my head,
                    You spoil my appearance.
                    Your existence will affect                
                    My advancement and my future.
                    I want to use the twister to pull you off.

The white hair:  
                    My fate is so unfortunate
                    For being born at your old age!  
                    I was born white.
                    Every day when you saw me in the mirror  
                    You hated me.
                    I was born in the morning and
                    You pulled me off in the evening.
                    What guilt do I have?
                    Why do you loath me so much?
                    Have mercy on me.
                    And do not pull me off.
 
The old man:

                   White hair, white hair!
                   You don't know the fashion of the world.
                   Who doesn't esteem vanity in this society?
                   Old men are sometime considered as too old 
                   to do anything.
                   The talents are from the young men.  
                   Gan Luo became the assistant of Lu Bu Wei (*) 
                   At the age of only twelve.
                   Gu Yi (**), who was only twenty years old, was
                   appointed as a doctor of philosophy by Emperor Wen. 
                   Whenever I want to pull you off from my head 
                   I will pull you off, as I have the prerogative.
The white hair:
                   Whenever you pull me I feel the pain!
                   Don't you understand that I am the victim.
                   It was not due to his black hair that Gan Luo became
                   the assistant to Lu Bu Wei, but his talent.
                   Gu Yi was famous and respectful, not because of his
                   black hair but his erudition.
                   Ancient people said, "Must use old and expierenced men 
                                       to run the Government".
                   The Zhou Dynasty (***) became peaceful and properous 
                   after King Wu engagged Jiang Tai Gong         
                   to administer his Government.
                   The politics of the Han Dynasty (****) became frank and 
                   straight forward only after the four old wisemen from
                   Shang Shan had reformed the Han administration.  
                   Why you want to get rid of me so that you could obtain
                   your vainglory?

The old man:

                   White hair, white hair!
                   Although what you said were correct,
                   Yet you know not that time has changed.
                   People, nowadays, employ old men not.
                   To the retiring villages are all the old men 
                   with plenty of white hair gone.
                   I have to pull you off.
The white hair:
                   Whenever you pull me I feel the pain.
                   Skin and hair share the same vein.
                   By doing so you have made the skin and I to go 
                   our separate ways.


(*) Prime minister of the state of Qin from 249BC to 237BC.
(**) 200BC to 168BC.
(***) 1135BC to 256BC.
(****) 206BC to 220AD.

Zuo Si (Jin Dynasty 265AD to 420AD)
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.   chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au