天ぷら職人の哲学への頌歌(英語、和訳はWIP)

https://youtu.be/uVEHF5b89C4

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老子曰く水は世界の「非常道」と言う真理であり、「道」という真実のは、こいつが愛知らずの頓痴気クソジジであり、愛する勇気はない間抜けだからだ。「愛」は「愛」というのは、これは「非常愛」。少しヨーロピアン臭い、西洋の哲学や詩にいるものになるかもしれない。その元は確かにプロヴァンスの騎士詩人が作った「gai saber」---gay science or joyful wisdomcraft---つまり「快楽な匠」という、詩と哲学に始め、科学・美術・工芸・職業、政治、農業、主婦業、泥棒業、恋業、夫婦業、与太業、悪ガキ業ーーーこの世に一切の業の修業と渡世を肯定し、愛を愛する「愛」。それはこの世でもっとも強い「力」であり、この世の一切の真実、この宇宙を構成する単体のサブスタンスーーー単子（Monad)でありまう。
でも心配しないで、それは完全の洋物ではない。東の国ではその概念もとくに知っています、ただ西の国では単にそれを書き記しただけだ。特に東の国意地悪い子供たちがその哲学に対して西にいる詩人と哲学者よりずっと詳しい。「私が生きている、生きて生きるのため、生き続ける」という簡単な言葉です。それは「悲しみとどうしようもない事があるでも、全力の命を諦めない」のは心だ。
もし貴方は本気で生きて、本気で生きる事を愛しているのなら。本気で恋をしているなら。その油に隠された真理を認めるはずだ。
油は唯一無二の原子であり、単子でもあり、人の命そのものでもある。
油は「道・タオ」に勝つ、嬉しい水。或いは「快楽な道」だ。悲しいの時に笑顔を作るの意味ではなく、泣いて泣いて泣きまくって、その涙が窒息しそうな程に泣く。その後その涙を拭いて、悲観のままで、悲劇の中で、再び完璧な、純潔な、絶対叶えてみせるの決心でまた悲恋を求める、その失恋もを永遠に忘れないままに。勇気だーー勇気よーーー人として楽しく生きる勇気ですよ！妥協するな。悪ガキになれ。遊んで、戦え！少年は金色の鬣を持つ獅子だ！

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Ode to the philosophy of a Tempura Chef

I admire this man. He is truly wise and joyfully wise!
I am used to philosophy being alike to water---
it cuts but never cuts, it bears but never accepts----
cold, cold philosophy, trying to please the implacable truth!
but this man knows better,
and invents a philosophy that is more oily than water!
still permeating, permitting but resisting the great flow of history it still flows----
currents and undercurrents.
but unlike water that is cold and speaks sad wise words,
this man's soul is like oil that in most cavalier mood laughs and cracks---
laughs and cracks, and crackles---from all the joys in the universe!
it is also patient and calm, but it does not smart by being smart---
most gentle---most caressing like all caressing silk but it sticks!
sticky stick that envelopes and enforms, but never changing itself---
it coats!
and it is smooth and smooth-talking, gentleman, gentle-man...
with flour or flowery powder of grains gold---
it holds--it builds--it sculpts!
and when the stove is turned off he wisely turns to his room
to read newspaper, listening to TV and the birds chirping outside the window--
-it cools but is still happy and mercurial! thinking! never cold!
and when the morn comes when it is time to start and play,
it moulds itself most in beautiful geometry----dimensionally---all-encompassingly
by rejecting all things hard and mathematical!
to the carved and sliced innards that show the inmost truths of all manners of beasts and fowls,
even the inmost heart and feelings of vegetables and tree leaves!
the truth is bare but it lacks flavour--- it lacks taste--- and so he creates it!
let the raw and bloodily rendered flesh of all ugly philosophical truths not so to the taste being hospitable--
-like it is living and being exposed of one's life in a teaching hospital!
and the taste is combined when he cracks an egg--this is as bold as a wise and daring Columbus,
some salt from the sea's tears. sea's blissful tears for having massaged her with oil so tenderly.
and leisurely he pours it from high with an artful swish
----into the oil!
the all-accepting, gently mellow
yet mysteriously passionate oil!
and mix it
with so much music-
wise eggs into oil with wise music-
happy tears mixing and dissolving into the golden ocean
then with such wonderfully rhythmic and gracefully spry
beat it beats like beating on a drum made of
flowing, flowing translucent and milk-spotted jade
the jade of mutton tallow
(yang zhi yu 羊脂玉, the most preciously noble jade!
and mutton tallow--- also a kind of soap--
and so it cleans up the blood and gore
to make clean, cleanly cut jewel-meat!
oil! oil glistening and marbled from fresh and warm meat
washes away the stinky and unwholesome meaty oil!)-
-evenmoreso it beats on it so and so,
that the meat becomes so relaxed and bouncy-
-joyful, greasily joyful and bouncy!
even when times had come
to try the worth of oil's resplendent wit in the crucible of fire--
-it does not whine and cry like boiling and evaporating water-
--it cracks and crackles-
--it sings a ditty and a lovesong
--of a love so deep and profound in the oil
--that it is rosily sibilant---that it cooks with love's heat!

As the earth was tossed into existence from a big cooling rock
---and rain fell and trees grew close to the water.
and beasts and fowes in all manner came to live,
and then born were herbs and vegetation.
but the primal Man, having barely learnt to stand, is very sad.
for there are so many wonderful things in the world.
but he is very hungry and does not know how to eat.
and then from a secret star hidden, stalking and dancing unpretentiously behind the moon-- from its thinly veiled arcane beam
when it peeps from the moon's shy giggling face,
a genie of most aetherial oil descends,
carrying a moonily glowing silver lamp
that overflows with tallow wet and soppy
which is made of the fierily burning,
the secret aureate starstuff,
says he to Man: what is your woe, my good man?
and Man says: I don't know how to eat.
and the genie says: good fortune to you!
I am oil and I know how to make happy songs
to the beasts and fowls,
fishes in the deep deep ocean,
herbs without a name,
wild plants that carry secretly juicy fruits,
and even some leaves that can understand the song,
the song of joyful oil!
and so he sings and the world listens,
and the world crackles with joy!
and he then opens the lid of his lamp and the tallow flows
--- like a joyfully golden starry ocean that shall run its course
to every corner of the earth
and find wise creatures and plants
to teach Man how to eat.
The joyful, joyful procession, running, leaping
on top of the surf of the greasy, golden and fatty tallow
-having heard and been joyfully chasing the song--
all beasts and fowls and fishes and fruits and plants
ran and jumped happily into the lantern so old and wise and cheerfully balmy, with their own humming of the song---- the song!---
then it pours-and louder and louder are the notes---sizzling, sizzling singing notes!
of all flesh and meat that shall be turned golden and delectable, pouring down on the earth!
- deliciously eternal!
-and Man hurriedly extends his hand to catch the uncatchable flow
--- and so that he catches it and it becomes
---- a bowl of Tempura Rice!

This man has made eating--- such a cruel and base thing-- into something that is beautiful while still carrying the pain of living the daily life and living through history--- it is most meaningful, and it is the affirmation of food and eating food. I am very proud to be able to write a poem dedicated to him.