369–286 BCE
The Joy of Fishes
Chuang Tzu and Hui Tzu
Were crossing Hao river
By the dam.
Chuang said:
“See how free
The fishes leap and dart:
That is their happiness.”
Hui replied:
“Since you are not a fish
How do you know
What makes fishes happy?”
Chuang said:
“Since you are not I
How can you possibly know
That I do not know
What makes fishes happy?”
Hui argued:
“If I, not being you,
Cannot know what you know
It follows that you
Not being a fish
Cannot know what they know.”
Chuang said:
“Wait a minute!
Let us get back
To the original question.
What you asked me was
‘How do you know
What makes fishes happy?’
From the terms of your question
You evidently know I know
What makes fishes happy.
“I know the joy of fishes
In the river
Through my own joy, as I go walking
Along the same river.”
Translated from the Chinese by Thomas Merton.