Текст песни The Highest Virtue - Akira the Don , Alan Watts

Lao Tzu the Chinese philosopher said
The highest virtue is not virtue
And therefore really is virtue
But inferior virtue cannot let go of being virtue
And therefore is not virtue
Translated in more of a periphrastic way

The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore really is virtue
The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore really is virtue
Lower virtue is so self conscious
That it is not virtue
That it is not virtue
Lower virtue is so self conscious
That it is not virtue
That it is not virtue

In other words
When you breathe
You don't congratulate yourself on being virtuous
But breathing is a great virtue
It's living
It's living
When you come out with beautiful eyes
Blue or brown or green
As the case may be
You don't congratulate yourself
For having grown some of the most fabulous jewels on earth
They're just eyes
You don't account it a virtue
To see?
To entertain the miracles of color and form?
You say, well, that's just
But that's real virtue!
Real virtue!
Real virtue!
Real virtue!

The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore really is virtue
The highest virtue is not conscious of itself as virtue
And therefore really is virtue
Lower virtue is so self conscious
That it is not virtue
That it is not virtue
Lower virtue is so self conscious
That it is not virtue
That it is not virtue
Real Virtue

Virtue in the old sense of the word as strength
As when we talk about the healing virtue of a plant
That's real virtue
But the other virtues are stuck on
They're air farts
They're imitation virtues
And they usually create trouble
Because more diabolical things are done in the name of righteousness
And be assured that everybody
Of whatever nationality or political frame of mind or religion
Always goes to war with a sense of complete rightness
The other side is the devil
Our opponents
Whether in China, or Russia, or Vietnam
Have the same feeling of righteousness
About what they're doing as we have on our side
And a plague on both houses
Because as Confucius said
The goodie goodies are the thieves of virtue
The goodie goodies are the thieves of virtue
The goodie goodies are the thieves of virtue
The goodie goodies are the thieves of virtue

Which is a form of our own proverb
The road to hell
Is paved
With good intentions