理髮廳太太的先生

大學附近有家理髮廳.
理個頭髮只要兩百塊.
每次我去剪頭髮,
理髮廳太太的先生
總是躺在我隔壁的椅子
看著電視,
有時到外面抽煙.

他的太太總是很有善.
理髮的技術也不錯,
其實她很拿手.
排隊的人也很多.

一位父親帶著
小帥哥子來理髮,
以後就輪到我.
"好可愛的小朋友,"我對她說.
"他也很聰明,跟你一樣"她回答.

理髮先生回來,
又躺回坐椅,看電視,
然後睡覺.

剪完了以後,我回校園,笑著.

跟發生在很九一前的一個日本禪故事一樣,
我終於找到心中理想的老師.

The Haircutter's Husband

Near my university
there's a barbershop.
You can get your hair cut there
for about six bucks.

Everytime I go there,
the haircutter's husband
is always lying down
on the barbershop chair next to me,
watching television.
Sometimes he goes out to smoke a cigarette.

His wife is always very friendly
And her haircuts aren't half-bad either.
Actually, she does a pretty good job,
and people are always lined up waiting.

A father brings his handsome boy in
for a haircut, and then it's my turn.

"What a cute kid," I tell the haircutter as she starts to cut.
"He's also quite smart, just like you, I'm sure," she replies.

Her husband returns, lies back down on his chair,
watches the news, and then falls asleep.

After my haircut is done,
I head back to campus, smiling.

Just like in the old Zen stories,
I've finally found my teacher.

(written by: Ron Elkayam; translation from the Chinese by: Ron Elkayam; typist: Ron Elkayam; computer consultant: Ron Elkayam; Additional research by: Ron Elkayam; Proofreading by: the amazing Jen-Shun Chen, doctoral candidate, department of Philosophy and Haircuts, NCCU)