The Disciple
Prof. Pedro Antonio Dourado de Rezende
Department of Computer Cience
University of Brasília, Brasil
Nov 29, 2001
In a public cerimony at the Brazilian Supreme Court on November 27, 2001, Brazil's President Fernando Henrique Cardoso declared: [Translated by author]: "If a person is not able to produce, poor fellow, will be a professor. Then, anguish settles in: if he will have a name in town, or rather, teach classes for the rest of his life, repeating what others do"
The president deserves an answer. The answer he gets from the author (below, in portuguese) is inspired by verses from Rudyard Kipling, further below
OUTRA ANGÚSTIA
O sacerdócio do saber enobrece o espírito,
mais do que loas à vaidade ou cobiça.
Engrandece qualquer geração futura,mais que a multiplicagem da dívida pública.
Entre oferecê-las, anônimo, minha premissa,
ou produzi-las, famoso, uma tal escravatura,a angústia que paira é a da sabichã empáfia
que danos causa a quem sustem, e a toda liça.
Doença de mosca azul nos orgulhosos de vã altura. (revisada em 01/08/2003)
THE DISCIPLE
Rudyard Kipling
Reprinted Nov 14, 2001 from Politech
Subject: Rudyard Kipling, the Objectivist Center & NationalIDs
From: Declan McCullagh, archived at www.politechbot.com
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 16:06:21 -0400He that hath a Gospel
To loose upon Mankind,
Though he serve it utterly--
Body, soul and mind--
Though he go to Calvary
Daily for its gain--
It is His Disciple
Shall make his labour vain.He that hath a Gospel
For all earth to own--
Though he etch it on the steel,
Or carve it on the stone--
Not to be misdoubted
Through the after-days--
It is His Disciple
Shall read it many ways.It is His Disciple
(Ere Those Bones are dust )
Who shall change the Charter,
Who shall split the Trust--
Amplify distinctions,
Rationalize the Claim;
Preaching that the Master
Would have done the same.It is His Disciple
Who shall tell us how
Much the Master would have scrapped
Had he lived till now--
What he would have modified
Of what he said before.
It is His Disciple
Shall do this and more....He that hath a Gospel
Whereby Heaven is won
( Carpenter, or cameleer,
Or Maya's dreaming son ),
Many swords shell pierce Him,
Mingling blood with gall;
But His Own Disciple
Shall wound Him worst of all!