O Socrates, his wisdom great, was standing by a brook
I saw him there, his mind elsewhere, just like in Plato’s book
Encouraged by his seeming still, I step’d forth to stand by him
I asked him where his mind had gone, he said “you watch as I swim”
[CHORUS]
O Socrates, in your wisdom fine
You have set forth such a simile divine
O Socrates
O Socrates
O Socrates, in your wisdom fine
My furrow’d brow was evidence of how much I did ponder
At what this wise old man had meant when he had spoken yonder
He said I watched him as he swam, and then he watched the birds
What sort of allegory was enshrouded in his words?
I asked him if his statement was a metaphor for life
His swimming was his teaching, and the river was his strife
Perhaps I was to watch him and to learn from his mistakes
And one day I would swim with him within enlightened lakes
[CHORUS]
He smiled and shook his head, He hadn’t meant that metaphor
And so I closed my eyes and thought, and then I thought some more
I’d clearly thought too simple, and invoked Socrates’ mirth
Perhaps it was a metaphor for seeing his rebirth
I put to him my thoughts and asked if he’d meant renaissance
He laughed at me and smiled, and he did a little dance
“It was not metaphor” said he, “on life, or birth, or God.”
He said “I meant it literal” and turned into a cod
[CHORUS]
I watched as Socrates the cod went swimming in the creek
No words came from his fishy mouth, no wisdom did I seek
His words had manifested, he was swimming while I watched
Deflated, I had had my quest for wisdom quashed
[CHORUS]
