An English Translation of the Ode to the Wren Written by Zhang Hua and the Thought on the Usefulness of Uselessness

Abstract

The author uses the wren as a metaphor to express thinking on the usefulness of uselessness. Anything that can satisfy people's desires and needs is deemed useful, whereas anything that fails to meet these criteria is deemed useless. Through comparing the divergent destinies of "useful things" and "useless things", it is widely understood that the former serves a practical purpose while the latter does not. While "usefulness" fulfills specific needs of society, it also carries the potential to bring harm to themselves. In contrast, "uselessness" frees both individuals and objects from being valuable tools, enabling them to exist safely and fulfill their inherent potential through their very "uselessness".