Dao De Jing (道德經)

道可道，非常道，名可名，非常名；

The Dao that can be spoken is not the constant Dao; the name that can be named is not the constant name. (Dao is a word Laozi borrows to refer to the origin and manner of operation of all things; in itself it cannot be described.)

無名，天地之始，有名，萬物之母。

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of all things.

故常無欲，以觀其妙，

Therefore, always look from the standpoint of "non-being" to observe its subtlety,

常有欲，以觀其徼；

and always look from the standpoint of "being" to observe its boundaries.

此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。玄之又玄，眾妙之門。

These two come from the same source but have different names, and both may be called profound (deep and unfathomable). Profound upon profound: this is the gateway to all subtle transformations.

天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。皆知善之為善，斯不善已。故有無相生，難易相成，長短相較，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。

When everyone in the world knows beauty as beauty, the notion of ugliness comes along with it; when everyone knows good as good, the notion of not-good comes along with it. Thus being and non-being give rise to each other, difficult and easy complete each other, long and short define each other, high and low lean on each other, tone and sound harmonize with each other, before and after follow each other.

是以聖人處無為之事，

Therefore the sage handles affairs entirely through non-action (wuwei: not forcing things by subjective will, letting things run according to their own nature, not doing nothing at all),

行不言之教；萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有，為而不恃，

and carries out teaching without words. All things arise and grow, and he does not interfere; he gives life to them without possessing them, acts without relying on his own ability,

功成而弗居。

and when his work is accomplished, he does not claim credit.

夫唯弗居，是以不去。

Precisely because he does not claim credit, his merit never leaves him.

不尚賢，使民不爭；不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜；不見可欲，使民心不亂。

Do not exalt the worthy, so that the people do not contend; do not prize goods that are hard to obtain, so that the people do not become thieves; do not display what arouses desire, so that the people's hearts are not disturbed.

是以聖人之治，虛其心，實其腹，

Therefore, in governing, the sage empties the people's minds and fills their bellies,

弱其志，強其骨。

softens their ambitions and strengthens their bones.

常使民無知無欲。

He keeps the people always free of cunning schemes and free of excess desires,

使夫智者不敢為也。

and makes those who think themselves clever dare not act recklessly.

為無為，則無不治。

When one acts through non-action, there is nothing that is not well governed.

道沖而用之或不盈，淵兮似萬物之宗；挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵，湛兮似或存。吾不知誰之子，象帝之先。

The Dao is empty, yet no matter how it is used it is never filled; how deep it is, like the ancestor of all things. It blunts sharp edges, unties tangles, softens the glare and merges with the dust; how hidden it is, seeming to exist and yet not to exist. I do not know whose offspring it is; it seems to have come before the Lord of Heaven.

天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗；

Heaven and earth are not partial; they treat all things as straw dogs used in sacrifice, letting them live and die of themselves;

聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。

the sage too is not partial; he treats the people as straw dogs, letting them live and multiply naturally.

天地之間，其猶橐籥乎？虛而不屈，動而愈出。

Is not the space between heaven and earth like a bellows? It is empty within yet never exhausted; the more it is worked, the more wind comes out.

多言數窮，不如守中。

Too many decrees only hasten ruin; better to hold fast to emptiness and stillness.

谷神不死，是謂玄牝。玄牝之門，是謂天地根。緜緜若存，用之不勤。

The valley spirit never dies; this is called the mysterious female (the valley spirit and the mysterious female both figure that which is empty yet gives birth to all things). The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of heaven and earth. Continuous and unbroken, it seems to exist; use it, and it is never exhausted.

天長地久。天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，

Heaven is long-lasting and earth enduring. The reason heaven and earth can last long is that they do not live for themselves,

故能長生。是以聖人後其身而身先；外其身而身存。非以其無私邪，故能成其私。

and so they can live long. Therefore the sage puts himself last and yet comes first; he sets himself outside and yet is preserved. Is it not because he has no self-interest? That is why he is able to fulfill himself.

上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭，處眾人之所惡，

The highest good is like water. Water is good at benefiting all things without contending with them, and it settles in the low places that everyone dislikes,

故幾於道。

and so it is closest to the Dao.

居善地，心善淵，與善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，動善時。夫唯不爭，故無尤。

In dwelling, be good at choosing the place; in mind, be good at depth and stillness; in giving, be good at kindness; in speech, be good at keeping faith; in government, be good at order; in affairs, be good at using ability; in action, be good at timing. Precisely because one does not contend, one is free of fault.

持而盈之，不如其已；

To hold a basin filled to the brim and still try to add more is not as good as stopping in time;

揣而梲之，不可長保。

a blade hammered sharp and keen will not keep its edge for long.

金玉滿堂，莫之能守；

When gold and jade fill the hall, no one can guard them;

富貴而驕，自遺其咎。

to become rich and noble and then grow arrogant is to leave calamity for oneself.

功遂身退，天之道。

When the work is done, withdraw: this is the way of heaven.

載營魄抱一，能無離乎？

Can you hold the spirit-soul and bodily soul together in one embrace, without letting them separate?

專氣致柔，能嬰兒乎？

Can you concentrate your vital energy (qi, the flowing substance that makes up and runs through all things) until it is soft and yielding, like an infant?

滌除玄覽，能無疵乎？

Can you cleanse the stray thoughts from your mind and contemplate the profound, without a single flaw?

愛國治民，能無知乎？

Can you love the state and govern the people without using cunning? (The source text reads "love the state and govern the people," while the standard Wang Bi edition reads "love the people and govern the state," with the two words reversed; here the source text is translated as it stands, without changing the wording to match the standard edition.)

天門開闔，能為雌乎？

When the gates of heaven open and close, can you keep to the female, the soft?

明白四達，能無為乎？

Can you understand and penetrate in all directions without using cleverness?

生之，

Give birth to all things,

畜之。

and nurture all things.

生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰，是謂玄德。

Give birth without possessing, act without relying on one's ability, lead without ruling over: this is called profound virtue (virtue here means the capacity that the Dao shows when embodied in concrete things, not virtue in the ethical sense).

三十輻共一轂，當其無，有車之用。

Thirty spokes share one hub; precisely because the center is empty, there is the use of the cart.

埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。故有之以為利，無之以為用。

Clay is shaped into a vessel; precisely because the center is empty, there is the use of the vessel. Doors and windows are cut out to make a room; precisely because the center is empty, there is the use of the room. Therefore "being" provides the benefit, but it is "non-being" that does the real work.

五色令人目盲，五音令人耳聾，五味令人口爽，馳騁畋獵令人心發狂，

The five colors blind a person's eyes, the five tones deafen a person's ears, the five flavors dull a person's palate, galloping and hunting make a person's mind wild,

難得之貨令人行妨。

and goods that are hard to obtain lead a person's conduct astray.

是以聖人為腹不為目，故去彼取此。

Therefore the sage seeks only to fill his belly and not the pleasures of the eye; he rejects the one and chooses the other.

寵辱若驚，貴大患若身。何謂寵辱若驚？寵為下，得之若驚，失之若驚，是謂寵辱若驚。

Favor and disgrace both bring alarm, and great misfortune is valued as one's own body. What does it mean that favor and disgrace bring alarm? Favor is something lowly: getting it brings alarm, and losing it brings alarm; this is what is meant by favor and disgrace bringing alarm.

何謂貴大患若身？

What does it mean to value great misfortune as one's own body?

吾所以有大患者，為吾有身，

The reason I have great misfortune is that I have this body;

及吾無身，

when I no longer have this body,

吾有何患？故貴以身為天下，若可寄天下；

what misfortune could I have? Therefore, one who values his own person as he values the world may be entrusted with the world;

愛以身為天下，若可託天下。

one who cherishes his own person as he cherishes the world may be given charge of the world.

視之不見名曰夷，聽之不聞名曰希，搏之不得名曰微。此三者，不可致詰，故混而為一。

Look for it and you cannot see it: it is called the formless (yi); listen for it and you cannot hear it: it is called the soundless (xi); reach for it and you cannot grasp it: it is called the subtle (wei). These three cannot be pursued to the end; they are originally blended together as one.

其上不皦，其下不昧。繩繩不可名，復歸於無物。是謂無狀之狀，無物之象，

Above, it is not bright; below, it is not dark. Unbroken, it cannot be named, and in the end it returns again to the state of having no form. This is called the shape of the shapeless, the image of the thing-less,

是謂惚恍。

and is also called the indistinct and vague.

迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。執古之道，以御今之有。

Meet it and you cannot see its head; follow it and you cannot see its tail. Hold fast to the Dao of antiquity to manage the things of the present,

能知古始，是謂道紀。

and you can know the primordial beginning; this is called the thread of the Dao.

古之善為士者，微妙玄通，深不可識。夫唯不可識，故強為之容。豫焉若冬涉川，

In ancient times those who were good at practicing the Dao were subtle, profound and penetrating, so deep that they could not be fathomed. Precisely because they could not be fathomed, I can only reluctantly describe them: cautious, like crossing a river in winter;

猶兮若畏四鄰，

alert, like guarding against the prying of neighbors on all sides;

儼兮其若容，渙兮若冰之將釋，敦兮其若樸，曠兮其若谷，混兮其若濁。

dignified, like a guest; yielding, like ice about to melt; sincere and simple, like uncarved wood (pu: wood not yet worked, a figure for the original state not yet carved by human artifice); open, like a deep valley; murky, like muddy water not yet cleared.

孰能濁以靜之徐清？孰能安以久動之徐生？

Who can be still in the midst of the murk and let it slowly clear? Who can stir in the midst of calm and let life slowly emerge?

保此道者不欲盈，

One who keeps this Dao does not seek to be full,

夫唯不盈，故能蔽不新成。

and precisely because he does not seek to be full, he is able to preserve what is old and not rush to complete anything.

致虛極，守靜篤。

Attain utmost emptiness; hold firmly to stillness.

萬物並作，吾以觀復。

All things grow together, and from them I watch their cycle of return.

夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命。復命曰常，

Things flourish in multitudes, and each returns again to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to one's destiny. Returning to one's destiny is called the constant,

知常曰明。不知常，妄作兇。

and knowing the constant is called enlightenment. Not knowing the constant and acting recklessly leads to disaster.

知常容，

Knowing the constant, one can be all-embracing;

容乃公，

being all-embracing, one can be impartial;

公乃全，

being impartial, one can be complete;

全乃天，

being complete, one accords with heaven;

天乃道，

according with heaven, one accords with the Dao;

道乃久，

according with the Dao, one can last long,

沒身不殆。

and for one's whole life will be free of danger.

太上，下知有之，

With the best ruler, the people only know that he exists;

其次，親而譽之，

with the next best, the people love and praise him;

其次，畏之，

with the next, the people fear him;

其次，侮之。

with the worst, the people despise him.

信不足焉，有不信焉。

When the ruler's good faith is insufficient, the people naturally do not trust him.

悠兮其貴言，功成事遂，百姓皆謂：我自然。

The best ruler is relaxed and at ease and rarely issues commands; when his work is done and affairs are accomplished, the people all say: we are just as we were meant to be. (Ziran: being so of oneself, as one originally is; not "nature" in the sense of the natural world.)

大道廢，有仁義；

When the great Dao is abandoned, then there is talk of humaneness and righteousness;

智慧出，有大偽；

when cleverness appears, then there is great hypocrisy;

六親不和，有孝慈；國家昏亂，有忠臣。

when the six family relations are not in harmony, then filial piety and kindness are displayed; when the state is in chaos, then loyal ministers are displayed.

絕聖棄智，民利百倍；絕仁棄義，民復孝慈；絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。此三者以為文不足，故令有所屬﹕見素抱樸，少私寡慾。

Cut off so-called sageliness and cast aside so-called wisdom, and the people will benefit a hundredfold; cut off so-called humaneness and cast aside so-called righteousness, and the people will return to filial piety and kindness; cut off cunning and cast aside profit, and thieves and robbers will disappear. These three statements are still not enough, so people must be given something to adhere to: show your plain nature, embrace the simplicity of uncarved wood, reduce selfishness and lessen desires.

絕學無憂，唯之與阿，相去幾何？善之與惡，相去若何？人之所畏，不可不畏。

Cut off that kind of learning and you will have no worries. How much difference is there between a polite assent and a scornful rebuke? How great is the difference between beautiful and ugly? What others fear, I cannot but fear as well.

荒兮其未央哉﹗

How vast and boundless, the distinctions between these have no end!

眾人熙熙，如享太牢，如春登臺。

The multitudes bustle merrily, as though enjoying the grand feast of the supreme sacrifice, as though climbing a terrace to look out in spring.

我獨泊兮其未兆，如嬰兒之未孩；

I alone am calm and quiet, without a sign of movement, like an infant who has not yet learned to smile;

儽儽兮若無所歸。

weary and drained, like one with no home to return to.

眾人皆有餘，而我獨若遺。

Everyone has more than enough; I alone seem to have lost something.

我愚人之心也哉﹗

Mine is truly the mind of a fool!

沌沌兮，

Muddled and confused,

俗人昭昭，

ordinary people are all so bright and clear,

我獨昏昏。俗人察察，

while I alone am dim and obscure. Ordinary people are all so shrewd and discerning,

我獨悶悶。澹兮其若海，

while I alone am dull and bewildered. Calm, like the sea;

飂兮若無止。

drifting, like a high wind that never stops.

眾人皆有以，

Everyone has a set of skills,

而我獨頑似鄙。

while I alone am stubborn and dull, close to boorish.

我獨異於人，而貴食母。

I am just different from the multitudes; what I value is that I take my nourishment from the mother that gives birth to all things.

孔德之容，惟道是從。

The appearance of great virtue simply follows the Dao.

道之為物，惟恍惟惚。

As for the Dao, it is vague and indistinct.

惚兮恍兮，其中有象；恍兮惚兮，其中有物。

Indistinct and vague, yet within it there is an image; vague and indistinct, yet within it there is a thing.

窈兮冥兮，其中有精；

Deep and dim, yet within it there is an essence;

其精甚真，其中有信。

this essence is utterly real, and within it there is good faith that can be verified.

自今及古，其名不去，

From the present back to remote antiquity, its name has never gone away,

以閱眾甫。

and by it we can observe the beginning of all things.

吾何以知眾甫之狀哉？以此。

How do I know the condition of the beginning of all things? By this.

曲則全，

The bent is preserved whole,

枉則直，

the crooked becomes straight,

窪則盈，

the hollow becomes full,

敝則新，

the worn becomes new,

少則得，多則惑。

taking little brings gain, and taking much brings confusion.

是以聖人抱一為天下式。

Therefore the sage embraces the "One" as the standard for the world.

不自見故明，不自是故彰，不自伐故有功，不自矜故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。古之所謂曲則全者，豈虛言哉！誠全而歸之。

Not displaying himself, he is clear; not asserting himself, he is distinguished; not boasting, he has merit; not being proud, he lasts. Precisely because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him. What the ancients said, "the bent is preserved whole," is it empty talk? Truly, one is preserved whole and returns to the Dao.

希言自然。

To speak little is natural.

故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。孰為此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而況於人乎？

Therefore a violent wind cannot last a whole morning, and a downpour cannot last a whole day. Who makes them? Heaven and earth. If heaven and earth cannot make them last, how much less can people?

故從事於道者，道者同於道，

Therefore, one who follows the Dao: those who seek the Dao become one with the Dao,

德者同於德，

those who seek virtue become one with virtue,

失者同於失。

and those who seek loss become one with loss.

同於道者，道亦樂得之；同於德者，德亦樂得之；同於失者，失亦樂得之。

The Dao is glad to receive one who is one with the Dao; virtue is glad to receive one who is one with virtue; and loss is glad to receive one who is one with loss.

信不足焉，有不信焉。

When the ruler's good faith is insufficient, the people naturally do not trust him.

企者不立，

One who stands on tiptoe cannot stand firm,

跨者不行，自見者不明，自是者不彰，自伐者無功，自矜者不長。其在道也，曰餘食贅行。

and one who strides widely cannot go far. One who displays himself is not clear, one who asserts himself is not distinguished, one who boasts has no merit, and one who is proud does not last. From the standpoint of the Dao, these are called leftover food and useless growths.

物或惡之，故有道者不處。

Even things in the world loathe them, so one who has the Dao does not conduct himself in this way.

有物混成，先天地生。

There is a thing formed in an undifferentiated whole, existing before heaven and earth.

寂兮寥兮，獨立而不改，

Silent and empty, it stands alone and does not change,

周行而不殆，可以為天下母。

circulates everywhere without ceasing, and may be regarded as the mother of all things under heaven.

吾不知其名，

I do not know its name,

字之曰道，

so I give it the style "Dao,"

強為之名曰大。

and reluctantly give it the name "Great."

大曰逝，

Great means flowing onward without staying,

逝曰遠，遠曰反。

flowing onward means going far, and going far means returning to the origin.

故道大，天大，地大，王亦大。

Therefore the Dao is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the king is also great.

域中有四大，

Within the realm there are four great things,

而王居其一焉。

and the king occupies one of them.

人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。

Humans take their model from earth, earth takes its model from heaven, heaven takes its model from the Dao, and the Dao takes its model from its own natural state.

重為輕根，靜為躁君。

The heavy is the root of the light, and stillness is the master of agitation.

是以聖人終日行不離輜重。

Therefore the sage, traveling all day, never leaves the baggage cart.

雖有榮觀，燕處超然。

Though there are splendid sights to see, he remains calmly at ease and detached from them.

奈何萬乘之主，而以身輕天下？輕則失本，躁則失君。

Why should the lord of ten thousand chariots treat the world lightly for the sake of his own person? To be light is to lose the root, and to be agitated is to lose the mastery.

善行無轍跡，

One who is good at walking leaves no tracks or ruts,

善言無瑕讁；

one who is good at speaking leaves no flaws to be faulted;

善數不用籌策；

one who is good at reckoning uses no counting rods;

善閉無關楗而不可開，善結無繩約而不可解。

one who is good at closing uses no bolt, yet it cannot be opened; one who is good at binding uses no rope, yet it cannot be untied.

是以聖人常善救人，故無棄人；

Therefore the sage is always good at saving people, and so no one is cast aside;

常善救物，故無棄物，是謂襲明。故善人者，不善人之師；

he is always good at caring for things, and so nothing is cast aside; this is called following the light. Therefore the good person is the teacher of the not-good person,

不善人者，善人之資。

and the not-good person is the resource of the good person.

不貴其師，不愛其資，雖智大迷，

One who does not honor his teacher and does not cherish his resource, though he thinks himself clever, is greatly confused.

是謂要妙。

This is called the essential mystery.

知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿。為天下谿，常德不離，復歸於嬰兒。

Know the male, yet keep to the female, and be willing to be the stream of the world. Being the stream of the world, constant virtue will not leave you, and you return again to the state of the infant.

知其白，守其黑，為天下式。

Know the bright, yet keep to the dark, and be willing to be the model of the world.

為天下式，常德不忒，

Being the model of the world, constant virtue will not go astray,

復歸於無極。

and you return again to the boundless origin.

知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸於樸。

Know glory, yet keep to humiliation, and be willing to be the valley of the world. Being the valley of the world, constant virtue is then sufficient, and you return again to uncarved wood.

樸散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長，

When uncarved wood is broken up, it becomes vessels; the sage uses this principle and becomes the head of all officials.

故大制不割。

Therefore the best cutting does not carve things apart.

將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得已。天下神器，

One who wants to take the world and acts on it by force, I see that he will not succeed. The world is a sacred vessel,

不可為也，為者敗之，執者失之。

which cannot be acted on by force: one who acts by force will fail, and one who grasps at it will lose it.

故物或行或隨，或歔或吹。或強或羸，或挫或隳。是以聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。

Thus among things some go ahead and some follow, some breathe softly and some blow hard, some are strong and some weak, some are broken and some destroyed. Therefore the sage discards the extreme, discards the extravagant, and discards the excessive.

以道佐人主者，不以兵強天下。

One who assists the ruler by means of the Dao does not use military force to dominate the world.

其事好還。

The use of arms is apt to rebound upon oneself.

師之所處，荊棘生焉。大軍之後，必有凶年。

Where armies have camped, thorns and brambles grow; after great wars, there are always years of famine.

善有果而已，不敢以取強。

One who is good at using arms achieves the aim and stops, and does not dare use it to dominate.

果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿驕。

Achieve the aim without boasting, achieve the aim without bragging, achieve the aim without arrogance.

果而不得已，果而勿強。

Regard achieving the aim as something done out of necessity, and achieve it without domineering.

物壯則老，是謂不道，不道早已。

When things reach their prime they begin to age; this is called not being in accord with the Dao, and what is not in accord with the Dao soon comes to an end.

夫佳兵者，不祥之器，物或惡之，故有道者不處。君子居則貴左，用兵則貴右。兵者不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之，恬淡為上。勝而不美，而美之者，是樂殺人。夫樂殺人者，則不可以得志於天下矣。吉事尚左，凶事尚右。偏將軍居左，上將軍居右，言以喪禮處之。殺人之眾，以哀悲泣之，戰勝，以喪禮處之。

Sharp weapons are instruments of ill omen; even things in the world loathe them, so one who has the Dao does not rely on them. In peacetime the exemplary person honors the left; in using arms he honors the right. Weapons are instruments of ill omen, not the instruments of the exemplary person; he uses them only when there is no choice, and it is best to treat them with calm detachment. Victory is not a thing of beauty; to think it beautiful is to delight in killing. One who delights in killing cannot achieve his aims in the world. In auspicious affairs the left is honored, and in affairs of misfortune and mourning the right is honored; the deputy general stands on the left and the senior general stands on the right, which means that war is to be treated according to the rites of mourning. When many people have been killed, one should mourn them with grief; even after a victory, one should handle it according to the rites of mourning.

道常無名，樸雖小，天下莫能臣也。侯王若能守之，萬物將自賓。

The Dao is constantly nameless. Though uncarved wood is small, no one in the world can make it subservient. If lords and kings could hold to it, all things would come to submit of themselves.

天地相合，以降甘露，民莫之令而自均。

When the qi of heaven and earth unite, sweet dew falls; no one commands it, yet it spreads evenly of itself.

始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦將知止，知止所以不殆。

Once things began to be made, there were names; once names existed, one should know where to stop; knowing when to stop, one is free of danger.

譬道之在天下，猶川穀之於江海。

By way of analogy, the Dao's presence in the world is like the streams of the valleys flowing at last into the rivers and seas.

知人者智，自知者明。

To understand others is wisdom; to know oneself is enlightenment.

勝人者有力，自勝者強。

To overcome others takes strength; to overcome oneself is true power.

知足者富。

One who knows contentment is rich.

強行者有志。

One who presses on with effort has resolve.

不失其所者久。

One who does not lose his foundation lasts long.

死而不亡者壽。

One who dies yet whose spirit does not perish truly has longevity.

大道氾兮，其可左右。

The great Dao overflows and spreads out, reaching left and right, above and below.

萬物恃之而生而不辭，功成不名有。衣養萬物而不為主，常無欲，可名於小；

All things rely on it to grow and it does not refuse them; when its work is done, it does not claim the name. It nurtures all things without posing as their master, and is forever free of desire, so it may be called "small";

萬物歸焉而不為主，可名為大。

All things return to it, yet it does not claim to be their master, so it may also be called "great."

以其終不自為大，故能成其大。

Precisely because it never regards itself as great, it is able to accomplish its greatness.

執大象，天下往。

Hold fast to the image of the Great Way, and all the world will come to you.

往而不害，安平太。

They come and do not harm one another, and so there is peace, calm and ease.

樂與餌，過客止。道之出口，淡乎其無味，視之不足見，聽之不足聞，用之不足既。

Music and fine food make passersby stop; but when the Way is spoken aloud, it is bland and without flavor. Look at it and it cannot be seen, listen to it and it cannot be heard, yet use it and it is never used up.

將欲歙之，必固張之；將欲弱之，必固強之；將欲廢之，必固興之；將欲奪之，必固與之。是謂微明。

What is to be contracted must first be expanded; what is to be weakened must first be strengthened; what is to be abolished must first be raised up; what is to be taken must first be given. This is called subtle insight.

柔弱勝剛強。魚不可脫於淵，國之利器不可以示人。

The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong. Fish must not leave the deep pool, and the sharp instruments of a state must not be shown to others.

道常無為

The Way is constantly without action,

而無不為。

and yet there is nothing it does not accomplish.

侯王若能守之，萬物將自化。化而欲作，吾將鎮之以無名之樸。

If lords and kings can hold to it, the myriad things will transform of themselves. If desire arises in the midst of transformation, I will calm it with the nameless uncarved block.

無名之樸，夫亦將無欲。

The nameless uncarved block means letting people return to being without desire.

不欲以靜，天下將自定。

Without desire, returning to stillness, the world will settle of itself.

上德不德，是以有德；下德不失德，是以無德。上德無為而無以為，下德為之而有以為。上仁為之而無以為，上義為之而有以為。上禮為之而莫之應，則攘臂而扔之。故失道而後德，失德而後仁，失仁而後義，失義而後禮。夫禮者，忠信之薄，而亂之首。前識者，道之華，而愚之始。是以大丈夫處其厚，不居其薄；處其實，不居其華。故去彼取此。

A person of highest virtue does not presume on having virtue, and so truly has virtue; a person of lower virtue never lets go of virtue anywhere, and so has no virtue. A person of highest virtue acts without action and without intent to act; a person of lower virtue acts and has intent to act. A person of highest humaneness acts but without intent to act; a person of highest righteousness acts and has intent to act. A person of highest ritual propriety acts, but no one responds, and so he rolls up his sleeves and drags people along by force. Hence, when the Way is lost, there is virtue; when virtue is lost, there is humaneness; when humaneness is lost, there is righteousness; when righteousness is lost, there is ritual. Ritual is the thinning of loyalty and trustworthiness, and the beginning of disorder. What is called foresight is only the flower of the Way and the start of folly. Therefore the great person dwells in what is thick and not in what is thin; dwells in what is solid and not in what is showy. So he discards that and chooses this.

昔之得一者，

Those that from of old have attained the One:

天得一以清，地得一以寧，神得一以靈，谷得一以盈，萬物得一以生，侯王得一以為天下貞。其致之，

Heaven attained the One and became clear; earth attained the One and became settled; spirits attained the One and became numinous; valleys attained the One and became full; the myriad things attained the One and grew; lords and kings attained the One and became rulers of the world. Following this through,

天無以清將恐裂，

if heaven could not stay clear, it would split apart;

地無以寧將恐發，神無以靈將恐歇，谷無以盈將恐竭，萬物無以生將恐滅，侯王無以貴高將恐蹶。故貴以賤為本，高以下為基。是以侯王自稱孤﹑寡﹑不穀。此非以賤為本邪？非乎？故致數輿無輿，不欲琭琭如玉，珞珞如石。

if earth could not stay settled, it would give way; if spirits could not stay numinous, they would cease; if valleys could not stay full, they would run dry; if the myriad things could not keep growing, they would perish; if lords and kings could not keep their honor and eminence, they would fall. So the honorable takes the humble as its root, and the high takes the low as its foundation. That is why lords and kings call themselves "the Orphan," "the Lonely One" and "the Unworthy" (humble terms for a ruler). Is this not taking the humble as the root? Is it not? So to seek too much honor is to have no honor; do not wish to glitter like fine jade, but would rather be hard and plain like stone.

反者道之動，

Returning is the movement of the Way;

弱者道之用。

weakness is the function of the Way.

天下萬物生於有，有生於無。

The myriad things under heaven are born from being, and being is born from non-being.

上士聞道，勤而行之；

When a person of the highest capacity hears of the Way, he diligently puts it into practice;

中士聞道，若存若亡；下士聞道，大笑之。不笑不足以為道。故建言有之﹕

when a person of middling capacity hears of the Way, he half believes and half doubts, as if it were there and not there; when a person of the lowest capacity hears of the Way, he laughs loudly at it. If it were not laughed at by such people, it would not be the Way. Therefore the sayings established by the ancients include these:

明道若昧，

The bright Way seems dark;

進道若退，

the advancing Way seems to retreat;

夷道若纇，

the level Way seems rough;

上德若谷，

lofty virtue seems like a low valley;

大白若辱，

the purest white seems soiled;

廣德若不足，

broad virtue seems insufficient;

建德若偷，

firm virtue seems slack;

質真若渝，

plain and true seems muddied and changeable;

大方無隅，

the greatest square has no corners;

大器晚成，

the greatest vessel is the last to be completed;

大音希聲，

the greatest sound is hardly heard;

大象無形，

the greatest image has no form;

道隱無名。夫唯道，善貸且成。

the Way is hidden and has no name. Yet only the Way is good at giving and good at bringing all things to completion.

道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰而抱陽，沖氣以為和。人之所惡，唯孤﹑寡﹑不穀，而王公以為稱。故物或損之而益，或益之而損。

The Way gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to the myriad things. The myriad things carry yin on their backs and embrace yang, and the two qi surge against each other to form harmony. What people dislike are the names "the Orphan," "the Lonely One" and "the Unworthy," yet kings and lords take these as their own titles. Thus things are sometimes gained by being diminished, and sometimes lost by being increased.

人之所教，我亦教之。

What others teach, I also teach.

強梁者不得其死，吾將以為教父。

The violent and fierce do not come to a natural death; I will take this saying as the root of my teaching.

天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。

The softest thing in the world gallops through the hardest thing in the world.

無有入無間，吾是以知無為之有益。

That which has no form enters where there is no gap; from this I know the benefit of non-action.

不言之教，無為之益，天下希及之。

Teaching without words and the benefit of non-action: few in the world can attain them.

名與身孰親？

Fame or one's life: which is dearer?

身與貨孰多？

One's life or goods: which is worth more?

得與亡孰病？

Gain or loss: which is more harmful?

是故甚愛必大費，多藏必厚亡，

Therefore excessive love of things must lead to great expense, and hoarding much must lead to heavy loss.

知足不辱，知止不殆，可以長久。

One who knows contentment is not disgraced, and one who knows when to stop is not endangered; thus one can last long.

大成若缺，其用不弊。

The greatest completeness seems lacking, yet its use never wears out.

大盈若沖，其用不窮。

The greatest fullness seems empty, yet its use is never exhausted.

大直若屈，其用不居。

The greatest straightness seems bent, yet its use never stalls.

大巧若拙，其用不輟。

The greatest skill seems clumsy, yet its use never breaks off.

大辯若訥，其用不差。

The greatest eloquence seems tongue-tied, yet its use never errs.

躁勝寒，靜勝熱。清靜為天下正。

Brisk movement overcomes cold, and stillness overcomes heat. Purity and stillness are the proper way of the world.

天下有道，卻走馬以糞。

When the world has the Way, even swift war horses are sent back to the fields to haul manure carts.

天下無道，戎馬生於郊。

When the world lacks the Way, even pregnant mares give birth to colts in the fields of the battleground.

禍莫大於不知足；咎莫大於欲得。故知足之足，常足矣。

There is no calamity greater than not knowing contentment, and no fault greater than insatiable greed. So the contentment that comes from knowing contentment is lasting contentment.

不出戶，知天下；不闚牖，見天道。

Without going out the door, one can know the affairs of the world; without looking out the window, one can see the course of Heaven's Way.

其出彌遠，其知彌少。

The farther one goes out, the less one knows.

是以聖人不行而知，不見而名，

Therefore the sage knows without traveling, understands without seeing,

不為而成。

and accomplishes without forcing action.

為學日益，

In pursuit of learning, one gains day by day;

為道日損。

in pursuit of the Way, one loses day by day.

損之又損，以至於無為。無為而無不為。

Losing and losing again, until one reaches non-action. With non-action, there is nothing that is not done.

取天下常以無事，

To govern the world, one must always rely on not stirring up trouble;

及其有事，

once one deliberately stirs up trouble,

不足以取天下。

one is not fit to take the world.

聖人無常心，以百姓心為心。

The sage has no fixed private mind; he takes the minds of the people as his own.

善者，吾善之；不善者，吾亦善之，

To the good I am good; to the not good I am also good,

德善。

and thus true goodness is attained.

信者，吾信之；不信者，吾亦信之，德信。聖人在天下歙歙，為天下渾其心，

To the trustworthy I am trusting; to the untrustworthy I am also trusting, and thus true trust is attained. The sage in the world draws in his own desires, and for the world blends his mind into one.

百姓皆注其耳目,

The people all fix their attention on their own ears and eyes,

聖人皆孩之。

but the sage treats them all as infants.

出生入死。

Coming out into life and going into death.

生之徒，十有三；死之徒，十有三；人之生，動之死地，亦十有三。夫何故？以其生生之厚。蓋聞善攝生者，陸行不遇兕虎，入軍不被甲兵；兕無所投其角，虎無所措其爪，兵無所容其刃。夫何故？以其無死地。

Three in ten are followers of life; three in ten are followers of death; and three in ten could have lived but through reckless action move themselves into the place of death. Why is this? Because they nourish life too richly. I have heard that one who is good at preserving life will not meet rhinoceros or tiger when walking on land, and when entering an army need not wear armor or carry weapons; the rhinoceros has nowhere to thrust its horn, the tiger nowhere to sink its claws, and the weapon nowhere to lodge its blade. Why is this? Because in him there is no place of death.

道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。

The Way gives birth to the myriad things, virtue nurtures them, matter gives them form, and circumstance brings them to maturity.

是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。

Therefore among the myriad things there are none that do not honor the Way and value virtue.

道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命而常自然。

The Way is honored and virtue valued without anyone commanding it; it is simply so of itself.

故道生之，德畜之。長之育之，亭之毒之，蓋之覆之。

So the Way gives birth to things and virtue nurtures them: making them grow and develop, ripen and bear fruit, and be sheltered and protected.

生而不有，為而不恃，

It gives birth without possessing, acts without presuming on its ability,

長而不宰。是謂玄德。

leads without ruling; this is called Mysterious Virtue.

天下有始，以為天下母。

The world has a beginning, which may be regarded as the mother of the world.

既得其母，以知其子，既知其子，復守其母，沒身不殆。

Having found the mother, one can thereby know her children; having known the children, one returns to hold fast to the mother, and to the end of one's life is free from danger.

塞其兌，閉其門，

Block the openings of desire, shut the doors of desire,

終身不勤。

and to the end of life you will not be troubled.

開其兌，濟其事，終身不救。

Open the openings of desire and press on with your affairs, and to the end of life you will be beyond help.

見小曰明，守柔曰強。

To see what is small is called clarity; to hold to softness is called strength.

用其光，

Use its outer light,

復歸其明，

and return again to its inner clarity,

無遺身殃，是為習常。

so as to leave no calamity for yourself; this is called following the constant Way.

使我介然有知，行於大道，唯施是畏。

If I had even a little knowledge, walking on the Great Way, the only thing I would fear is straying onto a side path.

大道甚夷，而民好徑。

The Great Way is very level, yet people are fond of small paths.

朝甚除，

The court is swept very clean,

田甚蕪，倉甚虛；

yet the fields are overgrown with weeds and the granaries are empty;

服文綵，帶利劍，厭飲食，財貨有餘；是為盜誇。非道也哉！

still they wear splendid embroidered silks, carry sharp swords, are sated with fine food and drink, and own surplus goods; this is called being a robber chief. How can this be in accord with the Way!

善建者不拔，

What is well planted cannot be uprooted;

善抱者不脫，

what is well held cannot be taken away;

子孫以祭祀不輟。

and so the sacrifices of one's descendants will not cease through the generations.

修之於身，其德乃真；修之於家，其德乃餘；

Cultivate this in oneself, and one's virtue is genuine; cultivate it in the family, and one's virtue is abundant;

修之於鄉，其德乃長；修之於國，其德乃豐；修之於天下，其德乃普。故以身觀身，以家觀家，以鄉觀鄉，以國觀國，

cultivate it in the village, and one's virtue lasts long; cultivate it in the state, and one's virtue is rich; cultivate it in the world, and one's virtue is universal. So observe a person by the person, a family by the family, a village by the village, a state by the state,

以天下觀天下。

and the world by the world.

吾何以知天下然哉？以此。

How do I know the state of the world to be so? By this.

含德之厚，比於赤子。蜂蠆虺蛇不螫，猛獸不據，攫鳥不搏。

One who holds deep virtue may be compared to a newborn infant: poisonous insects do not sting him, fierce beasts do not seize him, and birds of prey do not claw him.

骨弱筋柔而握固。

His bones are weak and his sinews soft, yet his grip is firm.

未知牝牡之合而全作，

He does not yet know the union of male and female, yet his little organ often stirs,

精之至也。終日號而不嗄，

which is the fullness of vital essence at its utmost. He cries all day yet his voice does not grow hoarse,

和之至也。知和曰常，

which is the harmony of primal qi at its utmost. To know harmony is called constancy,

知常曰明。

and to know constancy is called clarity.

益生曰祥。

To keep adding to one's life is mistaken for auspiciousness but is in fact calamity.

心使氣曰強。

When the mind drives qi to show off its strength, it is called violence.

物壯則老，謂之不道，不道早已。

When things reach their prime they head toward old age; this is called not accord with the Way, and what is not in accord with the Way soon ends.

知者不言，

One who truly knows does not talk much,

言者不知。

and one who talks glibly does not truly know.

塞其兌，閉其門，挫其銳，

Block the openings of desire, shut the doors of desire, blunt the sharpness,

解其分，

untie the tangles,

和其光，

soften the glare,

同其塵，

and become one with the dust of the world;

是謂玄同。故不可得而親，不可得而疏；

this is called Mysterious Sameness. Toward such a person, you cannot deliberately draw close, nor deliberately keep your distance;

不可得而利，不可得而害；

you cannot benefit him, nor can you harm him;

不可得而貴，不可得而賤。

you cannot make him honored, nor make him lowly.

故為天下貴。

For this very reason, he is honored by the world.

以正治國，以奇用兵，以無事取天下。

Govern a state by upright means, wage war by unexpected tactics, and take the world by not stirring up trouble.

吾何以知其然哉？以此。天下多忌諱，而民彌貧；民多利器，國家滋昬；

How do I know it is so? By these: the more prohibitions in the world, the poorer the people; the more sharp instruments among the people, the more disordered the state;

人多伎巧，奇物滋起；

the more skill people have, the more strange and curious things appear;

法令滋彰，盜賊多有。

the more stringent the laws and decrees, the more thieves and robbers there are.

故聖人云﹕「我無為而民自化，我好靜而民自正，我無事而民自富，我無欲而民自樸。」

Therefore the sage says: "I do not act, and the people transform of themselves; I love stillness, and the people become upright of themselves; I do not stir up trouble, and the people prosper of themselves; I have no desires, and the people return of themselves to the simplicity of the uncarved block."

其政悶悶，其民淳淳；

When government is lenient and plain, the people are honest and simple;

其政察察，其民缺缺。

when government is harsh and probing, the people are cunning and unprincipled.

禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏。孰知其極？其無正。

Misfortune is where fortune leans; fortune is where misfortune lurks. Who knows where it ends? There is no fixed standard.

正復為奇，

The upright turns again into the crooked,

善復為妖。

and the good turns again into the uncanny.

人之迷，其日固久。

People have been confused by this for a very long time.

是以聖人方而不割，

Therefore the sage is square but does not cut,

廉而不劌，

has edges but does not pierce,

直而不肆，

is straightforward but not reckless,

光而不燿。

and shines but does not dazzle.

治人事天，莫若嗇。

In governing the people and serving Heaven, nothing is better than frugality of energy.

夫唯嗇，是謂早服；

Only by being frugal of energy can one be said to prepare early;

早服謂之重積德；

to prepare early is to keep accumulating virtue;

重積德則無不克，無不克則莫知其極；

to keep accumulating virtue is to be equal to every task; being equal to every task, no one can fathom one's limit;

莫知其極，可以有國；

when no one can fathom one's limit, one can bear the charge of a state;

有國之母，可以長久；

having grasped the root of governing a state, one can last long.

是謂深根固柢，長生久視之道。

This is called deep roots and a firm base, the way of long life and lasting vision.

治大國，若烹小鮮。

Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish: do not keep turning it over.

以道蒞天下，其鬼不神；

When the world is overseen with the Way, ghosts and spirits show no power;

非其鬼不神，其神不傷人；

it is not that ghosts and spirits show no power, but that their power does not harm people;

非其神不傷人，聖人亦不傷人。

nor is it only that their power does not harm people, but the sage likewise does not harm people.

夫兩不相傷，故德交歸焉。

As the two do not harm each other, virtue is gathered together and returns to the people.

大國者下流，

A large state should be like the lower reaches of a river,

天下之交。

where the world's streams converge,

天下之牝，

becoming the female of the world.

牝常以靜勝牡，以靜為下。

The female always overcomes the male through stillness, because she is still and content to be low.

故大國以下小國，

So when a large state humbles itself before a small state,

則取小國；

it wins the small state's allegiance;

小國以下大國，則取大國。

when a small state humbles itself before a large state, it wins the large state's acceptance.

故或下以取，或下而取。

So some gain allegiance by humbling themselves, and some gain acceptance by humbling themselves.

大國不過欲兼畜人，小國不過欲入事人。夫兩者各得其所欲，大者宜為下。

A large state wishes only to unite and shelter small states, and a small state wishes only to join and serve a large state. Since each gets what it wants, the larger one especially should be humble.

道者萬物之奧。

The Way is the deep refuge of the myriad things.

善人之寶，

It is the treasure of the good person,

不善人之所保。

and also what the not-good person relies on to be kept safe.

美言可以市，尊行可以加人。

Fine words can win respect, and noble conduct can earn esteem among people.

人之不善，何棄之有？

As for those who are not good, how could they be cast aside?

故立天子，置三公，

So when the Son of Heaven is enthroned and the Three Dukes are appointed,

雖有拱璧以先駟馬，不如坐進此道。

even if one presents as a gift a jade disc large enough to embrace, with a team of four horses to follow, it is not as good as sitting still and offering this Way.

古之所以貴此道者何？不曰以求得，有罪以免邪？故為天下貴。

Why did the ancients value this Way? Is it not said that those who seek will obtain by it, and those who have sinned will be excused by it? Therefore it is honored by the world.

為無為，事無事，味無味。

Act by non-action, do things by not stirring up trouble, and savor by finding flavor in the flavorless.

大小多少，報怨以德。

Regard the small as great and the few as many; repay resentment with virtue.

圖難於其易，為大於其細；天下難事必作於易，天下大事必作於細。是以聖人終不為大，故能成其大。夫輕諾必寡信，多易必多難。是以聖人猶難之，

Deal with the difficult while it is still easy, and accomplish the great while it is still small. The difficult things of the world must begin from the easy, and the great things of the world must begin from the small. So the sage never does what he considers great, and so is able to accomplish his greatness. One who promises lightly will seldom keep faith, and one who treats things as too easy will meet with many difficulties. So the sage regards things as difficult,

故終無難矣

and therefore in the end has no difficulties.

其安易持，其未兆易謀。

What is at rest is easy to maintain; what has not yet shown signs is easy to plan for.

其脆易泮，其微易散。

What is brittle is easy to break apart; what is minute is easy to scatter.

為之於未有，

Act before things have happened;

治之於未亂。

set things in order before disorder has arisen.

合抱之木，生於毫末；九層之臺，起於累土；千里之行，始於足下。為者敗之，執者失之。

A tree that takes both arms to embrace grows from a tiny sprout; a tower nine stories high is built from a basket of earth; a journey of a thousand li begins with a single step. One who forces action will fail, and one who clutches will lose.

是以聖人無為故無敗，無執故無失。民之從事，常於幾成而敗之。

Therefore the sage does not act and so does not fail; he does not clutch and so does not lose. In their undertakings, people often fail when they are on the verge of success.

慎終如始，則無敗事。是以聖人慾不欲，不貴難得之貨；

If one remains as careful at the end as at the beginning, there will be no failures. So the sage desires what others do not desire, and does not prize goods that are hard to obtain;

學不學，復眾人之所過。

he learns what others do not learn, and takes the faults of the crowd as a lesson.

以輔萬物之自然，而不敢為。

He does this in order to assist the myriad things in being as they naturally are, and does not dare to force action.

古之善為道者，非以明民，將以愚之。

Those of old who were good at practicing the Way did not use it to make the people clever, but to keep them simple.

民之難治，以其智多。

The people are hard to govern precisely because they have too much cleverness.

故以智治國，國之賊，

So to govern a state with cleverness is a scourge to the state;

不以智治國，國之福。知此兩者亦稽式。常知稽式，是謂玄德。玄德深矣，遠矣，

not to govern a state with cleverness is a blessing to the state. To know these two is to know the rule of governing. To always know this rule is called Mysterious Virtue. Mysterious Virtue is deep and far-reaching,

與物反矣，

and runs contrary to the direction of particular things,

然後乃至大順。

yet by following it one finally arrives at the greatest harmony.

江海所以能為百谷王者，以其善下之，故能為百谷王。是以欲上民，必以言下之。欲先民，必以身後之。是以聖人處上而民不重，處前而民不害。是以天下樂推而不厭，以其不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。

The reason rivers and seas can be kings of the hundred streams and thousand valleys is that they are good at staying low; hence they can be kings of the hundred streams and thousand valleys. Therefore, one who wishes to be above the people must speak humbly to them; one who wishes to lead the people must place himself behind them. So when the sage stands above, the people do not feel burdened, and when he stands in front, the people do not feel harmed. Therefore the whole world gladly supports him and does not tire of him. Precisely because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him.

天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖，久矣其細也夫！

Everyone in the world says my Way is great, so great that it seems like nothing in particular. It is precisely because it is great that it resembles nothing. If it resembled some particular thing, it would long ago have become very small!

我有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。

I have three treasures, which I hold and guard: the first is called compassion, the second is called frugality, and the third is called not daring to be first in the world.

慈故能勇，

Because of compassion, one can be courageous;

儉故能廣，

because of frugality, one can be generous;

不敢為天下先，故能成器長。

because of not daring to be first in the world, one can become the chief of all vessels.

今舍慈且勇，

People today give up compassion and are merely bold,

舍儉且廣，舍後且先，死矣！

give up frugality and only seek breadth, give up holding back and only strive to be first; this is a path to death!

夫慈以戰則勝，

With compassion in battle, one wins;

以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。

with compassion in defense, one is secure. When Heaven is to save someone, it protects him with compassion.

善為士者不武，

One who is good as a commander does not show martial prowess;

善戰者不怒，

one who is good at fighting does not get angry easily;

善勝敵者不與，

one who is good at conquering enemies does not meet them head-on;

善用人者為之下，是謂不爭之德，是謂用人之力，

one who is good at employing people humbles himself before them. This is called the virtue of non-contention, this is called making good use of others' strength,

是謂配天古之極。

this is called accord with Heaven's Way and with the highest rule of antiquity.

用兵有言﹕「吾不敢為主而為客，不敢進寸而退尺。」是謂行無行，

There is a saying among those who use arms: "I dare not take the initiative to start a war but would rather stay on the defensive; I dare not advance an inch but would rather retreat a foot." This is called having ranks yet seeming to have no ranks to array,

攘無臂，扔無敵，

wishing to raise an arm yet seeming to have no arm to raise, wishing to face the enemy yet seeming to have no enemy to confront,

執無兵。

wishing to hold weapons yet seeming to have no weapons to hold.

禍莫大於輕敵，輕敵幾喪吾寶。

There is no calamity greater than underestimating the enemy; to underestimate the enemy is almost to lose my three treasures.

故抗兵相加，哀者勝矣。

So when two armies of equal strength meet in battle, the side that holds grief in its heart will win.

吾言甚易知，甚易行。天下莫能知，莫能行。

My words are very easy to understand and very easy to practice; yet no one in the world can understand them, and no one can practice them.

言有宗，事有君。

Words have their principle, and deeds have their basis.

夫唯無知，是以不我知。

It is precisely because people do not understand this that they do not understand me.

知我者希，則我者貴。

The fewer who understand me, the more precious are those who follow me.

是以聖人被褐懷玉。

So the sage wears coarse cloth on his body but carries fine jade in his bosom.

知不知上，不知知病。

To know that one does not know is best; to not know yet think one knows is a sickness.

夫唯病病，是以不病。聖人不病，以其病病，是以不病。

Only by treating sickness as sickness can one be free of sickness. The sage is free of sickness because he treats sickness as sickness, and so he is free of sickness.

民不畏威，則大威至。無狎其所居，無厭其所生。

When the people no longer fear the authority of their rulers, a great terror will descend. Do not crowd the people's dwellings, and do not squeeze the people's livelihood.

夫唯不厭，

Precisely because rulers do not squeeze the people,

是以不厭。

the people do not weary of their rulers.

是以聖人自知不自見，

So the sage knows himself but does not show himself,

自愛不自貴；

loves himself but does not regard himself as noble;

故去彼取此。

so he discards that and chooses this.

勇於敢則殺，

One who is bold in recklessness will be killed,

勇於不敢則活。

one who is bold in restraint, not reckless, will live.

此兩者，或利或害。

Of these two kinds of boldness, one brings benefit and the other harm.

天之所惡，孰知其故？是以聖人猶難之。

What Heaven dislikes, who knows the reason? So even the sage finds this difficult.

天之道，不爭而善勝，

The Way of Heaven is this: it wins without contending,

不言而善應，

responds without speaking,

不召而自來，

draws things to it without summoning,

繟然而善謀。

and plans well while unhurried and at ease.

天網恢恢，疏而不失。

Heaven's net is vast and boundless; its mesh is wide, yet nothing slips through.

民不畏死，奈何以死懼之？若使民常畏死，而為奇者，吾得執而殺之，孰敢？

If the people do not fear death, why frighten them with death? Suppose the people really all feared death; for those who do wrong, if I seized and killed them, who would dare to cause disorder?

常有司殺者殺，夫代司殺者殺，是謂代大匠斲。

There is always an executioner in charge of killing. To kill in place of the one in charge of killing is like cutting wood in place of a master carpenter.

夫代大匠斲者，希有不傷其手矣。

Of those who cut wood in place of a master carpenter, few fail to hurt their own hands.

民之饑，以其上食稅之多，是以饑。民之難治，以其上之有為，是以難治。民之輕死，以其上求生之厚，是以輕死。夫唯無以生為者，是賢於貴生。

The people go hungry because their rulers consume too much in taxes; that is why they go hungry. The people are hard to govern because their rulers act with too much interference; that is why they are hard to govern. The people take death lightly because their rulers nourish themselves too richly; that is why the people take death lightly. Only one who does not deliberately nourish his own life richly is wiser than those who prize their own lives.

人之生也柔弱，其死也堅強。

When a person is alive, the body is soft; when dead, it becomes stiff.

萬物草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。

The myriad things, grasses and trees, are tender when alive, and withered and dry when dead.

故堅強者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒。

So the hard and strong belong to the company of death, and the soft and weak belong to the company of life.

是以兵強則不勝，

Therefore an army that is strong does not win,

木強則兵。

and a tree that is strong invites the axe.

強大處下，

The strong and great occupy the lower position,

柔弱處上。

while the soft and weak occupy the higher.

天之道，其猶張弓與？高者抑之，下者舉之；有餘者損之，不足者補之。天之道，損有餘而補不足。

Is the Way of Heaven not like drawing a bow? When the string is high, press it down; when low, raise it; take from what has surplus and add to what is lacking. The Way of Heaven takes from what has surplus and makes up what is lacking.

人之道則不然，

The way of humankind is not so;

損不足以奉有餘。

it instead takes from those who lack in order to offer to those who have surplus.

孰能有餘以奉天下？唯有道者。

Who can take what he has in surplus and offer it to the world? Only one who has the Way.

是以聖人為而不恃，功成而不處，其不欲見賢。

So the sage acts without presuming on his ability, and when his work is done he does not dwell on his merit; he does not wish to display his worth.

天下莫柔弱於水，而攻堅強者，莫之能勝，其無以易之。

Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet in attacking the hard and strong nothing can surpass it, because nothing can take its place.

弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，天下莫不知莫能行。是以聖人云﹕「受國之垢，是謂社稷主；受國不祥，是為天下王。」正言若反。

That the soft overcomes the hard and the weak overcomes the strong, everyone in the world knows, yet no one can practice it. So the sage says: "One who can bear the disgrace of a state is fit to be lord of the altars of earth and grain; one who can take on the calamities of a state is fit to be king of the world." Straight words sound like their opposite.

和大怨，必有餘怨，

When a great resentment is reconciled, some resentment is sure to remain,

安可以為善？是以聖人執左契，

so how can that be considered well done? Therefore the sage holds the left half of the tally of a debt,

而不責於人。有德司契，

yet does not demand payment from others. One with virtue is as generous as the keeper of the tally,

無德司徹。

while one without virtue is as exacting as the collector of taxes.

天道無親，常與善人。

The Way of Heaven shows no favoritism; it always helps the good.

小國寡民，

Let the state be small and the people few,

使有什伯之器而不用，

so that although there are tools of ten or a hundred times the efficiency, they are not used,

使民重死而不遠徙。

and let the people take death seriously and not move far away.

雖有舟輿，無所乘之；雖有甲兵，無所陳之。

Though there are boats and carriages, there is no need to ride them; though there are armor and weapons, there is no occasion to display them.

使人復結繩而用之，甘其食，美其服，安其居，樂其俗。鄰國相望，雞犬之聲相聞，民至老死，不相往來。

Let the people return to the simplicity of knotted cords for keeping records, and find their food sweet, their clothing fine, their dwellings comfortable and their customs happy. Neighboring states may be within sight of each other, and the crowing of cocks and barking of dogs may be heard from one to the other, yet the people grow old and die without ever visiting one another.

信言不美，

True words are not beautiful,

美言不信。

beautiful words are not true.

善者不辯，辯者不善。

The good do not argue cleverly, and those who argue cleverly are not good.

知者不博，

One who truly knows does not show off wide learning,

博者不知。

and one who has wide but scattered learning does not truly know.

聖人不積，

The sage does not store up anything for himself;

既以為人己愈有，

the more he does to help others, the more he has himself;

既以與人己愈多。

the more he gives to others, the more abundant he becomes.

天之道，利而不害；

The Way of Heaven benefits all things and does not harm them;

聖人之道，為而不爭。

the Way of the sage is to act and not to contend.

王弼老子道德經二卷，真得老子之學歟，蓋嚴君平指歸之流也。其言仁義與禮，不能自用，必待道以用之，天地萬物各得於一，豈特有功於老子哉。凡百學者，蓋不可不知乎此也。予於是知弼本深於老子，而易則末矣。其於易，多假諸老子之旨，而老子無資於易者，其有餘不足之跡，斷可見也。嗚呼，學其難哉！弼知佳兵者不祥之器，至於戰勝，以喪禮處之，非老子之言，乃不知常善救人，故無棄人；常善救物，故無棄物。獨得諸河上公，而古本無有也。賴傅弈能辯之爾。然弼題是書曰道德經，不析乎道德，而上下之，猶近於古歟！其文字則多謬誤，殆有不可讀者，令人惜之。嘗謂，弼之於老子，張湛之於列子，郭象之於莊子，杜預之於左氏，範甯之於穀梁，毛萇之於詩，郭璞之於爾雅，完然成一家之學，後世雖有作者，未易加也。予既繕寫弼書，並以記之。

Wang Bi's annotated Laozi Tao Te Ching in two scrolls may truly be said to have grasped Laozi's learning, and it belongs, one may say, to the line of Yan Junping's Guide to the Tao Te Ching. He says that benevolence, righteousness and ritual cannot operate of themselves but must rely on the Way to operate, and that heaven, earth and the myriad things each obtain something from the "One"; this is more than merely a service to Laozi. All who study should know this. From this I know that Wang Bi's roots lay deep in Laozi, and that his work on the Book of Changes was a lesser stream. In explaining the Changes he mostly borrowed Laozi's ideas, whereas in explaining Laozi he had no need to borrow from the Changes. His strengths and shortfalls on both sides are plain at a glance. Alas, how hard learning is! Wang Bi knew that the passage from "Fine weapons are instruments of ill omen" down to "In victory, treat it with funeral rites" was not Laozi's words, but he did not know that the lines "The sage is always good at saving people, and so no one is cast aside; always good at saving things, and so nothing is cast aside" appear only in the Heshang Gong text and not in the ancient text; fortunately Fu Yi was able to make this clear. Still, Wang Bi titled the book Tao Te Ching and did not split Dao and De into two parts, upper and lower, which is perhaps close to the ancient text. But its wording contains many errors, and in places it is almost unreadable, which is a pity. I once said: Wang Bi on Laozi, Zhang Zhan on Liezi, Guo Xiang on Zhuangzi, Du Yu on the Zuo Commentary, Fan Ning on the Guliang Commentary, Mao Chang on the Odes, Guo Pu on the Erya, each was complete and formed a school of his own; later writers, even if they write, can hardly add anything more. Having copied out Wang Bi's book once, I have set down these words together.

政和乙未十月丁丑嵩山晁說之鄜畤記。

On the day dingchou of the tenth month of the year yiwei in the Zhenghe era, Chao Shuozhi of Mount Song, recorded at Fuzhi.

克伏誦咸平聖語，有曰：「老子道德經治世之要，明皇解雖燦然可觀，王弼所注，言簡意深，真得老氏清淨之旨。」

I respectfully read the words of the emperor in the Xianping era, in which he said: "The Laozi Tao Te Ching is the essential guide to governing the world. Though the Tang emperor Xuanzong's commentary is brilliant to behold, the commentary by Wang Bi is concise in wording and deep in meaning, and truly grasps Laozi's purport of purity and stillness."

克自此求弼所注甚力，而近世希有，蓋久而後得之，往歲攝建寧學官，嘗以刊行，既又得晁以道先生所題本，不分道德而上下之，亦無篇目，喜其近古，繕寫藏之，乾道庚寅，分教京口，復鏤板以傳，若其字之謬訛，前人已不能證，克焉敢輒易，姑俟夫知者。

From then on I searched hard for Wang Bi's annotated edition, but it was rarely seen in recent times, and only after a long while did I obtain it. In earlier years, when I served as acting school official of Jianning, I had it printed; later I obtained the copy inscribed by Master Chao Yidao, which does not divide Dao and De into upper and lower parts and has no chapter headings, and delighting in its closeness to the ancient text, I copied and kept it. In the Gengyin year of the Qiandao era, when I went to Jingkou to take up a teaching post, I again had it carved and circulated. As for the errors in the text of the book, earlier scholars could not even verify them, so how would I dare to change them lightly? Let them wait for a clearer mind in the future.

三月二十四日左從事郎充鎮江府府學教授熊克謹記

Twenty-fourth day of the third month, respectfully recorded by Xiong Ke, Left Assistant Secretary and Professor of the Prefectural School of Zhenjiang.

老子，

Laozi,

生而皓首，

was born with white hair,

為周柱下史，覩周之衰，乃西出關，

served as Keeper of the Archives of the Zhou court; seeing the Zhou house in decline, he went west out of the pass,

為關尹喜說道德二篇，尚虛無無為，

and lectured to Yin Xi, the Warden of the Pass, on the two parts of the Dao and De, which esteem emptiness and non-action,

凡五千餘言。河上公為章句四卷。

in a little over five thousand characters. Heshang Gong made a commentary on it in four scrolls.

文帝徵之不至，自至河上責之，河上公乃踴身空中，文帝改容謝之，於是授漢文以《老子章句》四篇，言治身治國之要，其後談論者莫不宗尚玄言。唯王輔嗣妙得虛無之旨。

Emperor Wen of Han summoned him, but he would not come; the emperor went in person to the riverside to reproach him, and Heshang Gong leapt up into the air. Emperor Wen changed color and apologized, and so he gave Emperor Wen of Han his Laozi Commentary in four parts, which dealt with the essentials of governing the self and governing the state. From then on, those who discussed the profound and the Way all took mysterious words as their guide. Only Wang Fusi (Wang Bi) subtly grasped the purport of emptiness.