Chapter 52

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.