| |
Original |
Legge's
Translation |
Susuki's
Translation |
Goddard's
Translation |
| 1 |
|
Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Dao,
earnestly carry it into practice.
|
When a superior scholar hears of Reason he endeavors to practise it. |
The superior scholar when he considers Dao earnestly practices it; |
| 2 |
|
Scholars of the middle class, when
they have heard about it, seem now to keep it and now to lose it.
|
When an average scholar hears of Reason he will sometimes keep it and sometimes
lose it.
|
An average scholar listening to Dao sometimes follows it and sometimes loses
it; |
| 3 |
|
Scholars of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh
greatly at it. If it were not (thus) laughed at, it would not be fit
to be the Dao. |
When an inferior scholar hears of Reason he will greatly ridicule it. Were
it not thus ridiculed, it would as Reason be insufficient.
|
An inferior scholar listening to Dao ridicules it. Were it not thus ridiculed
it could not be regarded as Dao. |
| 4 |
|
Therefore the sentence-makers have thus expressed themselves:--
|
Therefore the poet says:
|
Therefore the writer says:
|
| 5 |
|
'The Dao, when brightest seen, seems light to lack;
who progress in it makes, seems drawing back;
Its even way is like a rugged track.
|
"The Reason--enlightened seem dark and black, the Reason--advanced seem going
back,
the Reason--straight-levelled seem rugged and slack.
|
Those who are most illumined by Dao are the most obscure. Those advanced in Dao
are most retiring. Those best guided by Dao are the
least prepossessing.
|
| 6 |
|
Its highest virtue from the vale doth rise; Its greatest beauty seems to offend the eyes; And he has most whose lot the least
supplies.
|
"The high in virtue resemble a vale,
The purely white in shame must quail,
The staunchest virtue seems to fail.
|
The high in virtue (de [teh]) resemble a lowly valley; the whitest are most likely
to be put to shame; the broadest in virtue resemble
the inefficient. |
| 7 |
|
Its firmest virtue seems but poor and low; Its solid truth seems change to undergo; Its largest square doth yet no corner
show
|
. "The solidest virtue seems not alert,
The purest chastity seems pervert,
The greatest square will rightness desert.
|
The most firmly established in virtue resemble the remiss. The simplest chastity
resembles the fickle, the greatest square has no corner, |
| 8 |
|
A vessel great, it is the slowest made; Loud is its sound, but never word it
said;
A semblance great, the shadow of a shade.'
|
"The largest vessel is not yet complete,
The loudest sound is not speech replete,
The greatest form has no shape concrete." |
the largest vessel is never filled. The greatest sound is void of speech, the
greatest form has no shape. |
| 9 |
|
The Dao is hidden, and has no name; but it is the Dao which is
skilful at imparting (to all things what they need) and making them
complete. |
Reason so long as it remains latent is unnamable. Yet Reason alone is good
for imparting and completing.
|
Tao is obscure and without name, and yet it is precisely this Dao that alone
can give and complete. |
