| |
Original |
Legge's
Translation |
Susuki's
Translation |
Goddard's
Translation |
| 1 |
天下有道，卻走馬以糞。天下無道，戎馬生于郊。禍莫大于不知足﹔ |
When the Dao prevails in the world, they send back their swift
horses to (draw) the dung-carts. When the Dao is disregarded
in the
world, the war-horses breed in the border lands. |
When the world possesses Reason, race horses are reserved for hauling dung. When
the world is without Reason, war horses are bred in
the common. |
When the world yields to Dao, race horses will be used to haul manure. When the
world ignores Dao war horses are pastured on the public
common. |
| 2 |
咎莫
大于欲得。 |
There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity
greater than to be discontented with one's lot; no fault greater than
the wish to be getting. |
No greater sin than yielding to desire. No greater misery than discontent.
No greater calamity than greed.
|
There is no sin greater than desire. There is no misfortune greater than discontent.
There is no calamity greater than acquisitiveness. |
| 3 |
故知足之足，常足矣。 |
Therefore the sufficiency of contentment is
an enduring and unchanging sufficiency. |
Therefore, he who knows content's content is always content.
|
Therefore to know extreme contentment is simply to be content. |
