| |
Original |
Legge's
Translation |
Susuki's
Translation |
Goddard's
Translation |
| 1 |
為無為，事無事，味無味。大小多少，報怨以德。 |
(It is the way of the Dao) to act without (thinking of) acting;
to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of
them; to taste
without discerning any flavour; to consider what is
small as great,
and a few as many;
|
Assert non-assertion.
Practise non-practice.
Taste the tasteless.
Make great the small.
Make much the little. |
One should avoid assertion (wu wei) and practice inaction. One should learn to
find taste in the tasteless, to enlarge the small things,
and multiply the few.
|
| 2 |
圖難于其易， |
And to recompense injury with kindness.
|
Requite hatred with virtue.
|
He should respond to hatred with kindness.
|
| 3 |
為大于其
細。天下難事，必作于易， |
(The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they are easy,
and does things that would become great while they
are
small.
|
Contemplate a difficulty when it is easy. Manage a great thing when it is small.
|
He should resolve a difficulty while it is easy, and manage a great thing while
it is small.
|
| 4 |
天下大事，必作于細。是以聖人終不為大， |
.All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in
which they were easy, and all great things from one
in which they were small.
|
The world's most difficult undertakings necessarily originate while easy, and
the world's greatest undertakings necessarily originate
while small.
|
Surely all the world's difficulties arose from slight causes, and all the world's
great affairs had small beginnings.
|
| 5 |
故
能成其大。夫輕諾必寡信，多易必多難。 |
Therefore the sage, while he never does what is great, is able on that account
to accomplish the greatest things.
|
Therefore the holy man to the end does not venture to play the great, and thus
he can accomplish his greatness.
|
Therefore the wise man avoids to the end participation in great affairs and by
so doing establishes his greatness.
|
| 6 |
是以聖人猶難之， |
He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; he who is continually
thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult.
|
Rash promises surely lack faith, and many easy things surely involve in many
difficulties.
|
Rash promises are lacking in faith and many things that appear easy are full
of difficulties.
|
| 7 |
故終無難矣。 |
Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so never has
any difficulties |
Therefore, the holy man regards everything as difficult, and thus to the end
encounters no difficulties. |
Therefore the wise man considers every thing difficult and so to the end he has
no difficulties. |
