| |
Original |
Legge's
Translation |
Susuki's
Translation |
Goddard's
Translation |
| 1 |
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！ |
All the world says that, while my Dao is great, it yet appears
to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now
it is just its
greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it
were like any
other (system), for long would its smallness have been
known!
|
All in the world call me great; but I resemble the unlikely. Now a man is great
only because he resembles the unlikely. Did he resemble
the likely, how lasting, indeed, would his mediocrity
be! |
All the world calls Dao great, yet it is by nature immaterial. It is because
a thing is seemingly unreal that it is great. If a
man affects to be great, how long can he conceal his
mediocrity? |
| 2 |
我
有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。慈故能勇﹔ |
But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness;
the second is economy; and the third is shrinking
from taking precedence of others.
|
1 have three treasures which I cherish and prize. The first is called compassion.
The second is called economy. The third is called
not daring to come to the front in the world.
|
Tao has three treasures which he guards and cherishes. The first is called compassion;
the second is called economy; the third is called
humility.
|
| 3 |
儉
故能廣﹔不敢為天下先， |
With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking
from taking precedence of others, I can become a
vessel of the highest honour.
|
The compassionate can be brave; the economical can be generous; those who dare
not come to the front in the world can become perfect
as chief vessels.
|
A man that is compassionate can 'be truly brave; if a man is economical he can
be generous; if he is humble he can become a useful
servant.
|
| 4 |
故能成器長。今舍慈且勇﹔舍儉且廣﹔舍后且先
﹔死矣！ |
Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are
all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek
only to be foremost;--(of all which the end is) death.
|
Now, if people discard compassion and are brave; if they discard economy and
are generous; if they discard modesty and are ambitious,
they will surely die.
|
If one discards compassion and is still brave, abandons economy and is still
generous, forsakes humility and still seeks to be
serviceable, his days are numbered.
|
| 5 |
夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。 |
Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its
ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very)
gentleness protecting him. |
Now, the compassionate will in attack be victorious, and in defence firm. Heaven
when about to save one will with compassion protect
him. |
On the contrary if one is truly compassionate, in battle he will be a conqueror
and in defence he will be secure. When even Heaven
helps people it is because of compassion that she does
so. |
