Translation
Under heaven | 天下 |
If everyone knew and became beautiful then beautiful and ugly would cease | 皆知 美之為 美斯惡 已 |
If everyone knew and became good then good and bad would cease | 皆知 善之為 善斯不善 已 |
*** | |
Therefore having and having not engender each other | 故 有無 相生 |
Difficult and easy complete each other | 難易 相成 |
Long and short measure each other | 長短 相較 |
High and low lean on each other | 高下 相傾 |
Pitch and tone harmonize each other | 音聲 相和 |
Front and rear follow each other | 前後 相隨 |
*** | |
Therefore the sage gets along doing nothing about affairs | 是以 聖人 處 無為之 事 |
His practice teaches without words | 行 不言之 教 |
And all things grow thereby without speech | 萬物 作焉 而不辭 |
Things are born, created, and yet not possessed | 生 而不有 |
He acts and does and does not expect | 為 而不恃 |
He achieves results and does not dwell | 功成 而弗居 |
By this only— by not dwelling, there is no going | 夫唯 弗居 是以 不去 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
天下皆知美之為美， | 天下皆知美之为美， | Tiān xià jiē zhī měi zhī wèi měi, |
斯惡已。 | 斯恶已。 | Sī è yǐ. |
皆知善之為善， | 皆知善之为善， | Jiē zhī shàn zhī wéi shàn, |
斯不善已。 | 斯不善已。 | Sī bù shàn yǐ. |
故有無相生， | 故有无相生， | Gù yǒu wū xiāng shēng, |
難易相成， | 难易相成， | Nán yì xiāng chéng, |
長短相較， | 长短相较， | Cháng duǎn xiāng jiào, |
高下相傾， | 高下相倾， | Gāo xià xiāng qīng, |
音聲相和， | 音声相和， | Yīn shēng xiāng hé, |
前後相隨。 | 前后相随。 | Qián hòu xiāng suí. |
是以聖人處無為之事， | 是以圣人处无为之事， | Shì yǐ shèng rén chù wú wéi zhī shì, |
行不言之教； | 行不言之教； | Xíng bù yán zhī jiào; |
萬物作焉而不辭， | 万物作焉而不辞， | Wàn wù zuò yān ér bù cí, |
生而不有。 | 生而不有。 | Shēng ér bù yǒu. |
為而不恃， | 为而不恃， | Wéi ér bù shì, |
功成而弗居。 | 功成而弗居。 | Gōng chéng ér fú jū. |
夫唯弗居， | 夫唯弗居， | Fu wéi fú jū, |
是以不去。 | 是以不去。 | Shì yǐ bù qù. |
Literal Translation
天下皆知美之為美， | Sky under all/everybody know/aware beautiful/pleasing ’s do/become beautiful/pleasing [Sky under = everything under heaven, the whole world] |
斯惡已。 | thus evil/ugly stop/then |
皆知善之為善， | Everybody/all know/aware virtuous/good ’s do/become virtuous/good |
斯不善已。 | thus not- virtuous/good stop [not- virtuous/good = bad/ill] |
故有無相生， | Ancient/therefore have no each-other life [have no = to have or have not, tangible and intangible; each-other life = engender one another] |
難易相成， | Difficult/unable change/easy each-other become [Difficult/unable + change/easy = difficulty] |
長短相較， | Long short each-other compare [long short = length, duration, right and wrong, good and bad, long and short; each-other compare = compare] |
高下相傾， | High low each-other overflow/upset/collapse [high low = relative superiority, better or worse, stronger or weaker, above or below] |
音聲相和， | Pitch tone each-other harmony/mix |
前後相隨。 | Front behind each-other follow [front behind = around, beginning to end] |
是以聖人處無為之事， | This thereby sage man dwells no do ’s affairs [this thereby = therefore, thus; sage man = sage; no do = inaction, let things take their course] |
行不言之教； | Go/move/behavior/conduct no word ’s teach |
萬物作焉而不辭， | Ten-thousand thing make/grow/do thereupon/then and no words [ten-thousand thing = all living things] |
生而不有。 | Life/grow/be-born yet/and no have/be |
為而不恃， | Do/behave and no presume/rely-on |
功成而弗居。 | Achievement/result completed/become/do and not reside/be-at-standstill |
夫唯弗居， | Man/husband/this only/yes not dwell |
是以不去。 | Is thereby no departs [is thereby = therefore, thus] |
Year:
2011
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