Dao De Jing: A Minimalist Translation - Laozi

Chapter Twenty Three

希言自然 (•)故飄風不終朝驟雨不終日• 孰為此者天地 • 天地尚不能久而況於人乎(•) (•)故從事於道者道者同於道德者同於德失者同於失 • 同於道者道亦樂得之同於德者德亦樂得之同於失者失亦樂得之信不足焉有不信 __

Minimal words are naturally so. Therefore : strong winds do not last the entire morning, Sudden rains do not last the entire day. Who makes these things? Heaven and earth. Even heaven and earth can not maintain them forever, And so how much less can people? Therefore : of those who engage in Dao – He who Daos is one with Dao. He who Des is one with De. He who loses is one with the loss. For he who is one with Dao, Dao is also pleased to have him. For he who is one with De, De is also pleased to have him. For he who is one with loss, Loss is also pleased to have him. If you do not trust enough, then you will not have anyone’s trust.

♦Minimal words are naturally so². [rare,infrequent] Therefore : strong winds² do not last the entire morning{day}, [whirlwind,cyclone wind] ♦Sudden rains do not last the entire day. Who makes these things? Heaven and earth. [entities] Even heaven and earth can not maintain them forever, [for a long time] And so how much less can people ? [than] Therefore : of those who engage² in Dao – He who Daos is one with² Dao. [same compared toàsame as] ♦He who Des is one with² De. [same compared to] ♦He who loses is one with² the loss. [same compared to] For he who is one with² Dao, [same compared to] Dao is also pleased to have him. [gain,get] For he who is one with² De, [same compared to] De is also pleased to have him.^A [gain,get] For he who is one with² loss, [same compared to] Loss is also pleased to have him. [gain,get] If you do not trust* enough, then you will not have anyone’s trust*.

Notes A : this sentence and the next are very different across the sources, and the sentence before (about Dao) is not in the MWD’s Cross-references naturally so : #17, #25, #51, #64 he who “possesses Dao” : #15, #24, #31, #65, #77 not trusting enough : #17

Chapter Twenty Four

企者不立跨者不行自見者不明自是者不彰 • 自伐者無功自矜者不長其在道也(•) 曰餘食贅行 • 物或惡之 (•)故有道者不處 •

He who stands on tiptoe does not really stand. He who stands astride can not travel. He who displays himself does not have insight. He who considers himself correct does not distinguish himself. He who boasts about himself is without merit. He who brags about himself does not endure. He who lives in Dao –
Calls these leftover food and unnecessary behavior.
Creatures detest them, no matter what.
Therefore : he who possesses Dao does not live by them.

He who stands on tiptoe does not [really] stand.
He who stands astride can not travel. ♦He who displays himself does not have insight. [shows] [wise,sight] ♦He who considers himself correct does not distinguish himself. [manifest,displayàstand out] ♦He who boasts about himself is without merit. ♦He who brags about himself does not endure{lead}. [boasts] [long,forever] ♦He [who] lives in Dao –
♦Calls these leftover food^A and unnecessary behavior. [excess, remainder] ♦Creatures detest them, no matter what.
Therefore : he who possesses Dao does not live by^B them.

Notes A : presumably, the inedible scraps (not something good, as in “leftover turkey”) B : there is some debate over the last symbol in this line – both FY and HSG use this symbol (making it a majority), and some WB versions also use it; other WB versions use 处, thus reading he who possesses Dao does not dwell with them Cross-references not displaying oneself (showing off) : #22, #47, #72, #77 display…insight : #22 correct…distinguishes : #22 boast : #22, #30 boast…merit : #22 brag : #22, #30 brag…endure : #22 creatures detest them : #31 he who “possesses Dao” : #15, #23, #31, #65, #77

Chapter Twenty Five

有物混成先天地生寂兮寥兮獨立不改周行而不殆可以為天下母吾不知其名 • 字之曰道強為之名曰大大曰逝逝曰遠遠曰反 (•)__ 道大天大地大王亦大域中有四大而王居其一焉 • 人法地地法天天法道道法自然 •

Something existed unformed yet complete,
Before heaven and earth were created.
Silent! Empty! Standing alone, not changing.
It circulates everywhere, and causes no danger. It can be considered the mother of the world. I do not know its name; Its symbol is called Dao.
If I tried to make its name, I would call it great.
Being great speaks of departing.
Departing speaks of being remote. Being remote speaks of returning. Dao is great, Heaven is great,
Earth is great,
The king is also great.
Within the realm exist four that are great,
And the king resides as one of them! People follow the earth.
The earth follows heaven.
Heaven follows Dao.
Dao follows what is naturally so.

[Some]thing existed unformed yet complete, [mingled,blended,unstructured]
♦Before heaven and earth were created.
Silent ! Empty ! Standing alone, not changing.
It circulates everywhere², and [causes]^A no danger. It can be considered² the mother of the world². I do not know its name; Its symbol is called Dao.
If I tried to make its name, I would call it great.
Being great speaks of departing.
Departing speaks of being remote. Being remote speaks of returning. ♦Dao is great, ♦Heaven is great,
♦Earth is great,
♦The king is also great.
Within the realm exist four that are great, [region,territory]
And the king resides as one of them ! ♦People follow^B the earth.
♦The earth follows heaven.
♦Heaven follows Dao.
♦Dao follows what is naturally so².

Notes A : “is in” could also be used here, but as the subject is Dao, this seems unlikely; this sentence is not in the three earliest sources B : “follow” as in “emulates” or “uses as a model for their own behavior” Cross-references no danger : #16, #32, #44, #52 mother : #1, #20, #52, #59 mother of the world : #52 returning : #14, #16, #19, #20, #22, #28, #34, #40, #52, #58, #60, #64, #65, #80 remote : #65 remote and returning : #65 naturally so : #17, #23, #51, #64

Chapter Twenty Six

重為輕根靜為躁君是以 (君子) 終日行不離 [其] 輜重雖有榮觀燕處超然奈何萬乘之主而以身輕天下輕則失本躁則失君

Serious serves as the source of frivolous.
Stillness serves as the ruler of restlessness. Thus the noble man travels the entire day, And does not stray from his wagon. He is serious, even though glorious sights and feasts exist; He lives above them, like this. So how could one be the master of ten thousand chariots, And conduct his self frivolously in the world? Be frivolous, then lose the source.
Be restless, then lose the rulership.

♦Serious{heavy} serves as the source of frivolous{light}.
♦Stillness serves as the ruler of restlessness^A.
Thus² the noble man²*^B travels the entire day, And does not stray from his wagon. [leave,depart,separate] He is serious^C, even though glorious sights and feasts exist; He lives above them, like this^D. [transcend,jump over]
[So] how² could [one be] the master of ten thousand chariots,^E And conduct his self^F frivolously{lightly} in the world²? [use] Be frivolous{light}, then lose the source.
♦Be restless, then lose the rulership.

Notes A : this symbol also means impatience, agitation, anxiety, etc; “stillness” and “restlessness” are presumably referring to inner, mental/emotional qualities B : Only WB and HSG changed “noble man” to the non-Confucian term “sage” C : traditionally, the first symbol of this sentence is considered to be the last symbol of the previous sentence (“heavy wagon”); but because the MWD’s have “fields” instead of “wagon” at the end of the previous sentence, and “heavy fields” makes no sense, it is parsed this way D : presumably, by being serious and still E : someone very important, such as the supreme ruler of a large nation (one with 10,000 chariots) F : this is written in this awkward manner to emphasize that it is the personality or sense-of-self that is being talked about (in the translator’s opinion – see the Introduction and cross-references below) Cross-references stillness : #15, #16, #37, #45, #57, #61 stillness and restlessness : #45 noble man : #31 self : #7, #9, #13, #16, #44, #52, #54, #66

Chapter Twenty Seven