Chapter 4
"Tao, when put in use for its hollowness is not likely to be filled.
In its profundity it seems to be the origin of all things.
In its depth it seems ever to remain.
I do not know whose offspring it is;
But it looks like the predecessor of Nature."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 4
"The Tao is like the emptiness of a vessel; and in our employment of it we must be on our guard against all fullness.
How deep and unfathomable it is, as if it were the Honored Ancestor of all things!
We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things;
We should temper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others.
How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue!
I do not know whose son it is. It might appear to have been before God."
- Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 4
道沖而用之或不盈.
淵兮似萬物之宗.
挫其銳.
解其紛.
和其光同其塵.
湛兮似或存.
吾不知誰之子.
象帝之先.
- Chinese characters, Chapter 4, Tao Te Ching
tao ch'ung erh yung chih huo pu ying.
yüan hsi ssu wan wu chih tsung.
ts'o ch'i jui.
chieh ch'i fên.
ho ch'i kuang t'ung ch'i ch'ên.
chan hsi ssu huo ts'un.
wu pu chih shui chih tzu.
hsiang ti chih hsien.
- Wade-Giles transliteration, Chapter 4, Tao Te Ching
dao chang er yong zhi huo bu ying.
yuan xi si wan wu zhi zong.
cuo qi rui.
jie qi fen.
he qi guang tong qi chen.
zhan xi si huo cun.
wu bu zhi shui zhi zi.
xiang di zhi xian. - Pinyin transliteration, Chapter 4, Daodejing
Concordance to the Daodejing
Taoism: Resources
"Existence, by nothing bred,
Breeds everything.
Parent of the universe,
It smoothes rough edges,
Unties hard knots,
Tempers the sharp sun,
Lays blowing dust,
Its image in the wellspring never fails.
But how was it conceived?--this image
Of no other sire."
- Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 4
"The way is empty, yet use will not drain it.
Deep, it is like the ancestor of the myriad creatures.
Blunt the sharpness;
Untangle the knots;
Soften the glare;
Let your wheels move only along old ruts.
Darkly visible, it only seems as if it were there.
I know not whose son it is.
It images the forefather of God."
- Translated by D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 4
Deep, it is like the ancestor of the myriad creatures.
Blunt the sharpness;
Untangle the knots;
Soften the glare;
Let your wheels move only along old ruts.
Darkly visible, it only seems as if it were there.
I know not whose son it is.
It images the forefather of God."
- Translated by D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 4
"The Tao is like an empty container:
it can never be emptied and can never be filled.
Infinitely deep, it is the source of all things.
It dulls the sharp, unties the knotted,
shades the lighted, and unites all of creation with dust.
It is hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than the concept of God."
- Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 4
"Tao is infinite.it can never be emptied and can never be filled.
Infinitely deep, it is the source of all things.
It dulls the sharp, unties the knotted,
shades the lighted, and unites all of creation with dust.
It is hidden but always present.
I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than the concept of God."
- Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 4
If we use It, we find It inexhaustible,
Deep!
It appears to be Ancestor of all things.
It rounds our angles. It unravels our difficulties. It harmonizes our Light. It brings our atoms into Unity.
Pure!
It appears to be everlasting in principle.
I do not know whose Son It is,
It existed before God was manifest in Form."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 4
Chapter 4 of the Dao De Jing by Laozi: Text and Commentaries
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices
Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching
No comments:
Post a Comment