Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 44

Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 44


"Or fame or life,
Which do you hold more dear?
Or life or wealth,
To which would you adhere?
Keep life and lose those other things;
Keep them and lose your life:--which brings
Sorrow and pain more near?
Thus we may see,
Who cleaves to fame Rejects what is more great;
Who loves large stores
Gives up the richer state.
Who is content Needs fear no shame.
Who knows to stop Incurs no blame.
From danger free Long live shall he."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 44 


"Fame or self: which is more important?
Your possessions or your person: which is worth more to you?
Gain or loss: which is worse?
Therefore, to be obsessed with "things" is a great waste,
The more you gain, the greater your loss.
Being content with what you have been given, You can avoid disgrace.
Knowing when to stop, You will avoid danger.
That way you can live a long and happy life."
-  Translated by John R. Mabry, Chapter 44 


"Which means more to you,
You or your renown?
Which brings more to you,
You or what you own?
And which would cost you more
If it were gone?
The niggard pays,
The miser loses.
The least ashamed of men
Goes back if he chooses:
He knows both ways,
He starts again."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 44 


"Fame or one's own self, which matters to one most?
One's own self or things bought, which should count most?
In the getting or the losing, which is worse?
Hence he who grudges expense pays dearest in the end;
He who has hoarded most will suffer the heaviest loss.
Be content with what you have and are, and no one can despoil you;
Who stops in time nothing can harm.
He is forever safe and secure."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 44 



名與身孰親?
身與貨孰多? 
得與亡孰病?
是故甚愛必大費.
多藏必厚亡.
知足不辱.
知止不殆.
可以長久. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 44

ming yu shen shu qin?
shen yu huo shu duo?
de yu wang shu bing?
shih bu shen ai bi da fei.  
duo cang bi hou wang.
gu zu bu ru.  
zhi zhi bu dai.
ke yi chang jiu.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 44 

"Which is neared to you, your name or your person?
Which is more precious, your person or your wealth?
Which is the greater evil, to gain or to lose?
Great devotion requires great sacrifice.
Great wealth implies great loss.
He who is content can never be ruined.
He who stands still will never meet danger.
These are the people who endure."
-  Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 44


"Which is more dear to you, your character or your body?
Which do you treasure more, your body or your wealth?
Which makes you more unhappy, to gain or to lose?
But we must sacrifice much to gain true love.
We must suffer great loss to obtain much treasure,
To know contentment is to fear no shame.
To know how to stop is to avoid destruction.
Thus doing, we shall long endure."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 44  


"¿Qué es más íntimo a nuestra naturaleza,
la fama o el propio cuerpo?
¿Qué es más apreciable, la salud o la riqueza?
¿Qué nos duele más,
ganar una cosa o perder la otra?
Quien se apega a las cosas, mas sufre por ellas.
Quien acumula muchas cosas, mas peligra de perderlas.
Quien se contenta con lo justo nunca es agraviado.
Quien sabe medirse no sufre peligros
y vivirá largamente."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 44

"Which is nearer you,

Your name or yourself?

Which is more to you,

Your person or your pelf?

And is your loss or gain

The more malicious elf?

Extreme love's price

Must be paid with sacrifice.

 

Hoarding to excess

Brings ruin its its place,

Who knows he has enough

Never knows disgrace,

Who knows when to stop

Danger will efface,

And long can endure,

Evermore secure."
-  Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 44 

Chapter 44 of the Tao Te Ching

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translators' Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

 A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo on a Chapter of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes at least 16 different translations or interpolations of the Chapter in English, two Spanish translations, the Chinese characters for the Chapter, a Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for the Chapter, recommended reading lists, a detailed bibliography, indexing by key words and terms for the Chapter, and other resources for the Chapter.