| | 老子甲: |
絕智棄辯，民利百倍。絕巧棄利，盜賊亡有。絕偽棄慮，民復季子。三言以為文不足，或令之或乎屬。視素保樸，少私寡欲。 |
| | Abandoning wisdom and discarding argumentation, the people derive a hundredfold benefit. Abandoning cunning and discarding profit-seeking, thieves and bandits will have no existence. Abandoning falsehood and discarding worries, the people return to the innocence of childhood. Three sayings are considered insufficient as a literary work; some may command them, others may belong to them. Seeing simplicity and preserving simplicity, reducing selfishness and minimizing desires.
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| | 老子甲: |
江海所以為百谷王，以其能為百谷下，是以能為百谷王。聖人之在民前也，以身後之；其在民上也，以言下之。其在民上也，民弗厚也；其在民前也，民弗害也。天下樂進而弗詀。以其不爭也，故天下莫能與之爭。 |
| | The rivers and seas are thus the kings of all valleys, because they can be below all valleys; it is precisely for this reason that they become the kings of all valleys. A sage being ahead of the people, places himself behind them; When he is above the people, he speaks humbly to them. When a sage is above the people, the people do not feel burdened; When he is ahead of the people, the people do him no harm. The whole world delights in following him without being compelled. Because he does not contend, the entire world is unable to contend with him.
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| | 老子甲: |
罪莫厚於甚欲，咎莫僉於欲得，禍莫大乎不知足。知足之為足，此恒足矣。 |
| | No crime is greater than excessive desire; no fault is more certain than wanting to obtain; no calamity is greater than not knowing contentment. To know that what one has is sufficient, this will always be enough.
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| | 老子甲: |
以道佐人主者，不欲以兵強於天下。善者果而已，不以取強。果而弗伐，果而弗驕，果而弗矜，是謂果而不強。其事好長。 |
| | He who uses the Dao to assist a ruler does not wish to use military strength to dominate the world. The good person achieves results only, without using force to gain dominance. Achieving results without boasting, achieving results without arrogance, achieving results without conceit—this is called achieving results without being overbearing. Such deeds are enduring and long-lasting.
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| | 老子甲: |
古之善為士者，必微妙玄達，深不可識，是以為之頌：豫乎若冬涉川，猶乎其若畏四鄰，敢乎其若客，渙乎其若釋，屯乎其若樸，沌乎其若濁。孰能濁以靜者，將徐清。孰能牝以主者，將徐生。保此道者不欲尚浧。 |
| | Those of old who were skilled in the Way were necessarily subtle, profound, and far-reaching; their depth was unfathomable. Therefore, they are praised thus: cautious as if treading on a winter stream, alert as if fearing nearby neighbors, respectful as a guest, composed as one shedding burdens, solid as uncarved wood, muddled as murky water. Who can bring stillness to turbidity? It will gradually become clear. Who can be like the female, yielding yet dominant? Life will slowly emerge. Those who preserve this Dao do not seek to display strength.
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| | 老子甲: |
為之者敗之，執之者失之。是以聖人亡為，故亡敗；亡執，故亡失。臨事之紀，慎終如始，此亡敗事矣。聖人欲不欲，不貴難得之貨，教不教，復眾之所過。是故聖人能尃萬物之自然，而弗能為。 |
| | He who acts will fail; he who grasps will lose it. Therefore, the sage does nothing, and thus suffers no failure; He holds on to nothing, hence he loses nothing. Approaching the affairs of governance with care, being as cautious at the end as at the beginning—this ensures no failure in matters. The sage desires what others do not desire, does not value rare goods that are hard to obtain, teaches without teaching, and helps the people correct their past mistakes. Therefore, a sage can assist in the natural course of all things but does not impose his will upon them.
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| | 老子甲: |
道恒亡為也，侯王能守之，而萬物將自化。化而欲作，將正之以亡名之樸。夫亦將知，知足以靜，萬物將自定。 |
| | The Dao is always non-action; if marquises and kings can uphold it, all things will transform themselves naturally. When transformation brings forth desires, one should regulate them with the uncarved simplicity of namelessness. Thus they will also know: knowing that what is sufficient is enough, all things in the world will find their own peace.
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| | 老子甲: |
為亡為，事亡事，味亡味。大，小之；多易必多難。是以聖人猷難之，故終亡難。 |
| | Practice non-action as action; deal with affairs without entanglement; savor flavors without excess. The great is made small; What seems easy will inevitably bring much difficulty. Therefore, the sage anticipates difficulties and thus ultimately encounters no difficulty.
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| | 老子甲: |
天下皆知美之為美也，惡已；皆知善，此斯不善已。有亡之相生也，難易之相成也，長短之相形也，高下之相呈也，音聲之相和也，先後之相隨也。是以聖人居亡為之事，行不言之教。萬物作而弗治也，為而弗志也，成而弗居。夫唯弗居也，是以弗去也。 |
| | When all under heaven know what beauty is, ugliness already exists; All knowing goodness, this very act gives rise to what is not good. Being and non-being give rise to each other; difficulty and ease complete each other; length and shortness define each other; height and depth present themselves in contrast; tones and sounds harmonize with each other; before and after follow one another. Therefore, the sage engages in non-action and practices teaching without words. All things arise but he does not control them; he acts but does not claim credit; he accomplishes things but does not dwell in them. Precisely because he does not dwell on his achievements, they remain with him forever.
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| | 老子甲: |
道恒亡名，樸，雖細，天地弗敢臣，侯王如能守之，萬物將自賓。天地相合也，以輸甘露。民莫之令而自均焉。始制有名。名亦既有，夫亦將知之，知之所以不殆。譬道之在天下也，猶小谷之與江海。 |
| | The Dao is always nameless and simple; though minute, heaven and earth dare not subdue it. If marquises and kings could uphold it, all things would come into harmony by themselves. When heaven and earth harmonize, they pour forth sweet dew. The people need no command; it is distributed evenly by itself. When things first took form, names were assigned. Once names exist, one will also know them; knowing is thus free from danger. The Dao in the world is like a small stream flowing into the great rivers and seas.
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| | 老子甲: |
有狀混成，先天地生，清寥，獨立不亥，可以為天下母。未知其名，字之曰道，吾強為之名曰大。大曰折，折曰轉，轉曰返。天大，地大，道大，王亦大。域中有四大，而王居一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。 |
| | There exists an undivided form, which came before heaven and earth; it is pure and empty, independent and unchanging, and can be called the mother of all under heaven. Its name is unknown; I call it the Dao. I forcefully give it a name: Greatness. Greatness means to extend, extension leads to turning, and turning returns. Heaven is great, earth is great, the Dao is great, and the ruler is also great. In the realm of existence there are four Greats, and the ruler occupies one among them. People follow the earth; the earth follows heaven; heaven follows the Dao; the Dao follows nature.
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| | 老子甲: |
天地之間，其猶橐籥與？虛而不屈，沖而愈出。 |
| | 鞲 The space between heaven and earth, is it not like a bellows? Though empty, it does not collapse; though stirred, more emerges.
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| | 老子甲: |
至虛恒也；守沖篤也。萬物方作，居以顧復也。天道云云，各復其根。 |
| | The utmost emptiness is always so; To hold to the center and be steadfast. All things are just beginning; he dwells in stillness, returning again and again. The Dao of heaven moves on and on, each thing returns to its root.
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| | 老子甲: |
其安也，易持也；其未兆也，易謀也；其脆也，易判也；其幾也，易踐也。為之於其亡有也。治之於其未亂。合末，九成之臺，作足下。 |
| | When things are at peace, they are easy to hold onto; Before signs appear, it is easy to plan for them; When things are brittle, they are easily broken apart; When the opportunity is slight, it is easily missed. Act before there is a problem. Govern before disorder arises. Unite the ends, build a nine-tiered terrace, begin from beneath one's feet.
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| | 老子甲: |
知之者弗言，言之者弗知。閉其兌，塞其門，和其廣，同其塵，畜其銳，解其忿，是謂玄同。故不可得而親，亦不可得而疏；不可得而利，亦不可得而害；不可得而貴，亦不可得而賤。故為天下貴。 |
| | He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know. Close the gate of the senses, block the door to desires; harmonize with all things broadly, blend with the dust of the world; preserve one's sharpness, release anger—this is called profound unity. Therefore, he cannot be won over by affection, nor can he be alienated by estrangement; he cannot be tempted by profit, nor harmed by adversity; he cannot be elevated by honor, nor devalued by disgrace. Therefore, he is esteemed throughout the world.
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| | 老子甲: |
以正之邦，以奇用兵，以亡事取天下。吾何以知其然也。夫天多忌諱而民彌叛。民多利器而邦滋昏。人多智而奇物滋起。法物滋章盜賊多有。是以聖人之言曰：我無事而民自富。我亡為而民自化。我好靜而民自正。我欲不欲而民自樸。 |
| | Govern a state with uprightness, wage war with strategy, and gain the world by non-action. How do I know this to be so? The more prohibitions heaven imposes, the more the people rebel. The more sharp tools the people possess, the more confused the state becomes. The more intelligent people become, the more strange things arise. When laws and regulations multiply in detail, thieves and robbers abound. Therefore, the sage says: "I take no action, yet the people become rich by themselves." "I do nothing, and the people transform themselves naturally." "I love stillness, and the people become upright by themselves." "I desire what others do not desire; thus the people return to simplicity by themselves."
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| | 老子甲: |
含德之厚者，比於赤子，蜂蠆虺蛇弗螫，攫鳥猛獸弗搏，骨弱筋柔而捉固。未知牝牡之合朘怒，精之至也。終日乎而不憂，和之至也，和曰常，知和曰明。益生曰祥，心使氣曰強，物壯則老，是謂不道。 |
| | He who possesses great virtue is like a newborn child; scorpions, vipers, and poisonous snakes do not sting him; hawks and fierce beasts do not attack him. Though his bones are weak and sinews soft, his grip is firm. He does not know the union of male and female or the excitement of passion—this is the utmost purity of essence. For a whole day, he remains at ease without worry—this is the ultimate harmony. Harmony is called constancy; to know harmony is called enlightenment. To seek excessive life is an omen of misfortune; to let the mind dominate the breath is called strength. When things reach their peak, they grow old—this is called going against the Dao.
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| | 老子甲: |
名與身孰親？身與貨孰多？得與亡孰病？甚愛必大費，厚藏必多亡。故知足不辱；知止不殆：可以長久。 |
| | Which is more precious: reputation or life? Which is more important: life or wealth? Which brings greater harm: gaining or losing? Excessive love inevitably leads to great expenditure; heavy hoarding necessarily results in much loss. Therefore, knowing contentment brings no disgrace; Knowing when to stop brings no danger: this is how one can endure long.
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| | 老子甲: |
返也者，道動也。弱也者，道之用也。天下之物生於有，生於亡。 |
| | Returning is the movement of the Dao. Weakness is the function of the Dao. All things under heaven arise from being, and being arises from non-being.
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| | 老子甲: |
持而浧之，不不若已。揣而銳之，不可長保也。金玉浧室，莫能守也。貴福驕，自遺咎也。功遂身退，天之道也。 |
| | Grasping and holding on—this is not as good as stopping. Sharpening it to a point—it cannot be preserved for long. Treasures of gold and jade in a house—none can truly guard them. To value wealth and become arrogant is to invite self-inflicted blame. When success is achieved, withdraw from the scene—this is the way of heaven.
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