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Tao Te Ching (PDFDrive)
Tao Te Ching (PDFDrive)
Lao Tzu
A Translation into English by
A. S. KLINE
POETRY IN TRANSLATION
www.poetryintranslation.com
© Copyright 2003 A. S. Kline
Digital reproductions of art in the main text are courtesy of the public domain
collection of the Yale University Art Library (artgallery.yale.edu).
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alone. Although the author has made every effort to ensure that the information in
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ISBN-10: 1505423635
ISBN-13: 978-1505423631
Contents
Book I
I p. 7 XIV p. 23 XXVII p. 38
II p. 8 XV p. 24 XXVIII p. 39
III p. 9 XVI p. 25 XXIX p. 40
IV p. 11 XVII p. 26 XXX p. 41
V p. 12 XVIII p. 28 XXXI p. 42
VI p. 13 XIX p. 29 XXXII p. 44
VII p. 14 XX p. 30 XXXIII p. 45
VIII p. 16 XXI p. 31 XXXIV p. 46
IX p. 17 XXII p. 32 XXXV p. 47
X p. 19 XXIII p. 33 XXXVI p. 48
XI p. 20 XXIV p. 34 XXXVII p. 50
XII p. 21 XXV p. 36
XIII p. 22 XXVI p. 37
Book II
7
Tao Te Ching
II
8
Book I
9
Tao Te Ching
III
10
Book I
IV
11
Tao Te Ching
12
Book I
VI
13
Tao Te Ching
14
Book I
VII
15
Tao Te Ching
VIII
16
Book I
Fishermen in Conversation,
Ma Yuan (late 15th - early 16th century)
17
Tao Te Ching
IX
18
Book I
19
Tao Te Ching
XI
Thirty spokes
Round one hub.
Employ the nothing inside
And you can use a cart.
Knead the clay to make a pot.
Employ the nothing inside
And you can use a pot.
Cut out doors and windows.
Employ the nothing inside
And you can use a room.
What is achieved is something,
By employing nothing it can be used.
20
Book I
XII
21
Tao Te Ching
XIII
22
Book I
XIV
23
Tao Te Ching
XV
24
Book I
XVI
25
Tao Te Ching
26
Book I
XVII
27
Tao Te Ching
XVIII
28
Book I
XIX
29
Tao Te Ching
XX
30
Book I
XXI
31
Tao Te Ching
XXII
32
Book I
XXIII
To speak infrequently
Is natural.
So a strong wind won’t last all morning,
A downpour won’t last all day.
What causes these? Heaven and earth.
If even heaven and earth must rest,
How much more so human beings?
Therefore align yourself to the Way.
Aligned with the Way you are one with the Way.
Aligned with virtue you are one with virtue.
Aligned with the heavens you are one with the heavens.
The Way accepts this alignment gladly.
Virtue accepts this alignment gladly.
The heavens accept this alignment gladly.
When there is lack of faith
There is a lack of respect.
33
Tao Te Ching
34
Book I
XXIV
35
Tao Te Ching
XXV
36
Book I
XXVI
37
Tao Te Ching
XXVII
38
Book I
XXVIII
39
Tao Te Ching
XXIX
40
Book I
XXX
41
Tao Te Ching
42
Book I
XXXI
43
Tao Te Ching
XXXII
44
Book I
XXXIII
45
Tao Te Ching
XXXIV
46
Book I
XXXV
47
Tao Te Ching
48
Book I
XXXVI
In order to shrink it
It has to be stretched.
In order to weaken it
It has to be strong.
In order to raze it
You have to build it.
In order to take from it
You have to give to it.
This is called subtle understanding.
The soft and gentle conquers
The hard and violent.
The fish should not abandon the depths.
The state’s rewards and punishments
Should not be open to everyone.
49
Tao Te Ching
XXXVII
50
Book II
Book II
XXXVIII
53
Tao Te Ching
54
Book II
XXXIX
55
Tao Te Ching
XL
56
Book II
57
Tao Te Ching
XLI
58
Book II
XLII
59
Tao Te Ching
XLIII
60
Book II
XLIV
Which is dearer
Your fame or your self?
Which is more precious
Your self or possessions?
Which is worse
To gain or to lose?
So, great love
Leads to great sacrifice.
Great riches
Lead to great losses.
Know what is sufficient
And you won’t be humbled.
Know when to stop
And you’ll be free from danger.
Then you’ll last a long time.
61
Tao Te Ching
XLV
62
Book II
63
Tao Te Ching
XLVI
64
Book II
XLVII
65
Tao Te Ching
XLVIII
66
Book II
XLIX
67
Tao Te Ching
68
Book II
69
Tao Te Ching
LI
70
Book II
LII
71
Tao Te Ching
LIII
72
Book II
LIV
73
Tao Te Ching
LV
74
Book II
75
Tao Te Ching
LVI
76
Book II
LVII
77
Tao Te Ching
LVIII
78
Book II
LIX
79
Tao Te Ching
LX
80
Book II
Summer Landscape,
Dong Xiaochu (1632)
81
Tao Te Ching
LXI
82
Book II
LXII
83
Tao Te Ching
LXIII
84
Book II
LXIV
85
Tao Te Ching
LXV
86
Book II
LXVI
87
Tao Te Ching
LXVII
88
Book II
Pair of Doves,
14th century
89
Tao Te Ching
LXVIII
90
Book II
LXIX
91
Tao Te Ching
LXX
92
Book II
LXXI
93
Tao Te Ching
94
Book II
LXXII
95
Tao Te Ching
LXXIII
96
Book II
LXXIV
97
Tao Te Ching
LXXV
98
Book II
LXXVI
99
Tao Te Ching
LXXVII
100
Book II
LXXVIII
101
Tao Te Ching
102
Book II
LXXIX
103
Tao Te Ching
LXXX
104
Book II
LXXXI
105
106
Index of First Lines
107
Tao Te Ching
108
Index of First Lines
109
110
About the Translator
111