Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 17
Chapter 17 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
太上，下知有之；其次，親而譽之；其次，畏之；其次，侮之。信不足，焉有不信焉。悠兮，其貴言。功成事遂，百姓皆謂我自然。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
The highest ruler: those below merely know that he exists;The next, they cherish and praise;The next, they fear;The next, they despise.Where trust is insufficient, distrust arises.How unhurried—he prizes his words.The work accomplished, the undertaking fulfilled, the hundred families all say: We are so of ourselves.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
With the best rulers, those below know only that they exist;Next come those they love and praise;Next come those they fear;Lowest are the rulers they scorn.When good faith falls short, distrust follows.Unhurried, they were sparing with words.The work complete, every undertaking fulfilled, all the people say: We did it ourselves.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. In the highest antiquity, (the people) did not know that there were (their rulers). In the next age they loved them and praised them. In the next they feared them; in the next they despised them. Thus it was that when faith (in the Tao) was deficient (in the rulers) a want of faith in them ensued (in the people).
2. How irresolute did those (earliest rulers) appear, showing (by their reticence) the importance which they set upon their words! Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!'