Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 19
Chapter 19 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
絕聖棄智，民利百倍；絕仁棄義，民復孝慈；絕巧棄利，盜賊無有。此三者以為文不足。故令有所屬：見素抱樸，少私寡欲。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Cut off sageliness, cast away wisdom, and the people benefit a hundredfold;Cut off benevolence, cast away righteousness, and the people return to filial devotion and parental care;Cut off cunning, cast away profit, and thieves and robbers cease to be.Yet these three, taken as doctrine, are not enough.Therefore let there be something to belong to: reveal the plain, embrace the uncarved wood, lessen self-interest, diminish desire.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Renounce sagehood and cast off cleverness; the people will benefit a hundredfold.Renounce benevolence and cast off righteousness; the people will return to filial devotion and loving care.Renounce contrivance and abandon the pursuit of gain; thieves and robbers will disappear.But these three, set down as doctrine, are not enough.So give the people something to hold to: show the undyed silk, embrace the uncarved wood; lessen self-interest and keep desires few.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. If we could renounce our sageness and discard our wisdom, it would be better for the people a hundredfold. If we could renounce our benevolence and discard our righteousness, the people would again become filial and kindly. If we could renounce our artful contrivances and discard our (scheming for) gain, there would be no thieves nor robbers.
2.
Those three methods (of government)Thought olden ways in elegance did failAnd made these names their want of worth to veil;But simple views, and courses plain and trueWould selfish ends and many lusts eschew.