Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 25
Chapter 25 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，獨立不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。吾不知其名，字之曰道，強為之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。故道大，天大，地大，王亦大。域中有四大，而王居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
There is a thing formed in mystery, born before heaven and earth.Silent, empty—standing alone, unchanging; moving all around, never imperiled; it may be deemed the Mother under Heaven.I do not know its name; I style it the Way, and, compelled to name it, call it Great.Great means passing on; passing on means far-reaching; far-reaching means returning.Thus the Way is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and the king too is great.Within the realm are four great ones, and the king dwells as one among them.Humanity models itself on Earth, Earth on Heaven, Heaven on the Way, and the Way on what is so of itself.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
There is a thing, undivided and whole, born before Heaven and Earth.Silent and empty, it stands alone, unchanged. Circling everywhere, it never fails; it may be the mother of all under heaven.I do not know its name. I call it the Way; forced to name it, I call it Great.Great, it passes on; passing on, it reaches far; reaching far, it turns back.Thus the Way is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; the king, too, is great.Within the universe, four are great, and the king is one of them.Humankind models itself on Earth; Earth on Heaven; Heaven on the Way; the Way on what is so of itself.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. There was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth. How still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere and in no danger (of being exhausted)! It may be regarded as the Mother of all things.
2. I do not know its name, and I give it the designation of the Tao (the Way or Course). Making an effort (further) to give it a name I call it The Great.
3. Great, it passes on (in constant flow). Passing on, it becomes remote. Having become remote, it returns. Therefore the Tao is great; Heaven is great; Earth is great; and the (sage) king is also great. In the universe there are four that are great, and the (sage) king is one of them.
4. Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.