Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 28
Chapter 28 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿。為天下谿，常德不離，復歸於嬰兒。知其白，守其黑，為天下式。為天下式，常德不忒，復歸於無極。知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷。為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸於樸。樸散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長，故大制不割。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Know the male, hold to the female, and become the streambed under Heaven.Being the streambed under Heaven, constant virtue never leaves you, and you return again to the infant.Know the white, hold to the black, and become the pattern under Heaven.Being the pattern under Heaven, constant virtue never strays, and you return again to the limitless.Know honor, hold to disgrace, and become the valley under Heaven.Being the valley under Heaven, constant virtue is then sufficient, and you return again to uncarved wood.When uncarved wood is divided, it becomes vessels; when the sage employs them, he becomes chief among officials; thus the great shaping does not cut apart.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Know the male’s strength, yet keep to the female; become the ravine where all beneath heaven flows.Be the ravine of all beneath heaven, and enduring inner power will not leave you; you return to the state of a newborn child.Know the brightness of white, yet hold to the darkness of black; become the measure for all beneath heaven.Be the measure for all beneath heaven, and enduring inner power will never stray; you return to the boundless.Know glory, yet stay with disgrace; become the valley of all beneath heaven.Be the valley of all beneath heaven, and enduring inner power comes to fullness; you return to uncarved wood.When uncarved wood is split apart, it becomes useful vessels; the sage uses them and becomes chief of officials. So the greatest ordering cuts nothing apart.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1.
Who knows his manhood's strength,Yet still his female feebleness maintains;As to one channel flow the many drains,All come to him, yea, all beneath the sky.Thus he the constant excellence retains;The simple child again, free from all stains.
Who knows how white attracts,Yet always keeps himself within black's shade,The pattern of humility displayed,Displayed in view of all beneath the sky;He in the unchanging excellence arrayed,Endless return to man's first state has made.
Who knows how glory shines,Yet loves disgrace, nor e'er for it is pale;Behold his presence in a spacious vale,To which men come from all beneath the sky.The unchanging excellence completes its tale;The simple infant man in him we hail.
2. The unwrought material, when divided and distributed, forms vessels. The sage, when employed, becomes the Head of all the Officers (of government); and in his greatest regulations he employs no violent measures.