Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 35
Chapter 35 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
執大象，天下往。往而不害，安平大。樂與餌，過客止。道之出口，淡乎其無味，視之不足見，聽之不足聞，用之不足既。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Hold fast to the great Image, and all under heaven will come.They come and suffer no harm, finding profound peace and ease.Music and savory food make a passing traveler stop.But when the Way comes from the mouth, how bland and flavorless it is: looked at, it is not enough to be seen; listened to, not enough to be heard; put to use, not enough to be exhausted.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Hold to the great image, and all the world will come to it.Those who come are unharmed, finding rest, peace, and spaciousness.Music and delicacies make a passing traveler stop.Spoken aloud, the Way is bland, without flavor. Look at it: too little to see. Listen to it: too little to hear. Use it: it can never be exhausted.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. To him who holds in his hands the Great Image (of the invisible Tao), the whole world repairs. Men resort to him, and receive no hurt, but (find) rest, peace, and the feeling of ease.
2. Music and dainties will make the passing guest stop (for a time). But though the Tao as it comes from the mouth, seems insipid and has no flavour, though it seems not worth being looked at or listened to, the use of it is inexhaustible.