Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 42
Chapter 42 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。萬物負陰而抱陽，沖氣以為和。人之所惡，唯孤、寡、不穀，而王公以為稱。故物或損之而益，或益之而損。人之所教，我亦教之。強梁者不得其死，吾將以為教父。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
The Way gives birth to one; one gives birth to two; two gives birth to three; three gives birth to the ten thousand things.The ten thousand things bear yin on their backs and embrace yang, blending their vital breaths into harmony.What people despise are only “orphaned,” “bereft,” and “unworthy,” yet kings and lords use these as titles.Thus, some things are diminished and thereby increased; others are increased and thereby diminished.What others teach, I too teach:“The forceful and violent do not meet their natural death.” I shall take this as the father of my teaching.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
The Way brings forth one; one brings forth two; two brings forth three; three brings forth the ten thousand things.All things carry yin on their backs and hold yang in their arms; their mingling breath makes harmony.What people most despise—being orphaned, widowed, or worthless—kings and lords choose as their own titles.So some things gain through loss, while others lose through gain.What others teach, I too teach.The rigid and overbearing do not die a natural death; I will make this the founding father of my teaching.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. The Tao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things. All things leave behind them the Obscurity (out of which they have come), and go forward to embrace the Brightness (into which they have emerged), while they are harmonised by the Breath of Vacancy.
2. What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as carriages without naves; and yet these are the designations which kings and princes use for themselves. So it is that some things are increased by being diminished, and others are diminished by being increased.
3. What other men (thus) teach, I also teach. The violent and strong do not die their natural death. I will make this the basis of my teaching.