Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 55
Chapter 55 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
含德之厚，比於赤子。蜂蠆虺蛇不螫，猛獸不據，攫鳥不搏。骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之合而全作，精之至也。終日號而不嗄，和之至也。知和曰常，知常曰明，益生曰祥。心使氣曰強。物壯則老，謂之不道，不道早已。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
One who holds Virtue in fullness may be compared to a newborn child.Wasps, scorpions, vipers, and snakes do not sting it; fierce beasts do not seize it; birds of prey do not strike it.Its bones are weak and sinews soft, yet its grip is firm.Knowing nothing of the union of female and male, its member rises whole: the utmost of vital essence.It cries all day without growing hoarse: the utmost of harmony.To know harmony is called constancy; to know constancy is called illumination; forcing life is called ominous.When the heart drives the vital breath, this is called force.Things grown strong then age: this is called not the Way; what is not the Way soon ends.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
One whose integrity runs deep within may be compared to a newborn child.Wasps, scorpions, vipers, and snakes do not sting or bite it; fierce beasts do not seize it; birds of prey do not strike.Its bones are weak, its sinews soft, yet its fist is tightly clenched.It knows nothing of the union of female and male, yet its member rises: vital essence at its fullest.It cries all day and never grows hoarse: harmony at its fullest.To know harmony is called constancy; to know constancy is called clarity; trying to prolong one’s life is called an ill omen.When the mind commands the vital breath, that is called forcing.Whatever reaches full vigor begins at once to age. This is called going against the Way; what goes against the Way comes to an early end.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. He who has in himself abundantly the attributes (of the Tao) is like an infant. Poisonous insects will not sting him; fierce beasts will not seize him; birds of prey will not strike him.
2. (The infant's) bones are weak and its sinews soft, but yet its grasp is firm. It knows not yet the union of male and female, and yet its virile member may be excited;--showing the perfection of its physical essence. All day long it will cry without its throat becoming hoarse;--showing the harmony (in its constitution).
3.
To him by whom this harmony is known,(The secret of) the unchanging (Tao) is shown,And in the knowledge wisdom finds its throne.All life-increasing arts to evil turn;Where the mind makes the vital breath to burn,(False) is the strength, (and o'er it we should mourn.)
4. When things have become strong, they (then) become old, which may be said to be contrary to the Tao. Whatever is contrary to the Tao soon ends.