Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 67
Chapter 67 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖久矣。其細也夫！我有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。慈故能勇；儉故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長。今舍慈且勇；舍儉且廣；舍後且先；死矣！夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
All under Heaven say my Way is great, yet resembles nothing.Only because it is great does it resemble nothing.If it resembled anything, long agoHow small it would have become!I have three treasures, which I hold and preserve.The first is compassion, the second is frugality, the third is not daring to be first under Heaven.Through compassion, one can be brave;Through frugality, one can be generous;By not daring to be first under Heaven, one can become chief among vessels.Now, abandon compassion and yet be brave;Abandon frugality and yet be generous;Abandon the rear and yet go first—Death!With compassion, one wins when waging war and stands firm when defending.When Heaven would save someone, it guards that person with compassion.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
All the world says my Way is great, yet it resembles nothing they know.Only because it is great does it resemble nothing.If it had resembled anything, by now—how small it would have become!I have three treasures; I hold them close and keep them safe.The first is compassion; the second, frugality; the third, not daring to take the lead in the world.Compassion makes courage possible;frugality gives generosity reach;not daring to lead the world enables one to become chief among its officers.Now people cast off compassion, yet expect to be brave;they cast off frugality, yet expect to give freely;they cast off staying behind, yet expect to lead;Death!With compassion, one wins in battle and stands firm in defense.When Heaven is about to save someone, it shields them with compassion.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known!
2. But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.
3. With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;--(of all which the end is) death.
4. Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.