Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 72
Chapter 72 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
民不畏威，則大威至。無狎其所居，無厭其所生。夫唯不厭，是以不厭。是以聖人自知不自見；自愛不自貴。故去彼取此。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
When the people no longer fear dread power, great dread descends.Do not crowd the place where they dwell; do not oppress the life they live.Only by not oppressing them do you remain beyond their disgust.Thus the sage knows himself but does not display himself;Loves himself but does not exalt himself.Therefore he leaves that and takes this.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
When the people no longer dread the ruler’s power, a greater dread arrives.Do not hem in their homes; do not crush their means of living.Only because he does not oppress them do they not grow sick of him.Thus the sage knows himself without making a show of himself;he cares for himself without setting himself above others.So he leaves that behind and chooses this.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. When the people do not fear what they ought to fear, that which is their great dread will come on them.
2. Let them not thoughtlessly indulge themselves in their ordinary life; let them not act as if weary of what that life depends on.
3. It is by avoiding such indulgence that such weariness does not arise.
4. Therefore the sage knows (these things) of himself, but does not parade (his knowledge); loves, but does not (appear to set a) value on, himself. And thus he puts the latter alternative away and makes choice of the former.