Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 73
Chapter 73 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
勇於敢則殺，勇於不敢則活。此兩者，或利或害。天之所惡，孰知其故？是以聖人猶難之。天之道，不爭而善勝，不言而善應，不召而自來，繟然而善謀。天網恢恢，踈而不失。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Courage in daring leads to death; courage in not daring leads to life.Of these two, one may bring benefit, the other harm.What Heaven detests—who knows the reason?Therefore even the sage finds this difficult.The Way of Heaven does not contend, yet excels in victory; does not speak, yet excels in answering; summons no one, yet all comes of itself; unhurried, yet excels in design.Heaven’s net is vast, vast; its mesh is wide, yet nothing slips through.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Courage that dares meets death; courage that does not dare survives.Of the two, one helps; the other harms.What Heaven abhors—who knows why?So this remains difficult even for the sage.Without contending, Heaven’s way prevails; without speaking, it answers; unsummoned, it comes of itself; at ease, it plans well.Heaven’s net is immense; its mesh is wide, yet nothing slips through.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. He whose boldness appears in his daring (to do wrong, in defiance of the laws) is put to death; he whose boldness appears in his not daring (to do so) lives on. Of these two cases the one appears to be advantageous, and the other to be injurious. But
When Heaven's anger smites a man,Who the cause shall truly scan?
On this account the sage feels a difficulty (as to what to do in the former case).
2. It is the way of Heaven not to strive, and yet it skilfully overcomes; not to speak, and yet it is skilful in obtaining a reply; does not call, and yet men come to it of themselves. Its demonstrations are quiet, and yet its plans are skilful and effective. The meshes of the net of Heaven are large; far apart, but letting nothing escape.