Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 75
Chapter 75 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
民之飢，以其上食稅之多，是以飢。民之難治，以其上之有為，是以難治。民之輕死，以其求生之厚，是以輕死。夫唯無以生為者，是賢於貴生。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
The people are hungry because those above consume too much in taxes; therefore they are hungry.The people are hard to govern because those above meddle in affairs; therefore they are hard to govern.The people make light of death because their pursuit of life is too lavish; therefore they make light of death.Only those who do not make life their business are wiser than those who prize life.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
The people go hungry because those above eat up so much in taxes. That is why they go hungry.The people are hard to govern because those above keep interfering. That is why they are hard to govern.The people make light of death because the pursuit of life weighs so heavily. That is why they make light of death.Only one who does not make a project of living is better than one who prizes life.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. The people suffer from famine because of the multitude of taxes consumed by their superiors. It is through this that they suffer famine.
2. The people are difficult to govern because of the (excessive) agency of their superiors (in governing them). It is through this that they are difficult to govern.
3. The people make light of dying because of the greatness of their labours in seeking for the means of living. It is this which makes them think light of dying. Thus it is that to leave the subject of living altogether out of view is better than to set a high value on it.