Public domain
The work and displayed translations are recorded as public domain or from an open transcription.
Laozi
Daodejing, Book of the Way and Virtue Chapter 37
Chapter 37 of 81
Canonical reference 37
Classical Chinese
Wang Bi received recension, base text without commentary
道常無為 而無不為。 侯王若能守之,萬物將自化。化而欲作,吾將鎮之以無名之樸。 無名之樸,夫亦將無欲。 不欲以靜,天下將自定。
English
James Legge · The Sacred Books of China, volume 39
The Tao in its regular course does nothing (for the sake of doing it), and so there is nothing which it does not do. If princes and kings were able to maintain it, all things would of themselves be transformed by them. If this transformation became to me an object of desire, I would express the desire by the nameless simplicity. Simplicity without a name Is free from all external aim. With no desire, at rest and still, All things go right as of their will.
French
Stanislas Julien · Imprimerie royale, Paris
Le Tao pratique constamment le non-agir et (pourtant) il n’y a rien qu’il ne fasse. Si les rois et les vassaux peuvent le conserver, tous les êtres se convertiront. Si, une fois convertis, ils veulent encore se mettre en mouvement, je les contiendrai à l’aide de l’être simple qui n’a pas de nom (c’est-à-dire par le Tao). L’être simple qui n’a pas de nom, il ne faut pas même le désirer. L’absence de désirs procure la quiétude. Alors l’empire se rectifie de lui-même.
Concepts in this passage
Care of the soul
View detailed page
Filter the library
Dao
View detailed page
Filter the library
De, virtuous efficacy
View detailed page
Filter the library
Desire
View detailed page
Filter the library
Useful emptiness
View detailed page
Filter the library
Faith
View detailed page
Filter the library
Freedom
View detailed page
Filter the library
Non-contention
View detailed page
Filter the library
Service
View detailed page
Filter the library
Uncarved simplicity
View detailed page
Filter the library
Softness
View detailed page
Filter the library
Tranquillity
View detailed page
Filter the library
Wuwei, action without forcing
View detailed page
Filter the library
Ziran, self-so
View detailed page
Filter the library