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Laozi

Daodejing, Book of the Way and Virtue Chapter 45

Chapter 45 of 81

Canonical reference 45

Classical Chinese

Wang Bi received recension, base text without commentary

大成若缺,其用不弊。 大盈若沖,其用不窮。 大直若屈,其用不居。 大巧若拙,其用不輟。 大辯若訥,其用不差。 躁勝寒,靜勝熱。清靜為天下正。

English

James Legge · The Sacred Books of China, volume 39

Who thinks his great achievements poor Shall find his vigour long endure. Of greatest fulness, deemed a void, Exhaustion ne'er shall stem the tide. Do thou what's straight still crooked deem; Thy greatest art still stupid seem, And eloquence a stammering scream. Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.

French

Stanislas Julien · Imprimerie royale, Paris

(Le Saint) est grandement parfait, et il paraît plein d’imperfections ; ses ressources ne s’usent point. Il est grandement plein, et il paraît vide ; ses ressources ne s’épuisent point. Il est grandement droit, et il semble manquer de rectitude. Il est grandement ingénieux, et il paraît stupide. Il est grandement disert, et il paraît bègue. Le mouvement triomphe du froid ; le repos triomphe de la chaleur. Celui qui est pur et tranquille devient le modèle de l’univers.

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