There are many different interpretations of the Daodejing, even among Chinese scholars, because the meaning is not laid out in logical detail. It is more poetic and meditative. Therefore, the Dao can best be appreciated by thinking of the images and meaning as they're expressed without trying to translate them into rigid logical structures.
As is my general goal in translation, I've tried to make as literal a translation as possible while sounding nice and being readable in English. This minimizes the amount of interpretation I impose on the reader, letting the reader generate his or her own interpretation.
Translation
The Path that can be the Path | 道 可 道 |
is not a common path | 非 常 道 |
The Name that can be the Name | 名 可 名 |
is not a common name | 非 常 名 |
Nameless the heaven and earth began | 無名 天地 之始 |
Having a name is the mother of all living things | 有名 萬物之 母 |
Because common, desire not | 故常 無欲 |
Therefore see its mystery | 以觀 其妙 |
The common have desire | 常 有欲 |
Therefore see its boundaries | 以 觀其徼 |
These are both sides | 此 兩者 |
Both emerging yet of a different name | 衕出 而異名 |
Both called a mystery | 衕謂 之玄 |
A mystery and again, a mystery | 玄之 又 玄 |
Innumerable are the entrances of the subtle | 衆 妙之 門 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
道可道， | 道可道， | Dào kě dào, |
非常道。 | 非常道。 | Fēi cháng dào. |
名可名， | 名可名， | Míng kě míng, |
非常名。 | 非常名。 | Fēi cháng míng. |
無名天地之始； | 无名天地之始； | Wú míng tiān dì zhī shǐ; |
有名萬物之母。 | 有名万物之母。 | Yǒu míng wàn wù zhī mǔ. |
故常無欲， | 故常无欲， | Gù cháng wú yù, |
以觀其妙； | 以观其妙； | Yǐ guān qí miào; |
常有欲， | 常有欲， | Cháng yǒu yù, |
以觀其徼。 | 以观其徼。 | Yǐ guān qí jiào. |
此兩者， | 此两者， | Cǐ liǎng zhě, |
衕出而異名， | 同出而异名， | Tóng chū ér yì míng, |
衕謂之玄。 | 同谓之玄。 | Tóng wèi zhī xuán. |
玄之又玄， | 玄之又玄， | Xuán zhī yòu xuán, |
衆妙之門。 | 众妙之门。 | Zhòng miào zhī mén. |
Literal Translation
道可道， | Path can path, |
非常道。 | not common path. [not common = unusual] |
名可名， | Name can name, |
非常名。 | not common name |
無名天地之始； | No name heaven earth ’s beginning [no name = nameless] |
有名萬物之母。 | Have name ten-thousand thing ’s mother [have name = famous; ten-thousand things = all living things] |
故常無欲， | Because/former common/often no desire |
以觀其妙； | Therefore see its mystery |
常有欲， | Common have desire |
以觀其徼。 | Therefore see its boundary |
此兩者， | This both those-who [both those-who = both sides] |
衕出而異名， | Both/same emerging yet different name |
衕謂之玄。 | both be called of-the profound |
玄之又玄， | Deep/profound it/goes-to also/again deep/profound [altogether means “mystery within a mystery”] |
衆妙之門。 | Masses/numerous subtle/wonderful of gate/entrance |
Year:
2011
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