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Chapter 28

知其雄

知zhī其qí雄xióng，
守shǒu其qí雌cí，
为wéi天tiān下xià溪xī。
为wéi天tiān下xià溪xī，
常cháng德dé不bù离lí，
复fù归guī于yú婴yīng儿ér。
知zhī其qí白bái，
守shǒu其qí黑hēi，
为wéi天tiān下xià式shì，
常cháng德dé不bù忒tuō，
复fù归guī于yú无wú极jí。
知zhī其qí荣róng，
守shǒu其qí辱rǔ，
为wéi天tiān下xià谷gǔ。
为wéi天tiān下xià谷gǔ，
常cháng德dé乃nǎi足zú，
复fù归guī于yú朴pǔ。
为wéi天tiān下xià式shì。
朴pǔ散sàn则zé为wèi器qì，
圣shèng人rén用yòng之zhī，
则zé为wéi官guān长zhǎng，
故gù大dà制zhì不bù割gē。

a> One who knows the male but preserves the female becomes a ravine to the world. Such a one never swerves from constant virtue and returns again to be a new born baby.

One who knows white but preserves black becomes a standard for the world. Such a one never deviates from constant virtue and returns again to being limitless.

One who knows glory but preserves shame becomes a valley to the world. Such a one is always supplied with constant virtue and returns again to be an uncarved block.

b> When the uncarved block is dispersed, vessels are made from it. The sage uses these to become the leader of the officers of state. Thus the greatest carving never cuts.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.

© 2010, 2016, 2019 Robert Eno. Freely available for personal use and not-for-profit educational settings. For other purposes, apart from fair use, copyright is not waived.