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Chapter 37

道常无为而无不为

道dào常cháng无wú为wéi而ér无wú不bù为wéi。
侯hóu王wáng若ruò能néng守shǒu之zhī，
万wàn物wù将jiāng自zì化huà。
化huà而ér欲yù作zuò，
吾wú将jiāng镇zhèn之zhī以yǐ无wú名míng之zhī朴pǔ。
镇zhèn之zhī以yǐ无wú名míng之zhī朴pǔ，
夫fū亦yì将jiāng不bù欲yù。
不bù欲yù以yǐ静jìng，
天tiān下xià将jiāng自zì正zhèng。

The Dao is ever non-acting (wuwei), yet nothing is undone. If a lord or king can preserve this the things of the world will of themselves be transformed. Transformed, should desire arise, I will press it down with the uncarved block of namelessness. The uncarved block of namelessness--surely then they shall be without desire. Without desire and thus still, so will the world be settled of itself.

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.