Chapter 41

上士闻道

Chapter Translation

上shàng士shì闻wén道dào，

勤qín而ér行xíng之zhī；

中zhōng士shì闻wén道dào，

若ruò存cún若ruò亡wáng；

下xià士shì闻wén道dào，

大dà笑xiào之zhī。

不bù笑xiào不bù足zú以yǐ为wéi道dào。

故gù建jiàn言yán有yǒu之zhī：

明míng道dào若ruò昧mèi；

进jìn道dào若ruò退tuì；

夷yí道dào若ruò颣léi；

上shàng德dé若ruò谷gǔ；

大dà白bái若ruò辱rǔ；

广guǎng德dé若ruò不bù足zú；

建jiàn德dé若ruò偷tōu；

质zhí真zhēn若ruò渝yú；

大dà方fāng无wú隅yú；

大dà器qì晚wǎn成chéng；

大dà音yīn希xī声shēng；

大dà象xiàng无wú形xíng；

道dào隐yǐn无wú名míng。

夫fū唯wéi道dào，

善shàn贷dài且qiě成chéng。

a> When the best gentlemen hear the Dao they practice it assiduously. When middling gentlemen hear the Dao, sometimes they seem to have it, sometimes they seem to have lost it. When the least of gentlemen hear the Dao they laugh out loud. If they did not laugh out loud, it would not be the Dao.

b> Thus the ‘Standard Sayings’ says: The bright dao seems dark, The advancing dao seems to retreat, The level dao seems steep.

Highest virtue (de) seems a valley, Greatest white seems sullied, Broad virtue seems inadequate, Vigorous virtue seems to shirk, Plain virtue seems soiled. The great square is cornerless The great vessel is last complete, The great note is rarified sound, The great image has no form.

c> The Dao hides in wordlessness. Only the Dao is well begun and well completed.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.