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Chapter 51

道生之

道dào生shēng之zhī，
德dé畜xù之zhī，
物wù形xíng之zhī，
势shì成chéng之zhī。
是shì以yǐ万wàn物wù莫mò不bù尊zūn道dào而ér贵guì德dé。
道dào之zhī尊zūn，
德dé之zhī贵guì，
夫fū莫mò之zhī命mìng而ér常cháng自zì然rán。
故gù道dào生shēng之zhī，
德dé畜xù之zhī；
长zhǎng之zhī育yù之zhī；
成chéng之zhī熟shú之zhī；
养yǎng之zhī覆fù之zhī。
生shēng而ér不bù有yǒu，
为wéi而ér不bù恃shì，
长zhǎng而ér不bù宰zǎi。

a> The Dao gives birth to them, virtue (de) rears them, things give them form, circumstances complete them.

Thus all things in the world revere Dao and honor virtue. That the Dao is revered and virtue honored is ordained by no one; it is ever so of itself.

Thus the Dao gives birth to them and virtue rears them – fosters them, nurtures them, settles them, completes them, nourishes them, covers them.

b> To live but not possess, to act but depend on nothing, to lead without directing, this is called mysterious virtue.

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.