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Chapter 77

天之道

天tiān之zhī道dào，
其qí犹yóu张zhāng弓gōng欤yú？
高gāo者zhě抑yì之zhī，
下xià者zhě举jǔ之zhī；
有yǒu馀yú者zhě损sǔn之zhī，
不bù足zú者zhě补bǔ之zhī。
天tiān之zhī道dào，
损sǔn有yǒu馀yú而ér补bǔ不bù足zú。
人rén之zhī道dào，
则zé不bù然rán，
损sǔn不bù足zú以yǐ奉fèng有yǒu馀yú。
孰shú能néng有yǒu馀yú以yǐ奉fèng天tiān下xià，
唯wéi有yǒu道dào者zhě。
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén为wéi而ér不bù恃shì，
功gōng成chéng而ér不bù处chǔ，
其qí不bù欲yù见jiàn贤xián。

a> The dao of Tian is like the stretching of a bow: the high is brought down and the low is raised up; it takes from what has abundance and supplies what is wanting. The dao of Tian takes from what has abundance and supplies what is wanting, but the dao of man is not thus. It takes from what is wanting in order to supply what has abundance.

b> Who can serve Heaven by means of abundance? Only one who possesses the Dao.

c> Hence the sage acts but relies on nothing. His task accomplished, he does not take the credit: he does not wish to manifest his worth.

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.