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Chapter 81

信言不美

信xìn言yán不bù美měi，
美měi言yán不bù信xìn。
善shàn者zhě不bù辩biàn，
辩biàn者zhě不bù善shàn。
知zhī者zhě不bù博bó，
博bó者zhě不bù知zhī。
圣shèng人rén不bù积jī，
既jì以yǐ为wéi人rén己jǐ愈yù有yǒu，
既jì以yǐ与yǔ人rén己jǐ愈yù多duō。
天tiān之zhī道dào，
利lì而ér不bù害hài；

a> Trustworthy words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not trustworthy. Good words are not eloquent; eloquent words are not good.

b> The wise are not broadly learned; the broadly learned are not wise.

c> The sage does not hoard. Having used what he has for others, his possessions increase; having given what he has to others, he has more and more.

d> The dao of Tian benefits and does not harm. The dao of the sage is for others and does not contend.

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.