Societal Decay
| Original | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 大 道 廢 | The great way left behind, |
| 有 仁 義 | goodness and integrity come to being |
| 慧 智 出 | intelligence and wisdom happening, |
| 有 大 偽 | great deceptions come to being |
| 六 親 不 和 | the six relatives lacking harmony, |
| 有 孝 慈 | filial-piety comes to being |
| 國 家 昏 亂 | the nation teetering on lawlessness, |
| 有 忠 臣 | loyal officials come to being |
The great Way abandoned ... (you'll) have ethical laws. the expert advisors happening ... (you'll) have great deceptions. the six relatives not agreeing ... (you'll) have filial-piety. the nation on the verge of rioting ... (you'll) have loyal officials
My Comments:
I detect a LOT of sarcasm in this chapter
you could "air quotes" just about every "good" thing in this chapter, and the end result makes tons of sense.
note: filial-piety is society "enforced" honoring of one's parents.