Feebleness Follows Wholeness
| Original | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 曲 則 全 | feebleness follows wholeness |
| 枉 則 直 | gnarled follows straight |
| 窪 則 盈 | empty follows full |
| 敝 則 新 | worn follows new |
| 少 則 得 | lack follows plenty |
| 多 則 惑 | certainty follows question |
| 是 以 聖 人 | and so, the Daoist ... |
| 抱 一 以 為 天 下 式 | embraces the one, following the example of all-under-heaven |
| 不 自 見 故 明 | not self-displaying therefore sees-clearly |
| 不 自 是 故 彰 | not self-promoting therefore the clear-choice |
| 不 自 伐 故 有 功 | not self-boasting therefore having merit |
| 不 自 矜 故 長 | not self-pitying therefore improving |
| 夫 唯 不 爭 | and by not competing |
| 故 天 下 莫 能 與 之 爭 | there are none under heaven who with them can compete |
| 古 之 所 謂 | as the ancients said |
| 曲 則 全 者 | feeblenesss follows after that which is whole |
| 豈 虛 言 哉 | how can their words be false? |
| 誠 全 而 歸 之 | wholly true, and applicable to them |
My Comments:
this chapter is fun.
I really like the end.
I guess that's true of the end of several of them.
"The healthy will eventually get old and die" -- the ancient sages. "they were right ... and they dead" -- Laozi (mic drop)