| 有 物 混 成 |
there exists a thing, everwhere-drifting |
| 先 天 地 生 |
before heaven and earth were given life |
| 寂 兮 寥 兮 |
the stillness! the emptiness! |
| 獨 立 不 改 |
alone-standing, un-changing |
| 周 行 而 不 殆 |
cyclically-progressing, but not-diminishing |
| 可 以 為 天 下 母 |
could be thought of as all-under-heaven's matriarch |
| 吾 不 知 其 名 |
I dont know its original name |
| 字 之 曰 道 |
let's call it the Way |
| 強 為 之 名 曰 大 |
if we must define it, call it vast |
| 大 曰 逝 |
vast, call it past-living |
| 逝 曰 遠 |
past-living, call it beyond-distant |
| 遠 曰 反 |
beyond-distance, call it ever-present |
| 故 道 大 |
which is why the Way is vast |
| 天 大 |
heaven is vast |
| 地 大 |
earth is vast |
| 王 亦 大 |
its dominion is also vast |
| 域 中 有 四 大 |
having 4 domains within it |
| 而 王 居 其 一 焉 |
but how does it govern, which is the first? |
| 人 法 地 |
man is subject to earth |
| 地 法 天 |
earth is subject to heaven |
| 天 法 道 |
heaven is subject to the-Way |
| 道 法 自 然 |
the-Way is subject to its-own-nature |