道德經八十一章

道德經八十一章

 

信言不美，美言不信。善者不辯，辯者不善。知者不博，博者不知。聖人不積，既以為人己愈有，既以與人己愈多。天之道，利而不害。聖人之道，為而不爭。

 

True words carry no frills; words dressed in frills carry no truth.

The good do not argue, the arguers are not good.

The learned do not boast, the boasters are not truly learned.

The Sage does not hoard, for the more he offers to others,

The more he gathers to offer.

The Way of Heaven favours all and harms none.

The Way of the Sage serves sans contests.

 

Tr. Ziyuzile

29/04/2025

(To be revised)

 

Inspired by Jianjun’s superb translation, I give it a try for fun only....