道德经上篇:《道经》
第十六章
【原文】
致虚极,守静笃(dǔ)①。万物并作,吾以观复。夫物芸芸③,各复归其根。归根曰静③,静曰复命。复命曰常④,知常曰明。不知常,妄作凶。知常容⑤,容乃公,公乃全,全乃天⑥,天乃道,乃久,没身不殆⑦。
【注释】
①笃(dǔ):极度、顶点。
②芸芸:纷杂茂盛,常用来形容草木的繁盛。
③根:即事物的根本。
④常:万物运动与变化中的不变的律则。
⑤容:包容、宽容。
⑥天:自然界的天。
⑦没身:终身。
【译文】
使心灵空明虚寂到极点,使生活的清静达到极致。在万物都蓬勃生长的时候,我从中仔细观察它们生死循环的道理。天下万物虽然纷纷芸芸,但最终都将回复到它们的本根。返回本根就叫“静”,静叫作复归本性。复归本性是万物运动与变化中不变的律则,认识和了解万物运动与变化都依循着循环往复的律则,叫作“明”。不了解这个不变的律则,轻举妄动就会有凶险。了解了这个不变的律则的人,就能做到宽容,做到了宽容就能坦然大公,坦然大公才能无不周遍,无不周遍才符合自然,符合自然才能符合于“道”,得道而行才能长久,终身可免于危殆。
English Translation
Version 1:by Daniel Baida Su and Shangyu Chen
Humble to the utmost and completely tranquil,
I can see the coming and the going of all that grows.
Flourishing things of a million kinds,
All return to their roots.
Such a return is called tranquility;
Such tranquility is called return to life;
Such a return is eternity.
To know eternity is enlightenment;
Not to know eternity is waywardness,
Which results in calamity.
To know eternity is to embrace whatever comes;
To embrace whatever comes is to be just;
To be just is to be complete;
To be complete is to be like Heaven;
To be like Heaven is to return to Tao;
To return to Tao is to live long.
Your body falls away, yet you live on.
Version 2:by John C. H. Wu