持而盈之 不若其已
[chi2] [er2] [ying2] [zhi1] [bu4] [ruo4] [qi2] [yi3]
To continue [filling] even though [the vessel is] full, is not as good as stopping
持而盈之，不如其已﹔
[chi2] [er2] [ying2] [zhi1]，[bu4] [ru2] [qi2] [yi3]﹔
To continue [filling] even though [the vessel is] full, is not as good as stopping
This section can be translated several ways, but I feel that this conveys the point most clearly for what I took from it.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 9”
上善如水 水利萬物而有爭居眾人之所惡 故幾於道矣
[shang4] [shan4] [ru2] [shui3] [shui3] [li4] [wan4] [wu4] [er2] [you3] [zheng1] [ju1] [zhong4] [ren2] [zhi1] [suo3] [wu4] [gu4] [ji1] [yu2] [dao4] [yi3]
The higher good is like water, water benefits the Ten Thousand Things and struggles to reside near the place the people [the masses] despise, thus, it is close to the Dao
上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭。處眾人之所惡，故幾於道。
[shang4] [shan4] [ruo4] [shui3]。 [shui3] [shan4] [li4] [wan4] [wu4] [er2] [bu4] [zheng1]。 [chu3] [zhong4] [ren2] [zhi1] [suo3] [wu4]， [gu4] [ji1] [yu2] [dao4]。
The higher good is like water.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 8”
天長地久
[tian1] [chang2] [di4] [jiu3]
Heaven and Earth are eternal [lit. long lasting]
天長地久。
[tian1] [chang2] [di4] [jiu3]。
Heaven and Earth are eternal [lit. long lasting]
Both heaven and earth are long lasting to the point of (seeming) eternal. The phrasing in the original is more poetic but harder to translate into English in a more literal sense.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 7”
浴神不死 是謂玄牝
[yu4] [shen2] [bu4] [si3] [shi4] [wei4] [xuan2] [pin4]
The spring spirit doesn’t die, it is called the dark [black, mysterious] female
谷神不死，是謂玄牝。
[gu3] [shen2] [bu4] [si3] ， [shi4] [wei4] [xuan2] [pin4] 。
The valley spirit doesn’t die, it is called the dark [black, mysterious] female
A fertile valley produces an abundance of crops and is a safe haven overall for those living in it; a spring produces what can be considered infinite water.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 6”
天地不仁 以萬物爲芻狗 聖人不仁 以百姓爲芻狗
[tian1] [di4] [bu4] [ren2] [yi3] [wan4] [wu4] [wei2] [chu2] [gou3] [sheng4] [ren2] [bu4] [ren2] [yi3] [bai3] [xing4] [wei2] [chu2] [gou3]
“Heaven and Earth” is not compassionate [merciful], it treats the Ten Thousand Things as straw dogs, the sages are not compassionate [merciful], they treat the common people as straw dogs
天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗﹔聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。
[tian1] [di4] [bu4] [ren2]， [yi3] [wan4] [wu4] [wei2] [chu2] [gou3]﹔ [sheng4] [ren2] [bu4] [ren2]， [yi3] [bai3] [xing4] [wei2] [chu2] [gou3]。
“Heaven and Earth” is not compassionate [merciful], it treats the Ten Thousand Things as straw dogs.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 5”
道沖而用之 有弗盈也 潚呵 始萬物之宗
[dao4] [chong1] [er2] [yong4] [zhi1] [you3] [fu2] [ying2] [ye3] [xiao1] [a1] [shi3] [wan4] [wu4] [zhi1] [zong1]
The Dao is poured from and used, [but] it is not filled, it is vast, it is ancestor to the start of the Ten Thousand Things
「道」沖，而用之或不盈。淵兮，似萬物之宗﹔
「[dao4]」 [chong1]， [er2] [yong4] [zhi1] [huo4] [bu4] [ying2]。 [yuan1] [xi1]， [si4] [wan4] [wu4] [zhi1] [zong1]
“The Dao” is poured from and used, [but] it it is not filled.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 4”
I decided to sit down and actually translate a few chapters before really deciding on whether I was going to stick to the style I started with or if I was going to go back and refine it further. Ultimately, for the time being at least, I have decided I like the methodology I am using and plan to stick to it.… Read the rest here “道德经 Translation Methodology and Project Introduction”
不上賢 使民不爭 不貴難得之貨 使民不爲盜 不見可欲 使民不亂
[bu4] [shang4] [xian2] [shi3] [min2] [bu4] [zheng1] [bu4] [gui4] [nan2] [de2] [zhi1] [huo4] [shi3] [min2] [bu4] [wei2] [dao4] [bu4] [xian4] [ke3] [yu4] [shi3] [min2] [bu4] [luan4]
Not elevating those who are virtuous, causes the people to not fight; not valuing that which is hard to acquire causes the people to not steal; not showing off that which is desirable causes the people to not be at unease
不尚賢，使民不爭﹔不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜﹔不見可欲，使民心不亂。
[bu4] [shang4] [xian2]， [shi3] [min2] [bu4] [zheng1]﹔ [bu4] [gui4] [nan2] [de2] [zhi1] [huo4]， [shi3] [min2] [bu4] [wei2] [dao4]﹔ [bu4] [xian4] [ke3] [yu4]， [shi3] [min2] [xin1] [bu4] [luan4]。
Not valuing those who are virtuous, causes the people to not fight; not valuing that which is hard to acquire causes the people to not steal; not showing off that which is desirable causes the people’s hearts to not be at unease
This section looks to basically work off of our previous chapter to a degree.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 3”
天下皆知美爲美 惡已
[tian1] [xia4] [jie1] [zhi1] [mei3] [wei2] [mei3] [e4] [yi3]
When everyone [under heaven] recognizes beauty as beauty, there is already ugliness [lit. evil]
天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已﹔
[tian1] [xia4] [jie1] [zhi1] [mei3] [zhi1] [wei2] [mei3] ， [si1] [e4] [yi3] ﹔
When everyone [under heaven] recognizes beauty as beauty, then there is already ugliness [lit.… Read the rest here “道德经 Chapter 2”
