古之善爲道者 微眇玄達 深不可志
[gu3] [zhi1] [shan4] [wei2] [dao4] [zhe3] [wei1] [miao3] [xuan2] [da2] [shen1] [bu4] [ke3] [zhi4]
The virtue of the ancients made [for] those who follow the Dao, profound, subtle, obscure, penetrating, deeper than can be understood [lit. kept in mind]
古之善為士者，微妙玄通，深不可識。
[gu3] [zhi1] [shan4] [wei2] [shi4] [zhe3]， [wei1] [miao4] [xuan2] [tong1]， [shen1] [bu4] [ke3] [zhi4]。
The virtue of the ancients made [for] scholars, profound, subtle, obscure, penetrating, deeper than can be understood [lit. kept in mind or known]
The ancient way of the Dao is profound, subtle, obscure, penetrating, and deeper than can be understood or known. This isn’t to say follow the old ways, but more adhere to the way the Dao was practiced as discussed in Chapter 14. The Dao is profound in that it shapes the way of the world; the Dao is subtle in that it is not overbearing; it is obscure in that it is not obvious; it is penetrating in that it permeates all of existence. The Dao transcends understanding and knowledge.
志~識
識 is either shi2 or zhi4, as it is a borrowed character for 志, I used the same pronunciation here.
夫唯不可志 故強爲之容
[fu1] [wei2] [bu4] [ke3] [zhi4] [gu4] [qiang2] [wei2] [zhi1] [rong2]
Only because one cannot know [it], thus it forces one towards [for] its appearance [or rites, rules, or patterns]
夫唯不可識，故強為之容
[fu1] [wei2] [bu4] [ke3] [zhi4]， [gu4] [qiang2] [wei2] [zhi1] [rong2]
Only because one cannot know [it], thus it forces one towards [for] its appearance [or rites, rules, or patterns]
This section seems a bit cryptic but reaches more towards something like Chapter One. The Dao is beyond description and can be hinted at but never really described. Since it is unknowable in its true state, we must reach for its patterns, its rules, its rites, and its patterns in order to really view it. We never really see it, but we whittle away what it is not to where we can infer what it is.
This section adds a bit of weight in its implication that specifically because we do not know it and cannot know it, only then can we really approach knowing it in a way that makes sense. Since the Dao is so ethereal and unknowable, we must approach it via what it says it is not rather than what it says it is. By understanding the rules, patterns, and rites we can see how to act in terms of following the Dao. Its external appearance is composed of the rules, patterns, and rites rather than just the surface of the Dao.
We deduce the Dao from its exterior. Trying to understand the Dao in its purest, internal principles is like trying to understand how every component in a computer works and then putting it all together to understand a piece of software. If we approach learning in this manner, we lose the forest for the trees and we are approaching it in a way which is far less efficient for our task at hand. This section says to focus more on the motions of following the Dao rather than understanding why, with the implication that the why will become apparent as one grows and learns from following the motions.
曰：與呵 其若冬涉水 猶呵 其若畏四鄰 儼呵 其若客 渙呵 其若淩澤 沌呵 其若樸 湷呵 其若濁 [氵+莊]呵 其若浴
[yue1]： [yu3] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [dong1] [she4] [shui3] [you2] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [wei4] [si4] [lin2] [yan3] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [ke4] [huan4] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [ling2] [ze2] [dun4] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [pu3] [hun2] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [zhuo2] [zhuang1?] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [yu4]
[It can be] said: Contact [participating], as if one fords water in winter, planning [scheming], as if one heeds the surrounding neighbors [lit. 4 neighbors], majestic, as if one acts as a guest, melting, as if one is like the water pooling on the ice, chaotic [turbid], it is like unprocessed lumber, muddy, it seems like muddied water [note: the original uses two different words for these versions of muddy], turbulent [rapidly flowing], it is like bathing
豫兮若冬涉川﹔猶兮若畏四鄰﹔儼兮其若客﹔渙兮若冰之釋﹔敦兮其若朴﹔曠兮其若谷﹔混兮其若濁。
[yu4] [xi1] [ruo4] [dong1] [she4] [chuan1]﹔ [you2] [xi1] [ruo4] [wei4] [si4] [lin2]﹔ [yan3] [xi1] [qi2] [ruo4] [ke4]﹔ [huan4] [xi1] [ruo4] [bing1] [zhi1] [shi4]﹔ [dun1] [xi1] [qi2] [ruo4] [piao2|po4]﹔[kuang4] [xi1] [qi2] [ruo4] [gu3]﹔ [hun2] [xi1] [qi2] [ruo4] [zhuo2]。
Prepared as if fording a river in winter, planning [scheming] as if one heeds the surrounding neighbors [lit. 4 neighbors], majestic as if one is a guest, melting as if it is water pooling on the ice, sincere as if it unprocessed lumber, open as if it were a valley, muddy as if it were muddied water [note: the original uses two different words for these versions of muddy]
This section includes a character which is not in Unicode. I approximated it as best as possible and put it in a separate set of brackets to make more sense. The pronunciation is not something I have a huge amount of knowledge of so I guessed based on the radical. I have not seen a definitive pronunciation anywhere else either.
To ford a river in winter, one must be prepared for the cold and for the ramifications of cold water in the cold. If one is wary of their neighbors in a warring state, one must be constantly planning in case of war or battle. When one is a guest, one must be the kind of guest one would invite back lest one be rude. One must melt and flow like water pooling on ice in the heat, and sincere like the natural wonder of unworked lumber, natural and unkempt, but strong and unyielding nonetheless. One must be like the valley, wide open, but unclear like the muddy water. There is a minor difference in terminology, but the first one adds that it is turbulent like bathing. When one bathes in the river, the filth is wiped away by the turbulence or else it would just pool around.
濁而情之余清 女以重之余生
[zhuo2] [er2] [qing2] [zhi1] [yu2] [qing1] [nv3] [yi3] [chong2] [zhi1] [yu2] [sheng1]
The muddy water with circumstance becomes calm, a woman’s pregnancy becomes life
孰能晦以理之徐明？孰能濁以靜之徐清？孰能安以動之徐生？
[shu2] [neng2] [hui4] [yi3] [li3] [zhi1] [xu2] [ming2]？ [shu2] [neng2] [zhuo2] [yi3] [jing4] [zhi1] [xu2] [qing1]？ [shu2] [neng2] [an1] [yi3] [dong4] [zhi1] [xu2] [sheng1]？
Who can [take] obscurity and use reason to slowly brighten [it up]? Who can [take] muddy water and calmly clear [it up]? Who can take what is calm and move it in order to bring [it to] life?
These sections also diverge a bit, and they end up leading to a slightly different conclusion depending on how you translate them. I included both versions, though not inline. There is an extra section between sections, but I feel it was added later as it does not really add to the interpretation in my opinion.
The first translation says that “The muddy water with circumstance becomes calm, a woman’s pregnancy becomes life.” This is to say, that with the right circumstances, muddy water will settle and become calm and clean. A woman who is pregnant will give birth to life if kept safe. Calmness, patience, and support without too much intervening lead to the ideal outcome.
The second translation shifts the focus a bit. We are taking a scenario and transforming it. Who is capable of these transformations? We have a transformation from obscurity (with the implication of darkness) into brightness. The only way to illuminate is with light, but where does the light come from and who can possess it? One who is enlightened enough to master fire or similar to bring light.
This section continues with turning muddy water into clear water. This requires patience and calmness (in terms of a natural method). Bringing life to term at peace to life requires the ability to bring safety and serenity to an area long enough for life to prosper (which also means resisting the temptation to be too comfortable and therefore lazy in peacetime). Crops need land which is not ravaged, women need time to bring a pregnancy to term, stock needs feed and calmness to prosper. By understanding the scenario and understanding what is needed, one who is enlightened is able to bring positive change and turn what may be negative into something positive.
葆此道不欲盈 夫唯不欲盈 是以能敝而不成
[bao3] [ci3] [dao4] [bu4] [yu4] [ying2] [fu1] [wei2] [bu4] [yu4] [ying2] [shi4] [yi3] [neng2] [bi4] [er2] [bu4] [cheng2]
[To] maintain the Dao, one does not want to be full, [therefore] one must not be full, because of this one may be hidden and not finished
保此道者不欲盈。夫唯不盈，故能蔽而新成。
[bao3] [ci3] [dao4] [zhe3] [bu4] [yu4] [ying2]。 [fu1] [wei2] [bu4] [ying2]， [gu4] [neng2] [bi4] [er2] [xin1] [cheng2]。
[To] maintain the Dao, one does not want to be full, [therefore] one must not be full, because of this one may be hidden and not finished
One cannot want the Dao to obtain the Dao, one cannot feel they have the Dao in order to obtain the Dao. One must not be full like a cup which cannot receive a different liquid, but one cannot want to be full either. Accepting that one will not be complete in any sense, but not seeking completeness allows one to achieve completeness. By accepting the limitations and working in the context of what one is, one is able to remain hidden from the current which would otherwise sweep one away, and then reach a higher level. When one feels that the are complete, one allows oneself to suffer.
葆~保
敝~蔽