唯與訶 其相去幾何 美與惡 其相去何若
[wei2] [yu3] [he1] [qi2] [xiang1] [qu4] [ji3] [he2] [mei3] [yu3] [e4] [qi2] [xiang1] [qu4] [he2] [ruo4]
“Yes” and “yep”, how close or far are they? Benevolence and evil, how close or far are they?
絕學無憂。唯之與阿，相去幾何？善之與惡，相去若何？
[jue2] [xue2] [wu2] [you1]。 [wei2] [zhi1] [yu3] [e1]， [xiang1] [qu4] [ji3] [he2]？[shan4] [zhi1] [yu3] [e4]， [xiang1] [qu4] [ruo4] [he2]？
Abandon learning without care, “yes” and “yep”, how close or far are they? Benevolence and evil, how close or far are they?
The phrase “絕學無憂” is moved here from Chapter 19 in the second version. “Abandon learning without care” arguably fits in either. Here it sets the context for the difference between “yes” (or a more formal affirmation) and “yep” (or a more informal affirmation). These both convey the same thing, but being formal for the sake of formality is a waste when dealing with someone uneducated who does not care and is pretentious. The true difference between these is negligible, but the subtext is not.
As is a common theme with the rest of the Daodejing, we also make a stark comparison of benevolence and evil. Do evil actions seem evil, or are they misguided benevolence? Very few people are evil for the sake of evil. We mentioned in Chapter 12 that: [the wise govern] from their gut and not from their eyes, specifically to avoid living up to the expression: “The path to hell is paved with good intentions.” Benevolence often warps into evil when it is unchecked and used to justify the means with the end.
The first version also further complicates the end since it can also be translated as “beauty” and “ugliness” rather than “benevolence” and “evil”. I feel that this is a bit of a play on words since it can mean both and does. Beauty and ugliness are often in the eye of the beholder, as are benevolence and evil. Atrocity after atrocity has been committed for “the greater good” which in hindsight are viewed as evil. Benevolence is in the eye of the beholder as well.
人之所畏 亦不可以不畏
[ren2] [zhi1] [suo3] [wei4] [yi4] [bu4] [ke3] [yi3] [bu4] [wei4]
That which people fear, [it] also cannot be not feared
人之所畏，不可不畏。
[ren2] [zhi1] [suo3] [wei4]， [bu4] [ke3] [bu4] [wei4]。
That which people fear, [also] cannot be not feared
Fear is natural and innate. That which is feared is not necessarily rational. Logic and rationality may cut through, but the nature of fear is completely irrational at its base.
望呵 其未央哉
[wang4] [he1] [qi2] [wei4] [yang1] [zai1]
Horrible, alas, they are not [yet] centered
荒兮其未央哉！
[huang1] [xi1] [qi2] [wei4] [yang1] [zai1] ！
Horrible, alas, they are not [yet] centered
This section has a shift in tone. It becomes more of a joking bit about the author compared to the people. It feels a bit like poking fun at a “holier than thou” type of person who misses the point. The author begins lamenting the fact that people are not yet centered, in contrast to the speaker.
眾人巸巸 若鄉於大牢 而春登臺
[zhong4] [ren2] [yi2] [yi2] [ruo4] [xiang1] [yu2] [da4] [lao2] [er2] [chun1] [deng1] [tai2]
The people are happy, as if celebrating the Tai Lao in the countryside, and sitting at the festival table [lit. [in] Spring sitting [at the] table]
眾人熙熙，如享太牢，如登春台。
[zhong4] [ren2] [xi1] [xi1]， [ru2] [xiang3] [tai4] [lao2]， [ru2] [deng1] [chun1] [tai2]。
The people are excited, as if enjoying the Tai Lao, as if seated at a festival table [feast]
We set up that everyone is happy as if enjoying the Tai Lao festival and seated for the feast. It also hints at the Spring Festival to further drive home the happiness and enjoyment going on. This is truly a joyous, exciting occasion.
我泊焉未兆 若嬰兒未咳 纍呵 似无所歸
[wo3] [bo2] [yan1] [wei4] [zhao4] [ruo4] [ying1] [er2] [wei4] [hai1] [lei2] [a1] [shi4] [wu2] [suo3] [gui1]
I am anchored here without a sign [omen], as if a baby which has not cried [lit. sighed], [how] tiresome, as if [something] without a place to return [to]
我獨泊兮其未兆，如嬰兒之未孩。儽儽兮，若無所歸。
[wo3] [du2] [bo2] [xi1] [qi2] [wei4] [zhao4]， [ru2] [ying1] [er2] [zhi1] [wei4] [hai2]。 [xi1]， [ruo4] [wu2] [suo3] [gui1]。
I alone am anchored here, without a sign [omen], as if an infant which is not yet [like] a baby, [how] tiresome, as if [like] [something] without a place to return [to]
The author by themselves is alone, anchored and unmoved by the current, like an infant which is not yet able to react, tired without somewhere to return to. These statements are a bit pretentious and stand in contrast to the environment of the commoners. The people are enjoying the festival, but our “learned sage” here is adrift and out of place.
眾人皆有餘 我獨遺 我愚人之心也 湷湷呵 鬻人昭昭 我獨昏昏呵 鬻人蔡蔡 我獨悶悶呵
[zhong4] [ren2] [jie1] [you3] [yu2] [wo3] [du2] [yi2] [wo3] [yu2] [ren2] [zhi1] [xin1] [ye3] [hun2] [hun2] [a1] [yu4] [ren2] [zhao1] [zhao1] [wo3] [du2] [hun1] [hun1] [a1] [yu4] [ren2] [cai4] [cai4] [wo3] [du2] [men4] [men4] [a1]
The masses all have an excess, I alone have losses, I have the heart of a stupid person, confused, the vendors [commoners] are clear [alert], I alone am confused, the vendors [commoners] are wild grass, I alone am anxious
眾人皆有餘，而我獨若遺。我愚人之心也哉！沌沌兮。俗人昭昭，我獨昏昏。俗人察察，我獨悶悶。
[zhong4] [ren2] [jie1] [you3] [yu2]， [er2] [wo3] [du2] [ruo4] [yi2]。 [wo3] [yu2] [ren2] [zhi1] [xin1] [ye3] [zai1]！ [dun4] [dun4] [xi1]。 [su2] [ren2] [zhao1] [zhao1]， [wo3] [du2] [hun1] [hun1]。 [su2] [ren2] [cha2] [cha2]， [wo3] [du2] [men4] [men4]。
The masses all have an excess, but I alone am as if [with] losses, alas, I have the heart of a stupid person, confused, the common people are clear [alert], I alone am confused, the common people are wild grass, I alone am anxious
The people are celebrating and indulging in the excess of the year, while our speaker is lamenting their supposed losses. The people are celebrating the end harvest and how much they can have before it spoils, while the speaker is lamenting what has previously been lost. The commoners are the only ones whose minds are clear due to the fact they are being mindful of their existence and not focusing on what they have missed or failed at. The speaker is confused and lost.
The speaker picks up on this and mentions it, but the joke is in that they do not act like they truly understand. The are parroting humility while feeling like they alone truly understand the situation. Our speaker extols the commoners while lamenting what boils down to their humility without seeing the irony in their understanding of the whole situation.
The common people are like wild grass, they blow free in the wind but ultimately are not moved from their place. The speaker is anxious and sad. This entire section feels a bit like a play on “ignorance is bliss”.
Mindfulness also factors into this section. The speaker is thinking of their differences and what they have done at a festival, while everyone else is only involved in the celebration. The commoners are celebrating and enjoying life while the speaker is lamenting how much more enlightened they are.
The “sage” laments how much clarity the common people have in comparison, but miss the entire point in that they can enjoy the exact same benefits if they give up their useless learning in this situation. Our speaker’s supposed superiority shows their inferiority as they prostrate themselves to teachings which ironically take them further from their goal of enlightenment and the Dao.
忽呵 其若海 望呵 其若无所止
[hu1] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [hai3] [wang4] [a1] [qi2] [ruo4] [wu2] [suo3] [zhi3]
Light [weight], they are like the ocean, gazing, they are like [one] without a place to stop
澹兮其若海，飉兮若無止。
[dan4] [xi1] [qi2] [ruo4] [hai3]， [liao2] [xi1] [ruo4] [wu2] [zhi3]。
Tranquil, as if the ocean, [blowing in] the wind, as if without a place to stop
These statements use roughly the same language to convey the same point. Either the people or in the second, potentially the speaker, are like the ocean. The ocean is vast and one can float in it, either separate from the water, or accepting the flow of the current. The people may be gazing towards the near future and not stopping, in contrast to the author which is anxious, or the author is like a leaf on the wind, blowing up and down and back around without really going anywhere and without stopping.
The tone and slight differences make almost the same language have a completely different meaning. This section also helps show the fact that the author is making a joke of our supposed sage rather than truly believing their holier than thou statements. This is a moment of clarity before our “learned sage” doubles down on their superiority which showcases their ultimate inferiority.
眾人皆有以 我獨頑以悝 吾欲獨異於人 而貴食母
[zhong4] [ren2] [jie1] [you3] [yi3] [wo3] [du2] [wan2] [yi3] [li3] [wu2] [yu4] [du2] [yi4] [yu2] [ren2] [er2] [gui4] [shi2] [mu3]
The masses all have use [purpose], I alone am stupid and sad, I desire to be the only one different from others, and value the food from the mother
眾人皆有以，我獨頑且鄙。我獨異於人，而貴食母。
[zhong4] [ren2] [jie1] [you3] [yi3]， [wo3] [du2] [wan2] [qie3] [bi3]。 [wo3] [du2] [yi4] [yu2] [ren2]， [er2] [gui4] [shi2] [mu3]。
The masses all have use [purpose], I alone am stupid and sad, I am the only one different from others, and value the food from the mother
Our first version and second version vary a bit in tone, but still work towards the same message. The people all have their purpose in society or in life, but the speaker is alone and lost, sad and stupid. The speaker either wants to be the only which is different from others and values the food from the mother (or is filial), or is the only one who is filial already.
Both drive home the joke of the author or speaker in this section. In the first version, the supposed enlightened sage is stupid in that they want to be the only one filial. They miss the point of spreading enlightenment of the Dao and show the selfish nature which keeps them from becoming an actual wise sage.
They touch on their real stupidity with feigned humility as they look down their nose at the commoners which are too stupid to understand while painting the picture with euphemism after euphemism. The feigned humility combined with the overall message of “ignorance is bliss” shows that they view the people as stupid while missing the whole point. The people are not concerned with the “sage’s” teachings and don’t overanalyze everything. They enjoy the festival while the speaker laments how much lower they are than commoners while trying to extol their humility.
The second version is more assertive but ultimately conveys the same joke. The “enlightened sage” is stupid and sad because they feel they are the only ones who really get it. They miss the entire point and show their stupidity through their feigned humility and drive home the original point to “abandon learning without care”. They are “learned” but they have learned nothing.