#Click on a sentence 1 2 3 Chapter 55 Chapter 57 Back to index #

Ch. 56 Sentence 1
Beck Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.
Blackney Those who know do not talk And talkers do not know.
Bynner Those who know do not tell, Those who tell do not know.
Byrn Those who know do not talk. Those who talk do not know.
Chan He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know.
Cleary Those who know do not say; those who say do not know.
Crowley Who knows the Dao keeps silence. He who babbles knows it not.
Hansen He who speaks (much, shows thereby that he) does not know (the Principle).
LaFargue Those who understand are not talkers talkers don't understand.
Legge He who knows (the Tao) does not (care to) speak (about it); he who is (ever ready to) speak about it does not know it.
Lindauer Those who know are without words Those with words are without knowing.
LinYutan He who knows does not speak; He who speaks does not know.
Mabry Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know.
McDonald He who knows doesn't speak (artfully). He who speaks hardly knows.
Merel Who understands does not preach; Who preaches does not understand.
Mitchell Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know.
Muller She who knows does not speak. She who speaks does not know.
Red Pine Those who know don't talk those who talk don't know
Ta-Kao Those who know to act do not speak. Those who speak, do not know to act.
Walker Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know.
Wieger He who knows (the Principle), does not speak.
World Those who know have no need to speak. Those who speak are searching for peace and harmony.
Wu He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know.

Ch. 56 Sentence 2
Beck Close the mouth; shut the doors. Smooth the sharpness; untie the tangles. Dim the glare; calm the turmoil. This is mystical unity.
Blackney Stop your senses, Close the doors; Let sharp things be blunted, Tangles resolved, The light tempered And turmoil subdued; For this is mystic unity
Bynner Not to set the tongue loose But to curb it, Not to have edges that catch But to remain untangled, Unblinded, Unconfused, Is to find balance,
Byrn Stop talking, meditate in silence, blunt your sharpness, release your worries, harmonize your inner light, and become one with the dust. Doing this is called the dark and mysterious identity.
Chan Close the mouth. Shut the doors. Blunt the sharpness. Untie the tangles. Soften the light. Become one with the dusty world. This is called the profound identification.
Cleary Close the senses, shut the doors; blunt the sharpness, resolve the complications; harmonize the light, assimilate to the world. This is called the mysterious sameness.
Crowley Who knows it closes his mouth and controls the Gates of his Breath. He will make his sharpness blunt; he will loosen his complexes; he will tone down his brightness tot he general obscurity. This is called the Secret of Harmony.
Hansen Shut up its exchanges, close its gates. Dull its sharpness, undo its divisions. Balance its brightness, treat its particles as identical. This is called the abstruse identity.
LaFargue Close your eyes shut your doors. Dampen the passion untie the tangles make the flashing things harmonious make the dust merge together. This is called the mysterious Merging.
Legge He (who knows it) will keep his mouth shut and close the portals (of his nostrils). He will blunt his sharp points and unravel the complications of things; he will atemper his brightness, and bring himself into agreement with the obscurity (of others). This is called 'the Mysterious Agreement.'
Lindauer Corking its bottle Obstructing its door Blunting its sharpness Untying its tangles Harmonizing its brightness Being together with the dusty earth Appropriately called insightful togetherness.
LinYutan Fill up its apertures, Close its doors, Dull its edges, Untie its tangles, Soften its light, Submerge its turmoil, - This is the Mystic Unity.
Mabry So shut your mouth Guard your senses Blunt your sharpness Untangle your affairs Soften your glare Be one with all dust. This is the mystery of union.
McDonald Fill your openings, shut the doors, Dull all nasty edges. Untie all tangles. Temper or soften all glaring light. Submerge its turmoil as unified with the world: Let all chaotic hustle and bustle be smoothed down. This is the called the mysterious [Vossing] levelling for bland unity or deep insider identification.
Merel Reserve your judgments and words; Smooth differences and forgive disagreements; Dull your wit and simplify your purpose; Accept the world.
Mitchell Close your mouth, block off your senses, blunt your sharpness, untie your knots, soften your glare, settle your dust. This is the primal identity. Be like the Tao.
Muller Soften your sharpness, loosen your knots. Soften your glare and merge with the everyday. This is called mysteriously attaining oneness.
Red Pine seal the opening close the gate dull the edge untie the tangle soften the light join the dust this is called the Dark Union
Ta-Kao Blunt all that is sharp; Cut all that is divisible; Blur all that is brilliant; Mix with all that is humble as dust; This is called absolute equality.
Walker Close your mouth. Block the door. Quiet your senses. Blunt the sharpness. Untie the tangles. Soften the brightness. Be one with the dust, and enter the primal oneness.
Wieger He keeps his mouth closed, controls his breathing, blunts his activity, rescues himself from any complication, tempers his light, And mingles with people. This is mysterious union (with the Principle).
World Do not speak. Ignore your senses. Blunt your sharpness. Unravel your knots. Dim your light. Become one with all things. This is the primal essence.
Wu Block all the passages! Shut all the doors! Blunt all edges! Untie all tangles! Harmonize all lights! Unite the world into one whole! This is called the Mysterious Whole,

Ch. 56 Sentence 3
Beck Those achieving it are detached from friends and enemies, from benefit and harm, from honor and disgrace. Therefore they are the most valuable people in the world.
Blackney In which the Wise Man is moved Neither by affection Nor yet by estrangement Or profit or loss Or honour or shame. Accordingly, by all the world, He is held highest.
Bynner And he who holds balance beyond sway of love or hate, Beyond reach of profit or loss, Beyond care of praise or blame, Has attained the highest post in the world.
Byrn Those who have achieved the mysterious identity can not be approached, and they can not be alienated. They can not be benefited nor harmed. They can not be made noble nor to suffer disgrace. This makes them the most noble of all under the heavens.
Chan Therefore it is impossible either to be intimate and close to him or to be distant and indifferent to him. It is impossible either to benefit him or to harm him. It is impossible either to honour him or disgrace him. For this reason he is honoured by the world.
Cleary It cannot be made familiar, yet cannot be estranged; it cannot be profited, yet cannot be harmed; it cannot be valued, yet cannot be demeaned. Therefore it is precious for the world.
Crowley He cannot be insulted either by familiarity or aversion; he is immune to ideas of gain or loss, of honour or disgrace; he is the true man, unequaled under Heaven.
Hansen Hence we cannot obtain and be close. Cannot obtain and be distant. Cannot obtain and benefit. Cannot obtain and harm. Cannot obtain and value. Cannot obtain and debase. Hence we deem the social world as valuable.
LaFargue Yes: You cannot get close you cannot stay away you cannot help It you cannot harm It you cannot treasure It you cannot look down on It. Yes: It is the Treasure of the World.
Legge (Such an one) cannot be treated familiarly or distantly; he is beyond all consideration of profit or injury; of nobility or meanness: - he is the noblest man under heaven.
Lindauer So one cannot obtain it yet be attached One cannot obtain it yet be detached One cannot obtain it yet benefit One cannot obtain it yet be harmed One cannot obtain it yet treasure One cannot obtain it yet consider as common. So it acts as the treasure of the world.
LinYutan Then love and hatred cannot touch him. Profit and loss cannot reach him. Honor and disgrace cannot affect him. Therefore is he always the honored one of the world.
Mabry You cannot approach it Yet you cannot escape it. You cannot benefit it Yet you cannot harm it. You cannot bestow any honour on it Yet you cannot rob it of its dignity. That is why the whole Universe revers it.
McDonald Love and hatred can barely affect the gods and supermen who are said to have achieved it. Certain forms of loss can hardly reach up to this. It can be hard to repel and shoo such an accomplished god-being, as it's impossible to be distant and indifferent to him. He can't be raised, can't be much humbled, and disgrace can hardly affect him deep inside. So he is already highest of all humbled creatures. He is to be so honoured by the world.
Merel Then, Friendship and enmity, Profit and loss, Honour and disgrace, Will not affect you; The world will accept you.
Mitchell It can't be approached or withdrawn from, benefited or harmed, honoured or brought into disgrace. It gives itself up continually. That is why it endures.
Muller Close your holes, shut your doors, Though you cannot possess it, you are intimate with it And at the same time, distant. Though you cannot possess it, you are benefited by it, And harmed by it. You cannot possess it, but are esteemed through it And humbled by it. Therefore the world values you.
Red Pine it can't be embraced it can't be abandoned it can't be helped it can't be harmed it can't be exalted it can't be debased thus does the world exalt it
Ta-Kao Therefore it cannot be made intimate; Nor can it be alienated. It cannot be benefited; Nor can it be harmed. It cannot be exalted; Nor can it be debased. Therefore it is the most valuable thing in the world.
Walker One who has merged with Tao in this way can't be courted, can't be bought, can't be harmed, can't be honoured, can't be humiliated. He is the treasure of the world.
Wieger No one can attach himself (by doing favours) to such a man, nor repulse him (by treating him badly). He is indifferent to gain or loss, exaltation or humiliation. Being thus, he is the most noble in the world.
World Those who flow in the peace and harmony of Infinity make no distinctions. They are therefore indifferent to friend and foe, to good and bad, to honor and infamy. This is the natural state of human beings.
Wu Which you cannot court after nor shun, Benefit nor harm, honour nor humble. Therefore, it is the Highest of the world.