Tao Te Ching Chapter 22
第22章
曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，敝則新，少則得，多則惑。是以聖人抱一為天下式。不自見故明，不自是故彰，不自伐故有功，不自矜故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。古之所謂曲則全者，豈虛言哉！誠全而歸之。
The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new. He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray.
Therefore the sage holds in his embrace the one thing (of humility), and manifests it to all the world. He is free from self-display, and therefore he shines; from self-assertion, and therefore he is distinguished; from self-boasting, and therefore his merit is acknowledged; from self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him.
That saying of the ancients that 'the partial becomes complete' was not vainly spoken:--all real completion is comprehended under it.
English: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 39 (1891) — public domain. Chinese: Wang Bi recension (王弼本), commentary removed.
Character glossary
- 曲qūcrooked, bent; wrong, false
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 全quánwhole, entire, complete; to preserve
- 枉wǎnguseless, in vain; crooked, bent
- 直zhístraight, vertical; candid, direct, fran
- 窪wāpit, hollow, depression; swamp
- 盈yíngfull, overflowing; surplus; to fill
- 敝bìto break, to destroy; ruined, tattered
- 新xīnnew, recent, fresh, modern
- 少shǎofew, little; less; inadequate
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 惑huòto confuse, to mislead; to doubt
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 抱bàoto embrace, to hold in one's arms; to en
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 式shìformula, pattern, rule, style, system
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 彰zhāngclear, manifest, obvious
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 功gōngachievement, good work; merit; service
- 矜jīnto pity, to sympathize, to feel sorry fo
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 爭zhēngto dispute, to fight, to contend, to str
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 豈qǐwhat; how
- 虛xūfalse; worthless, hollow, empty; vain
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 誠chénghonest, sincere, true; actually, really
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
Similar passages
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.