Tao Te Ching Chapter 32
第32章
道常無名，樸雖小，天下莫能臣也。侯王若能守之，萬物將自賓。天地相合，以降甘露，民莫之令而自均。始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦將知止，知止所以不殆。譬道之在天下，猶川谷之於江海。
The Tao, considered as unchanging, has no name.
Though in its primordial simplicity it may be small, the whole world dares not deal with (one embodying) it as a minister. If a feudal prince or the king could guard and hold it, all would spontaneously submit themselves to him.
Heaven and Earth (under its guidance) unite together and send down the sweet dew, which, without the directions of men, reaches equally everywhere as of its own accord.
As soon as it proceeds to action, it has a name. When it once has that name, (men) can know to rest in it. When they know to rest in it, they can be free from all risk of failure and error.
The relation of the Tao to all the world is like that of the great rivers and seas to the streams from the valleys.
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
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 常chángcommon, general, normal; always, frequen
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 名míngname; position, rank, title
- 樸pǔplain, simple; sincere; surname
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 也yěalso, too
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 守shǒuto defend, to guard, to protect; to cons
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 萬wànten thousand; innumerable
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 賓bīnguest, visitor; surname; submit
- 地deearth, ground, soil; land, region; struc
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 合héto combine, to join, to unite; to gather
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 降jiàngto descend, to fall; to drop, to lower
- 甘gānsweet, tasty; willing
- 露lùdew; leak; bare, exposed; to reveal, to
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 令lìngcommand, decree, order; magistrate; to a
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 均jūnequal, even, fair; level, uniform; also,
- 始shǐto begin, to start; beginning
- 制zhìsystem; to establish; to manufacture; to
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 既jìalready, since, then; both; de facto
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 止zhǐto stop, to halt; to detain; to desist
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 殆dàialmost, probably; danger, peril; to enda
- 譬pìexample; metaphor, simile
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 川chuānstream, river
- 谷gǔvalley, gorge, ravine
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 江jiānglarge river; the Yangtze; surname
- 海hǎisea, ocean; maritime
Similar passages
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 37
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
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.