Tao Te Ching Chapter 67
第67章
天下皆謂我道大，似不肖。夫唯大，故似不肖。若肖，久矣其細也夫！我有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。
慈故能勇，儉故能廣，不敢為天下先，故能成器長。今舍慈且勇，舍儉且廣，舍後且先，死矣！
夫慈以戰則勝，以守則固。天將救之，以慈衛之。
All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any other (system), for long would its smallness have been known!
But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.
With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;--(of all which the end is) death.
Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.
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
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 似shìresembling, similar to; as if, to seem
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 肖xiàoto resemble, to look like; to be like
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 細xìfine, detailed; slender, thin
- 也yěalso, too
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 三sānthree
- 寶bǎotreasure, jewel; rare, precious
- 持chíto hold, to support, to sustain
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 保bǎoto safeguard, to protect, to defend, to
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 慈cígentle, humane, kind, merciful
- 二èrtwo; twice
- 儉jiǎntemperate, frugal, economical
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
- 廣guǎngbroad, vast, wide; building, house
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 器qìdevice, instrument, tool; receptacle, ve
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 舍shěhouse, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to
- 且qiěmoreover, also (post-subject); about to,
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 守shǒuto defend, to guard, to protect; to cons
- 固gùto solidify; strength
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 救jiùaid, help; to rescue, to save
- 衛wèito guard, to protect, to defend
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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.