Tao Te Ching Chapter 70
第70章
吾言甚易知，甚易行。天下莫能知，莫能行。言有宗，事有君。夫唯無知，是以不我知。知我者希，則我者貴。是以聖人被褐懷玉。
My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise; but there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to practise them.
There is an originating and all-comprehending (principle) in my words, and an authoritative law for the things (which I enforce). It is because they do not know these, that men do not know me.
They who know me are few, and I am on that account (the more) to be prized. It is thus that the sage wears (a poor garb of) hair cloth, while he carries his (signet of) jade in his bosom.
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
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 甚shénconsiderably; very, extremely; a great e
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 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
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 宗zōngancestry, clan, family, lineage; religio
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 希xīrare; to hope for, to strive for; to exp
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 被bèibedding; a passive particle meaning "by"
- 褐hècoarse wool; dull, brown
- 懷huáibosom, breast; to carry in one's bosom
- 玉yùjade, gem, precious stone
Similar passages
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 78
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 75
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 74
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.