Tao Te Ching Chapter 1
Original Text (Chinese)
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。
无，名天地之始；有，名万物之母。
故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。
此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄。
玄之又玄，众妙之门。
Pinyin (Pronunciation)
Dào kě dào, fēi cháng dào; míng kě míng, fēi cháng míng.
Wú, míng tiāndì zhī shǐ; yǒu, míng wànwù zhī mǔ.
Gù cháng wú, yù yǐ guān qí miào; cháng yǒu, yù yǐ guān qí jiào.
Cǐ liǎng zhě tóng chū ér yì míng, tóng wèi zhī xuán.
Xuán zhī yòu xuán, zhòng miào zhī mén.
白话文译文 (Plain Chinese Translation)
- 道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名
- 可以用语言描述的“道”，不是永恒不变的道；能够被命名的“名”，也不是永恒的名。
- The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be defined is not the eternal name.
- 无，名天地之始；有，名万物之母
- “无”用来称呼天地的本源；“有”用来称呼万物的根源。
- “Wu” (non-being) names the origin of heaven and earth; “You” (being) names the mother of all things.
- 故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼
- 所以，从永恒的“无”中，可以观察道的奥妙；从永恒的“有”中，可以观察道的边界。
- Thus, through constant “Wu,” we observe its mystery; through constant “You,” we see its manifestations.
- 此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄
- “无”和“有”同出一源而名称不同，它们都称为“玄”。
- These two arise from the same source but have different names; both are called “Xuan” (profound).
- 玄之又玄，众妙之门
- 玄妙中的玄妙，是一切奥秘的门径。
- Profound beyond profound, it is the gateway to all wonders.
Key Concepts Explained
- 道 (Dào / Tao): The ultimate principle, beyond full definition.
- 无 (Wú / Non-being): The formless origin.
- 有 (Yǒu / Being): The manifest source of creation.
- 玄 (Xuán / Profound): The deep, mysterious unity of opposites.
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