Lao Tzu for Everyone
Students, Scholars,
& Seekers
Chinese-English Interlinear
Peter Gilboy, Ph. D.
Tao
the Way
regarding the characters
used in this translation.
Lesson 32
Dividing Up
the World.
名míng
(夕moon +口mouth)
name, title, position, fame
When we give something a name we are saying that it belongs to a particular classification of things. Elm is a type of tree. Skyscraper is a type of building. Tulip is a type of flower, and so one.
But what if there were only one of something? There could not then be a classification for it. For example, if there were only one color, white, then what other color could we compare it to?
The 道tào Way is like that. Because the Way is One, it does not fit into any classification of things. The Way is not even a thing, but rather the singular source and inner shepherd of each thing.
Interlinear
Line 1
The Way is ever
without a name.
道tào 恆héng 无wú 名míng
way constant not have name.
As for the Way,
it constantly has no name.
Things have names. The Way is not a thing.
. . . . . .
Line 2
It is so simple, so small,
and yet no one
in the world dare
try to control it.
樸pú* 唯wéi 小xiǎo
uncarved wood only/and small
而ér 天tiān 下xià 弗fú 敢gǎn 臣ché
and/and yet heaven earth not it dare official/servant
Music comes into full being only against a silent background. The Way, too, stays in the background as it comes forth as each thing and each person.
In this line Lao Tzu notes that no one can govern the Way or the ways of things. They cannot be tampered with. Even our own personal way persists inwardly, whether we allow ourselves to be guided by it or not.
____
樸pú means simple, plain, genuine, unadorned; something in its original state, like wood before it is carved. See the use of this character also also in lessons 15, 19, 28, 37, and 57,
. . . . . .
Line 3
If our rulers could
harness the Way,
then all things
would become themselves.
侯hóu 王wáng 若ruò 能néng 守shǒu之zh
marquis king same as able hold it
萬wàn 物wù 將jiāng 自zì 賓bīn
a10,000 thing (future) self submit
If Marquis and kings were able to hold on to it,
the 10,000 things would submit themselves.
Of course, lords and kings cannot harness the 道tào Way. Lao Tzu’s point is that things in the natural world are already submitting to their own inner 道tào ways, which is why a dog does not try to climb a tree or daffodil thrive in a pond like a water lily. Things have their own 道tào way. That’s all.
We each have our own inner way, too. The difference between us and the rest of the natural world is that we can choose to follow our way, or not.
. . . . . .
Line 4
The the world
would then come together
as single river, flowing like
the sweet river Luo.*
天tiān 地dì 相xiāng 合hé
heaven earth mutual join/combine
以yí 俞yú 甘gān 洛luò
by means agree sweet river Luo
Heaven and earth mutually combine,
and by means of this they
reach an accord
like the sweet river Luo.
________
*洛luò is a tributary of the Yellow River. In place of 洛luò the standard texts have 露lù, dew.
. . . . . .
Line 5
And even though
no one would command it,
the people of themselves
would be in accord.
民mín 莫mò 之zhī 令lìng
people no one (poss.) to decree
而ér 自zì 均jū 焉yān
and self/begin even (pron.)
As to people, then none command,
and they harmonize themselves from this.
. . . . . .
Line 6
Once we start
dividing up the world,
it is then that
there are names.
始shǐ 制zhì 有yǒu 名mín
begin cut/system have name
Begin to cut,
you have names;
When we see the world as just things, we overlook the 道tào way-ness of the things that we see. Marvel first at their -ness—their squirl-ness, or their fish-ness, or perhaps even electricity-ness. We can find the One Way within the individual ways of each thing.
. . . . .
Line 7
In truth, when it comes
to naming things,
isn't it time to stop?
夫fū 亦yì 將jiāng 知zhī 止zhǐ
(intro) as for future know stop
Now then, as for [names],
should know to stop.
The problem is not with names. The problem is with us, when we mistake a thing for its name, and overlook the -ness or 道tào way of the things around us.
Seeing things as names, our world appears crowded with all the separate things, each seeming to compete with the other. But if we just were to 止zhǐ stop and behold their 道tào way, what we would see then appears newly transformed; for now we behold the world as a series of inner laws, each thing’s 道tào way being steered by a mysterious and invisible hand.
. . . . . .
Line 8
If you know to stop,
then you will not
fall into danger.
知zhī 止zhǐ 所suǒ 以yǐ 不bù 殆dài
know stop that which by means no danger.
Knowing to stop is that by
which there will be no danger.
Marvel at the inner law of each thing rather than look only its outer form.
. . . . . .
Line 9
The humble presence
of the Way in our world
is like a small valley stream
flowing to
the rivers and seas.
卑bēi 道tào 之zhī
low, humble way (poss.)
在zài 天tiān 下xià 也yě
exist heaven earth (part.)
猷yǒu 小xiǎo 浴yù
plan small valley/valley stream
之zhī 與yǔ 江jiāng 海hǎi 也yě
(pron) give/join river sea part.
The existence of the
humble way in the world.
is a designed like a river
that is joining a river and sea.
Again, the Way does not control things or people. It serves each through its gentle guidance, all the while staying humbly out of sight.
. . . . .