《道德经》的作者是老子，字伯阳，谥号聃，又称李耳，曾做过周朝的守藏室之官，大约生活在公元前六世纪后期到公元前五世纪后期。老子是中国伟大的哲学家和思想家，是道家学说的创始人，被道教尊为教祖，是世界文化名人。
《道德经》在战国时被韩非子称为《周书》，秦朝时在《吕氏春秋·注》中称为《上至经》，在汉朝初期则直呼《老子》，直到西汉末年才有了《道德经》这个称呼，见 “老子为关尹喜著《道德经》。”——扬雄《汉志·蜀王本纪》。
《道德经》有楚简本、帛书甲本、帛书乙本、汉简本、河上公本、通行本（即王弼本）等多个版本，这些版本各有不同，有的难以辨识，有的有缺失，有的分章断句有问题，有的有错别字，有的被人为篡改。比如在帛书甲本中“小邦寡民”这句话，就不避讳汉太祖刘邦的名字，而帛书乙本、汉简本、通行本避讳汉太祖刘邦的名字，改“邦”为“国”，将这句话写作“小国寡民”，这就属于故意的改动。在比如，楚简本第二章有“亡为”一词，帛书甲本就改成了“失为”，帛书乙本、汉简本、河上公本、通行本又改成了“无为”，这都是有意的篡改。
古往今来，人们对经文的解读更是五花八门，良莠不齐。以上种种，都很不利于《道德经》的学习与传承。从时间上看，在众多版本中，湖北省荆门市郭店村楚墓出土的楚简本是最古老的版本，稍微晚一些的是湖南长沙马王堆出土的帛书甲本，再稍微晚一些的是湖南长沙马王堆出的帛书乙本以及北京大学保存的汉简本，更晚一些的是河上公本，最晚的是三国时期王弼注的通行本。众所周知，往往越古老的版本就越接近于原版，因而楚简本应该是最接近原版的，也是可信度最高的。
1973年，长沙马王堆汉墓出土了一批古书，其中就包括2170年前的古本《老子》（100年后被称为《道德经》）。《老子》至今有三个版本源头：一个是相传从河上公传下来，魏晋人王弼注释的版本，是现代通行本的祖宗。一个是二十世纪七十年代马王堆汉墓出土的《老子》甲乙两个版本，还有一个是郭店楚简中的《老子》残编。
马王堆汉墓出土的帛书《老子》有甲、乙两种版本。两版本的书体有些不同，但都属于隶书。乙本避刘邦讳，可以断定它是汉朝的抄写本无疑。甲本由于不避汉高祖刘邦的名讳，因此可推断它当抄写于刘邦称帝之前。
过去多以为隶书出现在秦篆之后，是“秦始皇帝使下杜人程邈之所作也”。从1975年湖北云梦县睡虎地出土一千一百余枚隶书秦简和1980年又在四川青川郝家坪出土两件隶书战国木牍的情况来看，隶书的出现与流行应早于秦篆。现代大量考古发掘证明，隶书在战国时期就已广泛使用于以竹木为书写材料的简牍上。
甲本帛书很有可能是直接从战国时期的竹简上转抄过来的，它是迄今为止所发现保存最为完整、最接近原貌的古本《老子》版本。帛书本不分篇章，传世本《老子》则分为上、下篇共八十一章。文字也多所不同。
以下是帛书《老子》甲本合校的简体字复原本。
上德不德，是以有德；下德不失德，是以无德。
上德无为而无以为也，上仁为之而无以为也。
上义为之而有以为也。上礼为之而莫之应也，则攘（rang）臂而乃（扔）之。
故失道而后（同後，下同）德，失德而后（乙本作句，下同）仁，失仁而后义，失义而后礼。夫礼者，忠信之泊（薄）也，而乱之首也。
前识者，道之华也，而愚之首也。
是以大丈夫居其厚而不居其泊（薄）；居其实而不居其华。故去彼（彼，乙本作罷）而取此。
38. Ritual
Well established hierarchies are not easily uprooted; Closely held beliefs are not easily released; So ritual enthralls generation after generation.
Harmony does not care for harmony, and so is naturally attained;
But ritual is intent upon harmony, and so can not attain it.
Harmony neither acts nor reasons; Love acts, but without reason; Justice acts to serve reason;
But ritual acts to enforce reason.
When the Way is lost, there remains harmony; When harmony is lost, there remains love; When love is lost, there remains justice;
But when justice is lost, there remains ritual. Ritual is the end of compassion and honesty,
The beginning of confusion;
Belief is a colourful hope or fear, The beginning of folly.
The sage goes by harmony, not by hope; He dwells in the fruit, not the flower;
He accepts substance, and ignores abstraction.
昔之得一者：
天得一以清，地得一以宁，神得一以霝（靈,灵），
浴（谷）得一以盈，侯王得一而以为天下正。
其致（乙本作至，同誡）之也，
谓天毋已清将恐裂，
谓地毋已宁将恐发，
谓神毋已灵将恐歇，
谓谷毋已盈将恐竭，
胃（谓）侯王毋已贵以高将恐欮（蹶）。（毋已，无休止也）
故必贵而以贱为本，必高矣而以下为基。夫是以侯王自胃（谓）孤、寡、不谷（穀，gu3，善）。此其贱之本与？非也！
故致数誉（譽，乙本作輿，下同）无誉（孤寡不穀是致數毀也，然致數毀而終無毀。若有心致數譽則終無譽矣）。
是故不欲禄禄若玉，硌硌（luo4）若石。
39. Support
In mythical times all things were whole: All the sky was clear,
All the earth was stable, All the mountains were firm, All the riverbeds were full, All of nature was fertile,
And all the rulers were supported.
But, losing clarity, the sky tore; Losing stability, the earth split; Losing strength, the mountains sank; Losing water, the riverbeds cracked; Losing fertility, nature disappeared;
And losing support, the rulers fell.
Rulers depend upon their subjects, The noble depend upon the humble;
So rulers call themselves orphaned, hungry and alone, To win the people's support.
上士闻道，堇（勤，主动）而行之。
中士闻道，若存若亡。
下士闻道，大笑之。
弗笑，不足以为道。
是以建言有之曰：明道如费（昧），进道如退，夷道如颣（类lei4，不平）。
上德如浴（谷），大白如辱（污垢，暗昧）。广德如不足。建德如偷（怠惰），质真（贞，甲乙本俱毀，傳世本一作惪，因據改）如渝。
大方无禺（隅），大器免（晚，犹無也）成。大音希声，大（天）象无刑（形），道褒（隐）无名。
夫唯道，善始且善成。
41. Following
When the great man learns the Way, he follows it with diligence;
When the common man learns the Way, he follows it on occasion;
When the mean man learns the Way, he laughs out loud; Those who do not laugh, do not learn at all.
Therefore it is said:
Who understands the Way seems foolish; Who progresses on the Way seems to fail; Who follows the Way seems to wander.
For the finest harmony appears plain; The brightest truth appears coloured;
The richest character appears incomplete;
The bravest heart appears meek;
The simplest nature appears inconstant.
The square, perfected, has no corner; Music, perfected, has no melody; Love, perfected, has no climax;
Art, perfected, has no meaning.
The Way can be neither sensed nor known:
It transmits sensation and transcends knowledge.
反（返）也者，道之动也；弱也者，道之用也。
天下之物生于有，有生于无。
40. Motion and Use
The motion of the Way is to return; The use of the Way is to accept; All things come from the Way,
And the Way comes from nothing.
道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，中(冲)气以为和。
天下（乙本作人）之所恶（乙本作亞），唯孤、寡、不穀，而王公以（为）自名也。
勿（物）或损之而益，或益之而损（乙本句殘，且“損”作“云”）。
觐殷死，议而教人（故人之所教，夕（亦）议（我）而教人）。故强良（梁）者不得死，我将以为学父。
42.Mind
The Way bears sensation, Sensation bears memory,
Sensation and memory bear abstraction, And abstraction bears all the world;
Each thing in the world bears feeling and doing, And, imbued with mind, harmony with the Way.
As others have taught, so do I teach, "Who loses harmony opposes nature"; This is the root of my teaching.
天下之至柔，驰骋于天下之致（至）坚。无有入于无间，吾是以知无为之有益也。
不言之教，无为之益，天下希能及之矣。
43.Overcoming
Water overcomes the stone;
Without substance it requires no opening; This is the benefit of taking no action.
Yet benefit without action,
And experience without abstraction, Are practiced by very few.
名与身孰亲？身与货孰多？得与亡孰病？
甚爱必大费，多藏必厚亡。
故知足不辱，知止不殆，可以长久。
44.Contentment
Health or reputation: which is held dearer? Health or possessions: which has more worth? Profit or loss: which is more troublesome?
Great love incurs great expense, And great riches incur great fear, But contentment comes at no cost;
Who knows when to stop
Does not continue into danger, And so may long endure.
大成若缺，其用不幣（敝）。大盈若盅（盅，器虛也。若盅，乙本作“如沖”），其用不窮（穷）。
大直如屈（诎, qu1），大巧如拙，大赢如绌（㶧，na4，不足也。乙本作絀，chu4）。
趮（躁，扰也，舉動急疾）胜（乙本作 “朕”，下同）寒，靓（静）胜炅（热），请靓（清静）可以为天下正。
45.Quiet
Great perfection seems incomplete, But does not decay;
Great abundance seems empty, But does not fail.
Great truth seems contradictory; Great cleverness seems stupid; Great eloquence seems awkward.
As spring overcomes the cold, And autumn overcomes the heat,
So calm and quiet overcome the world.
天下有道，却走马以粪。天下无道，戎马生于郊。
罪莫大于可欲，祸莫大于不知足，咎莫憯（can3，痛）于欲得。故知足（止也）之足，恒足矣。
46. Horses
When a nation follows the Way,
Horses bear manure through its fields; When a nation ignores the Way,
Horses bear soldiers through its streets.
There is no greater mistake than following desire;
There is no greater disaster than forgetting contentment;
There is no greater sickness than seeking attainment; But one who is content to satisfy his needs
Finds that contentment endures.
不出于户，以知天下。不规（窥, ，乙本作 “说”）于牖（you3），以知天道。
其出也弥远（乙本作“其出彌遠者”），其知也弥（彌）少，是以圣人，不行而知，不见而明（乙本作"名"），弗为而成。
47.Knowing
Without taking a step outdoors You know the whole world;
Without taking a peep out the window You know the colour of the sky.
The more you experience, The less you know.
The sage wanders without knowing, Sees without looking, Accomplishes without acting.
为学者日益，闻道者日损。损之又损，以至于无为，无为而无不为。将欲取（治也，圣人之取）天下也（者）恒无事，及其有事也，又不足以取天下矣。
48.Inaction
The follower of knowledge learns as much as he can every day;
The follower of the Way forgets as much as he can every day.
By attrition he reaches a state of inaction Wherein he does nothing, but nothing remains undone.
To conquer the world, accomplish nothing; If you must accomplish something,
The world remains beyond conquest.
圣人恒无心，以百省（姓）之心为心。
善者善之，不善者亦善之，德（同得）善也。
信者信之，不信者亦信之，德（同得）信也。
圣（聖，甲本句殘）人之在天下也，欱(歙 xi1，合也，甲本作“忄翕”) 欱焉，为天下浑（合 也）心，百姓皆属(注也)其耳目焉，圣人皆孩（同 閡，he2，閉合）之。
49. People
The sage does not distinguish between himself and the world;
The needs of other people are as his own.
He is good to those who are good;
He is also good to those who are not good,
Thereby he is good.
He trusts those who are trustworthy;
He also trusts those who are not trustworthy,
Thereby he is trustworthy.
The sage lives in harmony with the world,
And his mind is the world's mind.
So he nurtures the worlds of others
As a mother does her children.
出生入死。
生之徒（跟）十有(乙本作“又”)三，死之徒十有三，
而民生生（求生存），动(乙本作 “僮”)皆之死地之十有三。
夫何故也？以其（人）生生也。
（生生，动宾结构，过分地奉养生命十有三，乙本作十又三，意同，即十三。有或又，置于数词之间表零数。韩非、河上公都将十有三解作四肢九窍，即整个人体。王弼解作十分有三分，误。按：汉人甚重十三，行政区划有十三州；对四肢九窍亦十分重视，汉代墓葬中死者九窍都是要塞玉的。更有意思的是，按道德经顺序，此章为第五十章，但按帛书德道经顺序，此章恰为第十三章）
盖闻善执（摄）生者，陵行不辟（避）兕（甲本作“矢”）虎，入军不被（披）甲兵（甲兵，乙本作“兵革”）。
兕（甲本作“矢”）无所椯（今本作投）其角，虎无所昔（措）其蚤（爪），兵无所容其刃，夫何故也？以其无死地焉。
50. Death
Men flow into life, and ebb into death.
Some are filled with life;
Some are empty with death;
Some hold fast to life, and thereby perish,
For life is an abstraction.
Those who are filled with life Need not fear tigers and rhinos in the wilds, Nor wear armour and shields in battle;
The rhinoceros finds no place in them for its horn, The tiger no place for its claw, The soldier no place for a weapon,
For death finds no place in them.
道，生之而德，畜之，物，刑（形）之而器（器，合成也。成形曰器），成之。是以万物尊道而贵德。
道之尊也，德之贵也，夫莫之爵（爵，动詞，封爵，賜爵。道德之尊貴 是自然的，並非人爲）也，而恒自然也。
道，生之、畜之、长之、遂（同育）之、亭（定也）之、毒（安也）之、养之、覆之。（长、遂谓体魄，亭、毒谓品质，养、复谓 全其性命）
生而弗有也，为而弗寺（恃）也，长而弗宰也，此之谓玄德。
51.Nurture
The Way bears all things;
Harmony nurtures them;
Nature shapes them;
Use completes them.
Each follows the Way and honours harmony,
Not by law,
But by being.
The Way bears, nurtures, shapes, completes,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for them.
Bearing without possessing,
Nurturing without taming,
Shaping without forcing,
This is harmony.
天下有始，以为天下母。
既（甲本作[既 +心，上下）得其母，以知其子。
既知其子，复守其母，沕（没）身不殆（乙本作佁）。
塞其闷（門+二+心，上下结构，乙本作"㙂"，兑也，隧也），闭其门，终身不堇（同勤，劳也）。
启其闷（乙本作"㙂"），济其事，终身不棘。
见小（常）曰明（內在智慧），守柔曰强。
用其光（外在智慧），复归其明。
毋道（遗）身央（殃），是胃（谓）袭常（常，同裳，障也。襲常，韜 光匿明）。
52. Clarity
The origin of the world is its mother;
Understand the mother, and you understand the child; Embrace the child, and you embrace the mother,
Who will not perish when you die.Reserve your judgments and words
And you maintain your influence;
Speak your mind and take positions
And nothing can save you.
As observing detail is clarity,
So maintaining flexibility is strength;
Use the light but shed no light,
So that you do yourself no harm,
But embrace clarity.
使我介（挈，掌握，乙本作介）有知，行于大道，唯迤（施，迆，tuo2，邪也）是畏。
大道甚夷，民甚好解（乙本作“亻解”，同径，邪不平正也）。
朝甚除（同涂，染污也，狱讼繁多而朝甚除），田甚芜，仓甚虚。
服文采，带利剑，厌（同厌，饱也，足也， 俗作餍）饮食而资财有余。
是谓盗夸（竽，五聲之長者也，竽先則鐘 瑟皆隨，竽唱則諸樂皆和），盗夸（竽）非道也（哉）。
53. Difficult Paths
With but a small understanding
One may follow the Way like a main road,
Fearing only to leave it;
Following a main road is easy,
Yet people delight in difficult paths.
When palaces are kept up
Fields are left to weeds
And granaries empty;
Wearing fine clothes,
Bearing sharp swords,
Glutting with food and drink,
Hoarding wealth and possessions -
These are the ways of theft,
And far from the Way.
善建者不拔，善抱者不脱，子孙以祭（甲本作[祭，右上“”換作“犬”]）祀不绝。（虽见所好之物不能引之谓不拔，虽有可欲之类神不为动之谓不脱）
修之身，其德乃真（真者，慎之固也）。
修之家，其德有余。
修之乡，其德乃长。
修之邦（国），其德乃丰。
修之于天下，其德乃博（广也）。
以身观身，以家观家，以乡观乡，以邦观邦，以天下观天下，吾何以知天下然兹（同哉）！以此。
54.Cultivate Harmony
Cultivate harmony within yourself, and harmony becomes real;
Cultivate harmony within your family, and harmony becomes fertile;
Cultivate harmony within your community, and harmony becomes abundant;
Cultivate harmony within your culture, and harmony
becomes enduring;
Cultivate harmony within the world, and harmony becomes ubiquitous.
Live with a person to understand that person;
Live with a family to understand that family;
Live with a community to understand that community; Live with a culture to understand that culture; Live with the world to understand the world.
How can I live with the world?
By accepting.
含德之厚者，比于赤子。
蜂（逢，feng1）虿（古字“彳刺”，同躉，dun3，今读音chai4）虺（古字“虫畏”，hui3）蛇（地）弗螫（蜇），攫（同攫，以脚取之，jue2）鸟猛兽弗搏。（乙本作“[奉+䖵，上下结构]癘䖝蛇弗赫，據鳥孟獸弗捕”）
骨弱筋柔而握固，未知牝（pin4）牡之合而朘（zui1）怒，精之至也。
终（乙本作冬）日（曰，yue1）号而不嚘（乙本作嚘，气逆，哑），和之至也。
知和（阴阳相交）曰常，知常曰明，益生曰祥（妖祥。生不可益，益之则夭），心使气曰强。
物壮则（卽）老，胃（谓）之不道，不道蚤（早）已（亡，止也）。
55.Soft Bones
Who is filled with harmony is like a newborn.
Wasps and snakes will not bite him;
Hawks and tigers will not claw him.
His bones are soft yet his grasp is sure,
For his flesh is supple;
His mind is innocent yet his body is virile,
For his vigour is plentiful;
His song is long-lasting yet his voice is sweet,
For his grace is perfect.
But knowing harmony creates abstraction,
And following abstraction creates ritual.
Exceeding nature creates calamity,
And controlling nature creates violence.
知者弗言，言者弗知。
塞其闷（乙本作㙂），闭其门，和其光，同其尘（乙本作“塵”，旧字[車㐱+土]），坐（乙本作銼，挫）其兑（同锐，乙本作“兑”）而解其纷，是胃（同谓）玄同（玄同，無名之同）。（塞兑、闭门，使民无知无欲；挫锐、解纷，使民无事无争；和光、同尘，使民无贵无贱，无荣无辱）
故不可得而亲，亦不可得而疏。不可得而利，亦不可得而害。不可得而贵，亦不可得而贱（甲本作“浅”），故为天下贵。（不可得，犹言不得或不使）
56.Impartiality
Who understands does not preach;
Who preaches does not understand.
Reserve your judgments and words;
Smooth differences and forgive disagreements;
Dull your wit and simplify your purpose;
Accept the world.
Then,
Friendship and enmity,
Profit and loss,
Honour and disgrace,
Will not affect you;
The world will accept you.
以正之（治）邦，以畸（奇）用兵，以无事取天下。
吾何以知其然也哉（乙本作"才"）？
夫天下多忌讳，而民弥贫。民多利器，而邦（国）家兹（滋）昏。
民多知（智），而何（奇）物滋起。法物滋（兹）彰（章），而盗贼多有（人多知，一 作人多知巧。法物，好物也。珍好之物滋生彰 著，则农事废，饥寒并生，故盗贼多有也）。
是以圣人之言曰：我无为也而民自化，我好静而民自正，我无事而民自富，我欲不欲而民自朴（非无欲也，以不欲为欲也）。
57.Conquer with Inaction
Do not control the people with laws,
Nor violence nor espionage,
But conquer them with inaction.
For:
The more morals and taboos there are,
The more cruelty afflicts people;
The more guns and knives there are,
The more factions divide people;
The more arts and skills there are,
The more change obsoletes people;
The more laws and taxes there are,
The more theft corrupts people.
Yet take no action, and the people nurture eachother;
Make no laws, and the people deal fairly with eachother;
Own no interest, and the people cooperate with eachother;
Express no desire, and the people harmonize with eachother.
其政闵闵，其民屯屯（惇惇）。（以上甲本残）
其正（政）察察，其邦（民）夬夬（guai4，缺缺，夬，上兑下干，一阴而五阳， 虽有决断之意，但为小人奸巧而居髙位，众君 子戒备警惕之象。一作“其民缺缺”，缺借为 犬傍，狡狯之意，亦通）。
祸（古字[旤+心]上下结构），福之所倚。福，祸之所伏，孰知其极？
其无正也，正复为奇，善复为妖，人之悉（迷）也，其日固久矣。
是以方而不割，廉（兼）而不刺，直而不绁（肆），光而不曜（眺）。
58.No End
When government is lazy and informal
The people are kind and honest;
When government is efficient and severe
The people are discontented and deceitful.
Good fortune follows upon disaster;
Disaster lurks within good fortune;
Who can say how things will end?
Perhaps there is no end.
Honesty is ever deceived;
Kindness is ever seduced;
Men have been like this for a long time.
So the sage is firm but not cutting,
Pointed but not piercing,
Straight but not rigid,
Bright but not blinding.
治人事天，莫若啬（省也）。
夫唯啬，是以早（蚤）服。早（蚤）服是胃（谓）重积德，重积德则无不克，无不克则莫知其极，莫知其极，可以有国，有国之母，可以长久。
是胃（谓）深槿（根，甲本作[木+[艮+土， 上下]）固氐（柢），长生久视（活也）之道也。
59.Restraint
Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish.
To govern men in accord with nature
It is best to be restrained;
Restraint makes agreement easy to attain,
And easy agreement builds harmonious relationships; With sufficient harmony no resistance will arise; When no resistance arises, then you possess the heart of the nation, And when you possess the nation's heart, your influence will long endure: Deeply rooted and firmly established.
This is the method of far sight and long life.
治大国若烹（亨）小鲜，以道莅（立）天下，其鬼不神。
非其鬼不神（申）也，其神（申）不伤人也。
非其神（申）不伤人也，圣人亦弗伤也。
夫两不相伤，故德交归焉。
60.Demons
When you use the Way to conquer the world,
Your demons will lose their power to harm.
It is not that they lose their power as such,
But that they will not harm others;
Because they will not harm others,
You will not harm others:
When neither you nor your demons can do harm,
You will be at peace with them.
大邦者，下流也，天下之牝也，天下之郊（同交，交合，乙本作“交”）也。
牝恒以靓（乙本作“静”，下同）胜（乙本作“朕”）牡，为其靓（静）也，故宜为下也。
大邦以下小邦，则取小邦；
小邦以下大邦，则取于大邦。
故或下以取，或下而取。
故大邦者，不过欲兼（乙本作“并”）畜人。小邦者，不过欲入事人。
夫皆得其欲，则（故）大者宜为下。
61. Submission
A nation is like a hierarchy, a marketplace, and a maiden.
A maiden wins her husband by submitting to his advances;
Submission is a means of union.
So when a large country submits to a small country
It will adopt the small country;
When a small country submits to a large country
It will be adopted by the large country;
The one submits and adopts;
The other submits and is adopted.
It is in the interest of a large country to unite and gain service,
And in the interest of a small country to unite and gain patronage;
If both would serve their interests,
Both must submit.
道者，万物之注（主）也，善，人之葆也，不善，人之所葆（乙本作“保”）也。
美言可以市，尊（奠）行可以贺（同“加”）人。人之不善也，何弃之有。
故立天子，置三卿（乙本作“鄉”），虽有拱之璧（共之璧，卽拱璧，拱抱之大璧也）以（與也，及也）先（同駪，马众多皃）驷（四）马，不若（甲本作“善”）坐而进此。
古之所以贵此者（道）何也？
不胃（谓）求以得，有罪以免舆（同“与”，甲本作“輿”）？故为天下贵。
62.Sin
The Way is the fate of men,
The treasure of the saint,
And the refuge of the sinner.
Fine words are often borrowed,
And great deeds are often appropriated;
Therefore, when a man falls, do not abandon him,
And when a man gains power, do not honour him;
Only remain impartial and show him the Way.
Why should someone appreciate the Way?
The ancients said, "By it, those who seek may easily find,
And those who regret may easily absolve"
So it is the most precious gift.
为无为，事无事，味无未（味），大小多少，报怨以德。（大小，多少，大其小，多其少， 小以为大，少以为多也）
图难乎（乙本作“于”）其易也，为大乎（于）其细也。
天下之难作于易，天下之大作于细，是以圣人冬（乙本作“终”）不为大，故能成其大。
夫轻若（同“诺”）必寡信，多易必多难，是以圣人猷（犹）难之，故终于无难。
63.Difficulty
Practice no-action;
Attend to do-nothing;
Taste the flavorless,
Magnify the small,
Multiply the few,
Return love for hate.
Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy;
Deal with the great while it is yet small;
The difficult develops naturally from the easy,
And the great from the small;
So the sage, by dealing with the small,
Achieves the great.
Who finds it easy to promise finds it hard to be trusted;
Who takes things lightly finds things difficult;
The sage recognizes difficulty, and so has none.
其安也，易持也。其未兆也，易谋也。其脆也，易破（判）也。其微也，易散也。为之于其未有，治之于其未乱也。
合抱之木，生于毫末。九成（甲乙本均作 “成”，同层）之台，作（起）于羸（乙本作“虆”“垒”“蔂”，lei3， 土籠名）土。百仁（仞）之高，台（乙本作“始”）于足下。
为之者败之，执之者失之。是以圣人无为也，故无败也，无执也，故无失也。民之从事也，恒于其（甲乙本均作其，同 期，卽幾）成（甲本作“成事”）而败之，故慎终（乙本作冬）若始，则无败事矣。
是以圣人欲不欲，而不贵难得之货（甲本作[月+爲]古字）。学不学，而复众人之所过，能辅万物之自然，而弗敢为。
64a.Care at the Beginning
What lies still is easy to grasp;
What lies far off is easy to anticipate;
What is brittle is easy to shatter;
What is small is easy to disperse.
Yet a tree broader than a man can embrace is born of a tiny shoot;
A dam greater than a river can overflow starts with a clod of earth;
A journey of a thousand miles begins at the spot under
one's feet.
Therefore deal with things before they happen;
Create order before there is confusion.
64b.Care at the End
He who acts, spoils;
He who grasps, loses.
People often fail on the verge of success;
Take care at the end as at the beginning,
So that you may avoid failure.
The sage desires no-desire,
Values no-value,
Learns no-learning,
And returns to the places that people have forgotten; He would help all people to become natural,
But then he would not be natural.
故曰（乙本作“古之”）：为道者非以明民也，将以愚之也。
夫民之难治也，以其知（同“智”）也。
故以知知（同“智治”）邦，邦之贼也；以不知知（智治）邦，邦之德也。恒知此两者，亦稽（甲乙本均作“稽”，同楷）式也。恒知稽式，此（乙本作“是”）胃（同“谓”）玄德。玄德深矣，远矣，与物反矣（乙本作“也”），乃至大顺。
65.Subtlety
The ancients did not seek to rule people with knowledge,
But to help them become natural.
It is difficult for knowledgeable people to become natural;
So to use law to control a nation weakens the nation,
But to use nature to control a nation strengthens the nation.
Understanding these two paths is understanding subtlety;
Subtlety runs deep, ranges wide,
Resolves confusion and preserves peace.
江海之所以能为百浴（同“谷”）王者，以其善下之，是以能为百浴（谷）王（王，天下所归往往也）。
是以圣（乙本作[耳+口左右结构]古字）人之欲上民也，必以其言下之。
其欲先民也 必以其身后之。
故居前而民弗害也，居上而民弗重（犹累）也。（乙本两句颠倒）
天下乐隼（推，乙本作“誰”）而弗猒（同“厭”“厌”）也。
非以其无静（乙本作“争”）与，故天下莫能与诤（争）。
66.Lead by Following
The river carves out the valley by flowing beneath it. Thereby the river is the master of the valley.
In order to master people
One must speak as their servant;
In order to lead people
One must follow them.
So when the sage rises above the people,
They do not feel oppressed;
And when the sage stands before the people,
They do not feel hindered.
So the popularity of the sage does not fail,
He does not contend, and no one contends against him.
小邦寡（古字[寡，去掉宀部首）民，使有（甲本无“有”字）什佰（十百）之器（材堪十人百人之长者）而毋（乙本作“勿”）用，使民重死而远（远，疏也，离也）徙（送）。
有车周（同“舟”，乙本作“周车”）无所乘之，有甲兵无所陈之，使民复结绳而用之。
甘其食，美其服，乐其俗，安其居。邻（古字[粦+ 几]，乙本作[口口+文]）邦相望，鸡狗（乙本作“犬”）之声相闻，民至老死，不相往来。(帛書《老子》原次序爲食、服、俗、居)
80.Utopia
Let your community be small, with only a few people; Keep tools in abundance, but do not depend upon them; Appreciate your life and be content with your home; Sail boats and ride horses, but don't go too far; Keep weapons and armour, but do not employ them; Let everyone read and write,
Eat well and make beautiful things.
Live peacefully and delight in your own society;
Dwell within cock-crow of your neighbours,
But maintain your independence from them.
信言不美，美言不信。知者不博，博者不知。善者不多，多者不善。
圣（乙本作[耳+口左右结构]古字）人无积，既以为人，己俞（同“愈”）有。
既以予人矣己愈（同“愈”）多。
故天之道，利而不害，人之道，为而弗争。
81.The Sage
Honest people use no rhetoric;
Rhetoric is not honesty.
Enlightened people are not cultured;
Culture is not enlightenment.
Content people are not rich;
Riches are not contentment.
So the sage does not serve himself;
The more he does for others, the more he is satisfied;
The more he gives, the more he receives.
Nature flourishes at the expense of no one;
So the sage benefits all men and contends with none.
天下皆胃（同“谓”）我大，大而不宵（同“肖”）。
夫唯不宵（同“肖”），故能大。若宵（肖），久矣其细也夫。
（此据乙本。甲本首句残。参校世传别本，似应为“天下皆胃我大不宵”第二三句甲本作“夫唯大， 故不宵。若肖，細久矣。” 也做“夫唯大，故不宵，若肖，久矣其细也夫。”，也做“大而不宵”，“夫唯宵故能大”）
我恒有三葆（乙本作[王+呆]古字，宝），市（持）而葆之。一曰兹（滋），二曰检（俭），三曰不敢为天下先。
夫慈，故能勇。检（俭），故（乙本作“敢”）能广。
不敢为天下先，故能为成器长。（成器，大器也。器，甲本及韩非解老篇均作“事”）
今舍其兹（滋）且勇，舍其俭且广，舍其后且先，则必死矣。夫兹（滋），以單(同“戰”“ 战”)则胜（乙本作“朕”），以守则固。天将建(立也)之，女（乙本作“如”）以兹（滋）垣（卫）之。
67.Unimportance
All the world says,
"I am important;
I am separate from all the world.
I am important because I am separate,
Were I the same, I could never be important."
Yet here are three treasures
That I cherish and commend to you:
The first is compassion,
By which one finds courage.
The second is restraint,
By which one finds strength.
And the third is unimportance,
By which one finds influence.
Those who are fearless, but without compassion,
Powerful, but without restraint,
Or influential, yet important,
Cannot endure.
善为士者不武，善战（乙本作單）者不怒，善胜（乙本作朕）敌者弗与，善用人者为之下。
是胃（同“谓”）不诤（同“争”）之德，是胃（同“谓”）用人，是胃（同“谓”）肥（配）天，古（天也）之极也。
68.Compassion
Compassion is the finest weapon and best defence.
If you would establish harmony,
Compassion must surround you like a fortress.
Therefore,
A good soldier does not inspire fear;
A good fighter does not display aggression;
A good conqueror does not engage in battle;
A good leader does not exercise authority.
This is the value of unimportance;
This is how to win the cooperation of others;
This to how to build the same harmony that is in nature.
用兵有言曰：吾不敢为主而为客，吾不进寸而芮（退）尺。是胃（同“谓”）行无行，襄（乙本作“攘”）无臂，执无兵，乃（仍）无敌矣。
祸莫大于无适（敌），无适（敌）斤（乙本作“近”）亡吾葆（乙本作[王+呆]古字，保）矣。
故称（乙本作抗兵，舉兵也）兵相若（当也），则哀（哀，慈爱）者胜矣。（乙本作“而依者朕”）
69.Ambush
There is a saying among soldiers:
It is easier to lose a yard than take an inch.
In this manner one may deploy troops withoutmarshalling them,
Bring weapons to bear without exposing them,
Engage the foe without invading them,
And exhaust their strength without fighting them.
There is no worse disaster than misunderstanding your enemy;
To do so endangers all of my treasures;
So when two well matched forces oppose eachother,
The general who maintains compassion will win.
吾言甚易知也，甚易行也，而人（乙本作 “天下”）莫之能知也，而莫之能行也。
言有君，事有宗（乙本作“夫言又宗，事又君”）。
其唯无知也，是以不我知。知我者希，则我贵矣。(知者希，甲本句残，今本作“知我者希”) 。
是以圣（乙本作“耳+口”古字）人被褐（被褐，谓衣著粗陋，与俗人无别）而褱（[懷,去忄]，同“怀”）玉。
70.Individuality
My words are easy to understand And my actions are easy to perform
Yet no other can understand or perform them.
My words have meaning; my actions have reason;
Yet these cannot be known and I cannot be known.
We are each unique, and therefore valuable;
Though the sage wears coarse clothes, his heart is jade.
知不知，尚矣。不知不知（甲本多一重文号， 作“不知不知”，乙本作不知知），病矣。
是以圣（乙本作“耳+口”古字）人之不病也，以其病病（动宾结构，惧怕困忧）也，是以不病。
71.Limitation
Who recognizes his limitations is healthy;
Who ignores his limitations is sick.
The sage recognizes this sickness as a limitation.
And so becomes immune.
民之不畏畏（动宾结构，名词之“畏”一 作“威”），则大畏（威）将至矣。
母（毋）闸（乙本作[亻+甲]，同“狹”）其所居，毋猒（ye4，同“厌”）其所生。
夫唯弗猒（ye4，厭，壓，同“厌”），是以不猒（yan4，惡也，厌恶）。
是以圣人，自知而不自见也，自爱而不自贵也，故去被（同“彼”，乙本作“罷”“罢”）取此。
72.Revolution
When people have nothing more to lose,
Then revolution will result.
Do not take away their lands,
And do not destroy their livelihoods;
If your burden is not heavy then they will not shirk it.
The sage maintains himself but exacts no tribute,
Values himself but requires no honours;
He ignores abstraction and accepts substance.
勇于敢者则杀，勇于不敢者则栝（gua1，活）。
知此两者或利或害。天之所恶（亞，惡），孰知其故？
天之道，不战（戰）而善胜（勝），不言而善应，不召而自来，弹（坦，寬也，安也。乙本作“單”）而善谋。
天网（罔，網）恢恢（宽大也），疏而不失。
73.Fate
Who is brave and bold will perish;
Who is brave and subtle will benefit.
The subtle profit where the bold perish
For fate does not honour daring.
And even the sage dares not tempt fate.
Fate does not attack, yet all things are conquered by it;
It does not ask, yet all things answer to it;
It does not call, yet all things meet it;
It does not plan, yet all things are determined by it.
Fate's net is vast and its mesh is coarse,
Yet none escape it.
若民恒且畏（甲本句残，此处疑为衍文）不畏死，奈何以杀惧（懼，乙本作“䂂”）之也？
若民恒是（畏）死，则而为畸（奇）者吾将得而杀之（甲本此两句作“若民恒是死，则而为者吾将得而杀之”，得，执也），夫孰敢矣。
若民恒且必畏死（必畏死之畏，犯法獄死之謂也），则恒有司杀者。夫伐（代）司杀者杀，是伐（代）大匠斲（zhuo2斫）也。
夫伐（代）大匠斲（斫）者，则希（稀）不伤其手矣。
74. Execution
If people were not afraid of death,
Then what would be the use of an executioner?
If people were only afraid of death,
And you executed everyone who did not obey,
No one would dare to disobey you.
Then what would be the use of an executioner?
People fear death because death is an instrument of fate.
When people are killed by execution rather than by fate,
This is like carving wood in the place of a carpenter.
Those who carve wood in place of a carpenter Often injure their hands.
人之饥也，以其取食（税）之多也，是以饥。
百姓（姓，乙本作“生”）之不治也，以其上有以为也，是以不治。
民之巠（乙本作“轻”“ 輕”）死，以其求生（生聚之生，非生死之生也）之厚也，是以巠（乙本作“轻”）死。
夫唯无以生为者，是贤贵生。
75.Rebellion
When rulers take grain so that they may feast, Their people become hungry;
When rulers take action to serve their own interests, Their people become rebellious;
When rulers take lives so that their own lives are maintained,
Their people no longer fear death.
When people act without regard for their own lives They overcome those who value only their own lives.
人之生也柔弱，其死也筋（乙本作[骨+ 恒]古字）仞（同肕 ren4，堅肉也，乙本作信）坚强。
万物草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯（[木+車]古字）槁（[高+死]上下结构，古字）。
故曰：坚强者死之徒也，柔弱微细者生之徒也（乙本无“细微”）。
是以兵强则不胜，木强则恒（乙本作[竞+竞]古字，通“烘”），强大居下，柔弱微细居上（乙本无“细微”）。
（按:甲本“柔弱”对“强”而言，“微细”对“大”而言，并无不妥，亦无必要删削）
76.Flexibility
A newborn is soft and tender,
A crone, hard and stiff.
Plants and animals, in life, are supple and succulent;
In death, withered and dry.
So softness and tenderness are attributes of life,
And hardness and stiffness, attributes of death.
Just as a sapless tree will split and decay
So an inflexible force will meet defeat;
The hard and mighty lie beneath the ground
While the tender and weak dance on the breeze above.
天下之道（甲本“天下”二字后句残），犹张弓者也。
高者印（甲乙本均作“印”，同“抑”）之，下者举之，有餘（乙本作“余”）者损（乙本作“云”）之，不足者补之。
故天之道，损（乙本作“云”）有余（乙本作“余”）而益不足。
人之道则不然，损（乙本作“云”）不足而奉有余（乙本作“余”）。
夫孰能有余（乙本作“余”）而有以取奉（取奉，取法也）于天者？
唯有（乙本作“又”）道者乎。
是以圣（[耳+口]古字）人为而弗有（同“又”），成功而弗居也，若此，其不欲见贤也。
77.Need
Is the action of nature not unlike drawing a bow?
What is higher is pulled down, and what is lower is raised up;
What is taller is shortened, and what is thinner is broadened;
Nature's motion decreases those who have more than they need
And increases those who need more than they have.
It is not so with Man.
Man decreases those who need more than they have
And increases those who have more than they need.
To give away what you do not need is to follow the Way.
So the sage gives without expectation, Accomplishes without claiming credit,
And has no desire for ostentation.
天下莫柔弱于水，而攻坚强者莫之能胜（先）也，以其无以易（变“易”）之也。
故水（甲本句残，通行本作“柔”）之胜刚，弱之胜强，天下莫弗（不）知也，而莫能行也。
故圣（[耳+口]古字）人之言曰：受邦之诟，是胃（谓）社稷之主，受邦之不详，是胃（谓）天下之王（往也）。正言若反。
78. Yielding
Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water, Yet nothing can better overcome the hard and strong, For they can neither control nor do away with it. The soft overcomes the hard,
The yielding overcomes the strong;
Every person knows this,
But no one can practice it.
Who attends to the people would control the land and grain;
Who attends to the state would control the whole world;
Truth is easily hidden by rhetoric.
和（乙本作“禾“）大怨，必有余怨，焉可以为善。
是以圣（乙本“聖”之下有“人執”二字）右介（契，乙本作“左芥”）而不以责于人。故有德司介（契），无德司彻（同徹，貢、 助、徹之徹也，周之稅法）。
夫天道无亲，恒与善人。
79.Reconciliation
When conflict is reconciled, some hard feelings remain;
This is dangerous.
The sage accepts less than is due And does not blame or punish;
For harmony seeks agreement Where justice seeks payment.
The ancients said: "nature is impartial;
Therefore it serves those who serve all."
道，可道也，非恒道也。名，可名也，非恒名也。
无名，万物之始也，有名万物之母也。
故垣（乙本作“恒”）无欲也，以观其眇（同“妙”）。恒有欲也，以观其所噭（jiao4，同徼，终极也）。
两者（始与母也）同出，异名同胃（同“谓”），玄之有（又）玄，众眇（妙）之门。
01.The Way
The Way that can be experienced is not true;
The world that can be constructed is not true.
The Way manifests all that happens and may happen;
The world represents all that exists and may exist.
To experience without intention is to sense the world;
To experience with intention is to anticipate the world.
These two experiences are indistinguishable;
Their construction differs but their effect is the same.
Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way,
Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world.
天下皆知美之为美，恶（乙本作“亚”“ 亞”）已。
皆知善，訾（乙本作“斯”）不善矣。
有，无之相生也。
难，易之相成也。
长，短之相刑（同“形”）也。
高，下之相盈也。
意（乙本作“音”），声之相和也。
先，后之相隋（同“随”），恒也。
是以声（同“聖”“圣”乙本作[耳+口]古字）人居无为之事，行不言之教。
万物昔（同“作”）而弗始也，为而弗志（恃，同“德”乙本“侍”）也，成功而弗居也。
夫唯（乙本有弗字，甲本脱“弗”字）居，是以弗去。
02.Abstraction
When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted Then evil has been implied.
So alive and dead are abstracted from nature,
Difficult and easy abstracted from progress,
Long and short abstracted from contrast,
High and low abstracted from depth,
Song and speech abstracted from melody,
After and before abstracted from sequence.
The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.
不上贤，使民不争。
不贵难得之货，使民不为盗。
不见可欲，使民不乱。
是以声（同“聖”“圣”乙本作[耳+口]古字）人之治也，虚其心，实其腹，弱其志，强其骨。
恒使民无知无欲也。使夫知（智）不敢弗为而已，则无不治矣。
03.Without Action
Not praising the worthy prevents contention,
Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft,
Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire.
In this manner the sage governs people:
Emptying their minds,
Filling their bellies,
Weakening their ambitions,
And strengthening their bones.
If people lack knowledge and desire
Then they can not act;
If no action is taken
Harmony remains.
道，冲（同“盅”虚也）而用之，有（又）弗盈也。
潚（乙本作“淵”“渊”）呵，始（乙本作“似”）万物之宗。
锉（挫）其锐（乙本作“兑”甲本句残），解其纷（乙本作“芬”），和其光，同其尘。
湛（没有，无也）呵！似或存，吾不知谁子也，象帝之先。
04.Limitless
The Way is a limitless vessel;
Used by the self, it is not filled by the world;
It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled;
Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal;
I don't know where it comes from;
It comes before nature.
天地不仁，以万物为刍狗。
声（圣，同“聖”“圣”乙本作[耳+口]古字）人不仁，以百省（乙本作“姓”）为刍狗。
天地之间，其犹橐（tuo2）龠（yao4，钥）舆（与）！
虚而不淈（屈），踵（乙本作“动”“ 勭”，同“動”“动”）而俞（愈）出。
多闻数穷，不若守于中。（博学多闻，而不免于惑）
05.Nature
Nature is not kind;
It treats all things impartially.
The Sage is not kind,
And treats all people impartially.
Nature is like a bellows,
Empty, yet never ceasing its supply.
The more it moves, the more it yields;
So the sage draws upon experience
And cannot be exhausted.
浴（谷）神不死，是胃（谓）玄牝。
玄牝之门，是胃（谓）天地之根。（“谷”喻虚怀处卑，“神”谓变化莫测，“不死”指永存不灭，三者均为道之写状。参见第二章“神得一”云云）
绵绵呵若存，用之不堇（勤，尽也）。
06.Experience
Experience is a riverbed,
Its source hidden, forever flowing:
Its entrance, the root of the world,
The Way moves within it:
Draw upon it; it will not run dry.
天长地久。天地之所以能长且久者，以其不自生也，故能长生。(不自私其生)
是以声（圣，同“聖”“圣”乙本作[耳+口]古字）人芮（乙本作“退”）其身而身先，外其身而身存。
不以其无私舆（同“輿”“与”），故能成其私。
07.Complete
Nature is complete because it does not serve itself.
The sage places himself after and finds himself before,
Ignores his desire and finds himself content.
He is complete because he does not serve himself.
上善治（乙本作“如”，似）水。
水善利万物而有静（乙本作“争”）。
居众（乙本有“人”字）之所恶（乙本作“亞”），故几于道矣。
居善地，心善潚（乙本作“淵”“渊”），予善天，言善信，正（政）善治，事善能，踵（乙本作“動”“动”）善时。
夫唯不静（乙本作“争”），故无尤。
08.Water
The best of man is like water,
Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them,
Which flows in places that others disdain,
Where it is in harmony with the Way.
So the sage:
Lives within nature,
Thinks within the deep,
Gives within impartiality,
Speaks within trust,
Governs within order,
Crafts within ability,
Acts within opportunity.
He does not contend, and none contend against him.
㨁（甲乙本均作“㨁”， 同持，执而不释）而盈之，不若（如）其已（止也）。揣而兑（鋭，允）之，不可长葆（保）之。
金玉盈室，莫之守也，富贵而䮦（乙本作“驕”“骄”），自遗咎也。
功述（乙本作“遂”）身芮（乙本作“退”），天之道也。
09.Retire
Fill a cup to its brim and it is easily spilled;Temper a sword to its hardest and it is easily broken;
Amass the greatest treasure and it is easily stolen;
Claim credit and honour and you easily fall;
Retire once your purpose is achieved - this is natural.
载（戴）营柏（魄）抱一，能毋离（離）乎？
抟（tuan2，摶，[木+專 ]古字）气至（致）柔，能婴儿乎？（载， 处也。营魄，魂魄也。形神相依，抱一守道。 抟，结聚也。结聚精气以致柔和，能若婴儿含 德之厚，精和之至乎?）
修（甲乙本均作“脩”，同“滌”）除玄览（乙本作“監”，同“鑒”“鉴”），能毋（无）疵乎？
爱民栝（tuo4，治）国，能毋以为知（同“智“）乎？
天门（鼻孔）启阖，能为雌乎？
明白四达，能毋以为乎？
生之，畜之，生而弗有，长而弗宰，是胃（谓）玄德。
10.Harmony
Embracing the Way, you become embraced;
Breathing gently, you become newborn;
Clearing your mind, you become clear;
Nurturing your children, you become impartial;
Opening your heart, you become accepted;
Accepting the world, you embrace the Way.
Bearing and nurturing,
Creating but not owning,
Giving without demanding,
This is harmony.
卅辐（[木+畐]古字，甲本残句）同一毂，当其无，有车之用也。
埏（shan1）埴（zhi2）而为器，当其无，有埴器之用也。
凿户牖，当其无有，室之用也。
故有之以为利，无之以为用。
11.Tools
Thirty spokes meet at a nave;
Because of the hole we may use the wheel.
Clay is moulded into a vessel;
Because of the hollow we may use the cup.
Walls are built around a hearth;
Because of the doors we may use the house.
Thus tools come from what exists,
But use from what does not.
五色使人之目明（乙本作“盲”），
驰骋田腊（猎，獵）使人心发狂，
难得之货使人之行方（乙本作“仿”，同“妨”），
五味使人之口爽（甲本作[口+相]，败也），
五音使人之耳聋。
是以声（同聖，圣，乙本作“[耳+口]”）人之治也，
为腹而不为目，故去罢（乙本作“彼”）耳（乙本作“取”）此。
12. Substance
Too much colour blinds the eye,
Too much music deafens the ear,
Too much taste dulls the palate,
Too much play maddens the mind,
Too much desire tears the heart.
In this manner the sage cares for people:
He provides for the belly, not for the senses;
He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance.
龙（同“寵”“宠”， 乙本作“弄”）辱若惊，贵大梡（乙本作“患”）若身。何谓龙（乙本作“弄”，同“寵”“宠”）辱若惊？
龙（乙本作“弄”，同“寵”“宠”）之为下也，得之若惊，失之若惊，是胃（同“谓”）龙（同“宠”）辱若惊。
何胃（谓）贵大梡（同“患”）若身？吾所以有大梡（同“患”）者，为吾有身也，及吾无身，有何梡（同“患”）！
故贵为身于为天下，若可以托（[⻎+石]古字，乙本作“橐”）天下矣。爱以身为天下，女（同“如”“汝”）何（可）以寄天下？
13.Self
Both praise and blame cause concern,
For they bring people hope and fear.
The object of hope and fear is the self For,
without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur?
Therefore,
Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world,
But who regards himself as the world may accept the world.
视之而弗见，名之曰微（甲本作[微+耳，上下结构]）。
听之而弗闻，名（乙本作“命”）之曰希。
捪（min2，撫也，循也）之而弗得，名之曰夷（滅，灭也，平也）。
三者不可至（致）计（致诘），故混（[囗+束，内外结构]，乙本作[ 纟+君，左右结构]古字，同混）而为一。
一者，其上不攸（乙本作“謬”，谬），其下不忽（惚），寻寻呵不可名（乙本作“命”）也（通行本作“其上不皦(jiao3)，其下不昧，繩繩不可名”），复归于无物。是胃（谓）无状之状，无物之象，是胃（谓）沕望（甲本残句，同“忽恍”）。
随而不见其后，迎而不见其首。
执今之道，以御今之有，以知古始，是胃（谓）道纪。
14.Mystery
Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beneath form;
Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beneath sound;
Held but cannot be touched - it is beneath feeling;
These depthless things evade definition,
And blend into a single mystery.
In its rising there is no light,
In its falling there is no darkness,
A continuous thread beyond description,
Lining what can not occur;
Its form formless,
Its image nothing,
Its name silence;
Follow it, it has no back,
Meet it, it has no face.
Attend the present to deal with the past;
Thus you grasp the continuity of the Way,
Which is its essence.
古之善为道者，微眇(同“妙”)玄达，深不可志（同“识”）。夫唯不可志，故强为之容。
曰：与（同“豫”）呵其若冬涉水。犹呵其若畏四邻（[口口+文]古字，甲本句残)。俨呵其若客。
涣呵其若淩（同“凌”）泽（同“释”“ 釋”），沌（敦）呵其若樸（同“樸”，“ 朴”）。
湷（同“混”）呵其若浊。曠（甲本残句，“旷”，[氵+ 莊]呵其若浴（谷）。
浊而情（乙本作“静”）之余（乙本作“徐”）清（浊而静之徐清），女（安）以重（动）之余（乙本作“徐”）生。
葆（保）此道不欲盈，夫唯不欲盈，是以能敝（同“蔽”）而不成。
15.Enlightenment
The enlightened possess understanding
So profound they can not be understood.
Because they cannot be understood
I can only describe their appearance:
Cautious as one crossing thin ice,
Undecided as one surrounded by danger,
Modest as one who is a guest,
Unbounded as melting ice,
Genuine as unshaped wood,
Broad as a valley,
Seamless as muddy water.
Who stills the water that the mud may settle,
Who seeks to stop that he may travel on,
Who desires less than may transpire,
Decays, but will not renew.
至（同“致”）虚极也，守情表（乙本作“静督”）也，万物旁（同“並”“并”）作，吾以观其复也。
天（甲乙本均作“天”，夫）物云云（乙本作“[礻+云]”芸芸），各复归于其根。
（通行版前有“归根”）曰静，静，是胃（谓）复命。复命常也，知常明也。不知常，㠵（妄，乙本作芒，下同）㠵（妄）作凶。
知常容，容乃公，公乃王，王乃天，天乃道，道乃久，沕（乙本作“没”，淹没）身不怠（乙本作“殆”）。
16.Decay and Renewal
Empty the self completely;
Embrace perfect peace.
The world will rise and move;
Watch it return to rest.
All the flourishing things
Will return to their source.
This return is peaceful;
It is the flow of nature,
An eternal decay and renewal.
Accepting this brings enlightenment,
Ignoring this brings misery.
Who accepts nature's flow becomes all-cherishing;
Being all-cherishing he becomes impartial;
Being impartial he becomes magnanimous;
Being magnanimous he becomes natural;
Being natural he becomes one with the Way;
Being one with the Way he becomes immortal:
Though his body will decay, the Way will not.
太上，下知有（乙本作“又”）之，其次，亲誉之。其次，畏之。其下，母（同“侮”）之。
信不足，案（乙本作“安”，同焉，于是，则也）有不信。猷（犹）呵，其贵言也。
成功遂事，而百省（乙本作“姓”）胃（谓）我自然（祭）。
17.Rulers
The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects;
The next best are loved and praised;
The next are feared;
The next despised:
They have no faith in their people,
And their people become unfaithful to them.
When the best rulers achieve their purpose
Their subjects claim the achievement as their own.
故大道废，案（乙本作“安”）有仁义。知快（乙本作“知慧”）出，案（案，安， 焉，均作“於是”解）有大伪。
六亲不和，案有畜兹（乙本作“孝兹”）。邦家混（[問+心] ，上下结构，古字）乱，案有贞臣。
18.Hypocrisy
When the Way is forgotten Duty and justice appear;
Then knowledge and wisdom are born Along with hypocrisy.
When harmonious relationships dissolve
Then respect and devotion arise;
When a nation falls to chaos
Then loyalty and patriotism are born.
绝声（聖，乙本作“[耳+口]”，圣）弃知（智），民利百负（乙本作“倍”）。
绝仁弃义，而民复畜兹（乙本作“孝慈”）。
绝巧弃利，盗贼无有。
此三言也，以为文（爲，伪也。文，文饰也。《礼记·月令》“作 爲”，今卽作“诈伪”）未足，故令之有所属。
见素抱朴，少私（思）而寡欲，绝学无忧。
19.Simplify
If we could abolish knowledge and wisdom
Then people would profit a hundredfold;
If we could abolish duty and justice
Then harmonious relationships would form;
If we could abolish artifice and profit
Then waste and theft would disappear.
Yet such remedies treat only symptoms
And so they are inadequate.
People need personal remedies:
Reveal your naked self and embrace your original nature;
Bind your self-interest and control your ambition;
Forget your habits and simplify your affairs.
唯与诃（乙本作“呵”，大言而怒也），其相去几何！
美与恶（乙本作“亞”），其相去何若！
人之所畏，亦不可以不畏。（为人所畏惧者，亦应该畏惧怕他的人）
望（望，芒也）呵，其未央才（哉）！
众人熙熙（[熙-灬]古字，去掉灬 ），若乡（飨）于大牢，而春登台。（而春登台，句式同“若冬涉川”。而，如也）
我泊（乙本作“博”，恬静無爲）焉未佻（乙本作“垗” 同兆），若婴儿之未咳（小儿笑也）。
纍（lei4，同“累”）呵，如（乙本作“似”）无所归。
众人皆有（乙本作“又”）余，我独遗（同“匮”）。我禺（乙本作“愚”）人之心也，惷惷（沌沌，乙本作[氵+春]）呵。
鬻（俗）人昭昭，我独若（[門+肙]外内结构）昏（同昏，乙本作[問+心]上下结构）呵。
鬻（俗）人蔡蔡（乙本作“察察”），我独闵闵（[問+心]上下结构，乙本作閩閩，同闷闷）呵。
忽（乙本作沕)呵，其若海。
朢（恍）呵，其若无所止。
众人皆有以，我独䦎（[門+元]内外结构，古字，同“顽”）以悝（乙本作“鄙”）。
我（乙本作“吾”）欲独异于人，而贵食（养也）母（本也）。
20. Wandering
What is the difference between assent and denial?
What is the difference between beautiful and ugly?
What is the difference between fearsome and afraid?
The people are merry as if at a magnificent party
Or playing in the park at springtime,
But I am tranquil and wandering,
Like a newborn before it learns to smile,
Alone, with no true home.
The people have enough and to spare,
Where I have nothing,
And my heart is foolish,
Muddled and cloudy.
The people are bright and certain,
Where I am dim and confused;
The people are clever and wise,
Where I am dull and ignorant;
Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea,
Attached to nothing.
The people are busy with purpose,
Where I am impractical and rough;
I do not share the peoples' cares
But I am fed at nature's breast
孔德之容（动也。容止，即动静），唯道是从。（大德者之動惟從乎道也）
道之物，唯望（恍）唯忽（乙本作“沕”“惚”）。
忽（惚）呵望（恍）呵，中有象呵。
望（恍）呵忽（惚）呵，中有物呵。
幽（乙本作“幼”，[氵+幽+子]左右，[幽+子]上下结构，古字）呵呜（乙本作“冥”）呵，其中有请（情）呵。其请（情）甚真，其中有信。
自古及今，其名不去，以顺众父（甲本“[亻+父]”古字，众父，万物之始也）。
吾何以知众父（甲本“[亻+父]”古字，众父，万物之始也）之然！以此。
21.Accept
Harmony is only in following the Way.
The Way is without form or quality,
But expresses all forms and qualities;
The Way is hidden and implicate,
But expresses all of nature;
The Way is unchanging,
But expresses all motion.
Beneath sensation and memory
The Way is the source of all the world.
How can I understand the source of the world?
By accepting.
炊（企）者不立，自视（是，示）者不章（彰），自见者不明，自伐者无功，自矜者不长。
其在道，曰：馀（[米+余]古字，余）食赘行，物或恶（乙本作“亞”）之，故有欲（裕）者弗居。
24.Indulgence
Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady;
Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen;
Justify yourself and you will not be respected;
Promote yourself and you will not be believed;
Pride yourself and you will not endure.
These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent,
And so they attract disfavour;
Harmony avoids them.
曲则全，枉（乙本作“汪”）则定（乙本作“正”），洼则盈，敝（乙本作“[敝+衣]”上下结构）则新，少则得，多则惑。
是以声（乙本作[耳+口]左右结构，古字，同聖）人执一（执一，即执道，掌握对立统一之辩证法则。儒家反对执一，而主张执中），以为天下牧（式）。
不自视故明（乙本作“章”），不自见故章（乙本作“明”），不自伐故有功，弗矜故能长。
夫唯不争，故莫能与之争。古之所胃（谓）曲全者，幾（豈，几）语哉（才）！诚全（金）归之。
22.Home
Accept and you become whole,
Bend and you straighten,
Empty and you fill,
Decay and you renew,
Want and you acquire,
Fulfill and you become confused.
The sage accepts the world
As the world accepts the Way;
He does not display himself, so is clearly seen,
Does not justify himself, so is recognized,
Does not boast, so is credited,
Does not pride himself, so endures,
Does not contend, so none contend against him.
The ancients said, "Accept and you become whole",
Once whole, the world is as your home.
希言（引申含义“真理”）自然，飘风不冬（终藏）朝（天），暴雨不冬（终）日，孰为此（能做到）！
天地而弗能久，有（又）兄（况，況）于人乎！
故从事而道者同于道 德者同于德，失者同于失。
同于德者 道亦德之。同于失者，道亦失之。
23.Words
Nature says only a few words:
High wind does not last long,
Nor does heavy rain.
If nature's words do not last
Why should those of man?
Who accepts harmony, becomes harmonious.
Who accepts loss, becomes lost.
For who accepts harmony, the Way harmonizes with him,
And who accepts loss, the Way cannot find.
有物昆（混）成，先天地生。繡（同“绣”，乙本作“蕭”）呵缪（乙本作“漻”）呵，独立而不改（[王+亥]左右结构，古字），可以为天地母。
吾未知其名，字之曰道。吾强为之名曰大 大曰筮（逝），筮（逝）曰远，远曰反。
道大，天大，地大，王亦大。国中（国中，同域中。无称，不可得而名，曰“域”也。四大皆在乎无称之内。其谊 似较“宇宙”为广）有四大，而王居一焉。
人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然（自然者，无称之言，穷极之辞也）。
25.Beneath Abstraction
There is a mystery,
Beneath abstraction,
Silent, depthless,
Alone, unchanging,
Ubiquitous and liquid,
The mother of nature.
It has no name, but I call it "the Way";
It has no limit, but I call it "limitless".
Being limitless, it flows away forever;
Flowing away forever, it returns to my self:
The Way is limitless,
So nature is limitless,
So the world is limitless,
And so I am limitless.
For I am abstracted from the world,
The world from nature,
Nature from the Way,
And the Way from what is beneath abstraction.
重为巠（乙本作“轻”）根，清（乙本作“静”）为趮（躁）君，是以君子衆（众，同“终”）日行，不离（乙本作“远”， 遠）其甾（辎）重。（《喻老篇》:制在己曰重，不离位曰静。重则 能使轻，静则能使躁。以重为本，故不离也）
唯（乙本作“雖”，虽）有環（同“阛”，环）官（通行版作“荣观”），燕处则昭（超）若。（环即营:韩非子五蠧篇:“自环者 谓之私”，说文作“自营为私”）
若何万乘之王（万乘王，足见其为战国之时写定），而以身巠（乙本作“輕”， 轻）于天下？巠（乙本作“轻”）则失本，趮（躁）则失君。
26.Calm
Gravity is the source of lightness,
Calm, the master of haste.
A lone traveller will journey all day,
watching over his belongings;
Yet once safe in his bed he will lose them in sleep.
The captain of a great vessel will not act lightly or hastily.
Acting lightly, he loses sight of the world,
Acting hastily, he loses control of himself.
A captain can not treat his great ship as a small boat;
Rather than glitter like jade
He must stand like stone.
善行者无勶（同“轍”， 辙，乙本作達）迹，善言者无瑕谪（适）。
善数者不以（乙本作“用”）梼（同“筹”）策（甲本作“[⺮+析]”上下结构，古字，乙本作“[⺮+片]”上下结构，古字）。善闭者无关龠（同“鑰”“钥”）而不可启也。
善结者无绳约而不可解也。
是以声（同“聖”“圣”，乙本作[耳+口]古字）人恒善救（㤹）人，而无弃人，物无弃财，是胃（谓）袭（襲，乙本作“曳”）明。
故善人，善人之师，不善人，善人之資（同“齎”“赍”）也。不贵其师，不爱其資（同“齎”“赍”），唯（乙本作“雖”）知（智）乎大眯（迷），是胃（谓）眇（妙）要。
27.Perfection
The perfect traveller leaves no trail to be followed;
The perfect speaker leaves no question to be answered;
The perfect accountant leaves no working to be completed;
The perfect container leaves no lock to be closed;
The perfect knot leaves no end to be ravelled.
So the sage nurtures all men
And abandons no one.
He accepts everything
And rejects nothing.
He attends to the smallest details.
So the strong must guide the weak,
For the weak are raw material to the strong.
If the guide is not respected,
Or the material is not cared for,
Confusion will result, no matter how clever one is.
This is the secret of perfection:
When raw wood is carved, it becomes a tool;
When a man is employed, he becomes a tool;
The perfect carpenter leaves no wood to be carved.
知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪（乙本作“雞”“鸡”）。
为天下溪（乙本作“雞”“鸡”），恒德不鸡（同“离”），恒德不离（鸡），复归婴儿。
知其日（乙本作“白”），守其辱，为天下浴（谷）。
为天下浴（谷），恒德乃足。恒德乃足，复归于朴。
知其白（荣）守其黑（辱），为天下式。
为天下式，恒德不忒（[貝+戈]内外结构，古字，乙本作“貸”）。恒德不忒（乙本作“貸”），复归于无极。
朴散则为器，圣（同“聖”）人用则为官长，夫大制无割。
28.Becoming
Using the male, being female,
Being the entrance of the world,
You embrace harmony And become as a newborn.
Using strength, being weak,
Being the root of the world,
You complete harmony And become as unshaped wood.
Using the light, being dark,
Being the world,
You perfect harmony
And return to the Way.
将欲取天下而为之，吾见其弗得已。夫天下神器也，非可为者也。
为（乙本有“之”）者败之，执（乙本有“之”）者失之。
物或行或随（乙本作“隋”），或炅（乙本作“热”）或䂳（甲本残句），（其他版本作“或吹或炅，或强或挫”），或杯（乙本作“陪”， 同“培”，坏）或撱（乙本作“堕”）。
是以声（同“聖”，“圣”，[耳+口]古字）人去甚、去大（同“泰”）、去楮（乙本作“諸”，同“奢”）。
29.Ambition
Those who wish to change the world
According with their desire
Cannot succeed.
The world is shaped by the Way;
It cannot be shaped by the self.
Trying to change it, you damage it;
Trying to possess it, you lose it.
So some will lead, while others follow.
Some will be warm, others cold
Some will be strong, others weak.
Some will get where they are going
While others fall by the side of the road.
So the sage will be neither wasteful nor violent.
以道佐人主，不以兵强于天下，其事好还。
师之所居，楚朸（荊棘）生之。
善者果（果，成也）而已矣，毋以取强焉。
果而勿骄（乙本作“驕”，“ 骄”），果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿得已居，是胃（谓）果而不（勿）强。
物壮则老，是胃（谓）之不道，不道蚤（早）已。
30.Violence
Powerful men are well advised not to use violence,
For violence has a habit of returning;
Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes,
And lean years follow a great war.
A general is well advised
To achieve nothing more than his orders:
Not to take advantage of his victory.
Nor to glory, boast or pride himself;
To do what is dictated by necessity,
But not by choice.
For even the strongest force will weaken with time,
And then its violence will return, and kill it.
夫兵者，不祥之器也。
物或恶（同“亞”）之，故有欲（裕，道也）者弗居。
君子居则贵左，用兵则贵右，故兵者非君子之器也。
兵者不祥之器也，不得已而用之。
铦袭（恬淡，乙本作“銛[忄+龍]”）为上。
勿美也，若美之，是乐杀人也。
夫乐杀人，不可以得志于天下矣
是以吉事上左，丧事上右，
是以便（乙本作“偏”）将军居左，而上将军居右。言以丧礼居之也。
杀人众，以悲依（哀）立（莅）之，战胜（乙本作“朕”），以丧礼处之。
31.Armies
Armies are tools of violence;
They cause men to hate and fear.
The sage will not join them.
His purpose is creation;
Their purpose is destruction.
Weapons are tools of violence,
Not of the sage;
He uses them only when there is no choice,
And then calmly, and with tact,
For he finds no beauty in them.
Whoever finds beauty in weapons
Delights in the slaughter of men;
And who delights in slaughter
Cannot content himself with peace.
So slaughters must be mourned
And conquest celebrated with a funeral.
道恒无名，握（乙本作“樸”“朴”）唯（虽）小，而天下弗敢臣。
侯王若能守之，万物将自宾。
天地相谷（乙本作“合”），以俞（雨）甘洛（露），民莫之令（莫之令，听其自然也）而自均焉。
始制（始制，朴散始为官长之时也，不可不立名分以定尊卑）有名，名亦既有，夫亦将知止，知止所以不殆。
俾（乙本作“卑”）道之在天下也，犹小浴（谷）之与江海也。
32.Shapes
The Way has no true shape,
And therefore none can control it.
If a ruler could control the Way
All things would follow
In harmony with his desire,
And sweet rain would fall,
Effortlessly slaking every thirst.
The Way is shaped by use,
But then the shape is lost.
Do not hold fast to shapes
But let sensation flow into the world
As a river courses down to the sea.
知人者知（智）也，自知（者）明也。
朕（胜）人者有力也，自朕（胜）者强也。
知足者富也，强行者有志也。
不失其所者久也，死而不忘（亡）者寿也。
33.Virtues
Who understands the world is learned;
Who understands the self is enlightened.
Who conquers the world has strength;
Who conquers the self has harmony.
Who is determined has purpose;
Who is contented has wealth.
Who defends his home may long endure;
Who surrenders his home may long survive it.
道渢（氾，fan2，甲本残句）呵，其可左右也，成功遂事而弗名有也。
万物归焉而弗为主，则恒无欲也，可名于小。（思想上常为无欲下功夫，常为无欲而思虑，乃无术者之所为也，故云“可名于小”）
万物归焉而弗为主，可名（乙本作“命”）于大。
是以声（同“圣”）人之能成大也，以其不为大也，故能成大。
34.Control
The Way flows and ebbs, creating and destroying,
Implementing all the world, attending to the tiniest details,
Claiming nothing in return.
It nurtures all things,
Though it does not control them;
It has no intention,
So it seems inconsequential.
It is the substance of all things;
Though it does not control them;
It has no exception,
So it seems all-important.
The sage would not control the world;
He is in harmony with the world.
执大象，天下往，往而不害，安平太（泰）。
乐与饵，过格（同“客”）止。
故道之出言也，曰談（乙本作“淡”）呵其无味也。
视之不足见也，听之不足闻也，用之不可既也。
35.Peace
If you offer music and food
Strangers may stop with you;
But if you accord with the Way
All the people of the world will keep you
In safety, health, community, and peace.
The Way lacks art and flavour;
It can neither be seen nor heard,
But its benefit cannot be exhausted.
将欲拾（乙本作“㩉”，同翕，xi1）之，必古（同“固”）张之。
将欲弱之，必古（固）强之。
将欲去之，必古（固）与之。
将欲夺之，必古（固）予之。
是胃（谓）微明，柔弱胜强。
鱼不脱于潚（乙本作“淵”“渊”），邦利器不可以视（乙本作“示”）人。
36.Opposition
To reduce someone's influence, first expand it;
To reduce someone's force, first increase it;
To overthrow someone, first exalt them;
To take from someone, first give to them.
This is the subtlety by which the weak overcome the strong:
Fish should not leave their depths,
And swords should not leave their scabbards.
道恒无名，侯王若能守之，万物将自化（甲本作“[為+心]上下结构”）。
化（甲本作“[為+心]上下结构”）而欲作，吾将阗（镇）之以无名之楃（乙本作“朴”）。
阗（镇）之以无名之楃（乙本作“朴”），夫将不辱（欲）。
不辱（欲）以情（乙本作“静”），天地将自正。
37.Tranquillity
The Way takes no action,
but leaves nothing undone.
When you accept this
The world will flourish,
In harmony with nature.
Nature does not possess desire;
Without desire, the heart becomes quiet;
In this manner the whole world is made tranquil.
* 参照 帛書《老子》新編 陶德清 2003