Interlingua by Paul LeCorde

1

1. The Way

Le Tao le qual on pote discuter
non es le Tao eternal.
Le nomine le qual on pote nominar
non es le Nomine eternal.
Le innominabile es le real eternalmente.
Le nominar es le origine
de tote cosas particular.
Liberate del desiro, on realisa le mysterio.
Attrappate in le desiro, on vide solmente le manifestationes.
Totevia le mysterio e le manifestationes
nasce del mesme fonte.
Iste fonte se appella obscuritate.
Obscuritate intra obscuritate.
Le porta a tote intelligentia.

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.

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2. Abstraction

Quando le gente vide alicun cosas como belle,
altere cosas deveni fede.
Quando le gente vide alicun cosas como bon,
altere cosas deveni mal.
Esser e non-esser crea le un le altere.
Difficile e facile sustene le un le altere.
Longe e curte defini le un le altere.
Alte e basse conta super le un le altere.
Ante e post seque le un le altere.
Dunque le Maestro
age sin faciente alique
e insenia sin dicente alique.
Le cosas nasce e ille lassa que illos veni;
le cosas dispare e ille lassa que illos vade.
Ille ha ma non possede,
age ma non expecta.
Quando su travalio es finite, ille lo oblida.
Illo es le ration que illo dura pro sempre.

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.

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3. Without Action

Si on troppo estima grande homines,
le gente deveni impotente.
Si on troppo valuta possessiones,
le gente comencia a furar.
Le Maestro duce
per vacuar le mentes del gente
e plenar lor cordes,
per debilitar lor ambition
e indurar lor resolution.
Ille adjuta que le gente perde toto
que illes sape, toto que illes desira,
e crea confusion
in ille qui pensa que ille sape.
Practica non-facer,
e toto se ponera in ordine.

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.

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4. Limitless

Le Tao es como un puteo:
usate ma nunquam exhaurite.
Illo es como le vacuo eternal:
plenate con possibilitates infinite.
Illo es celate ma sempre presente.
Io non sape qui lo parturiva.
Illo es plus vetule que Deo.

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.

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5. Nature

Le Tao non selige flancos;
illo parturi a ambe bon e mal.
Le Maestro non selige flancos;
ille accollige ben e le sanctos e le peccatores.
Le Tao es como un mugimento:
illo es vacue totevia infinitemente capabile.
Le plus on lo usa, le plus illo produce;
le plus on dice de illo, le minus on comprende.
Tene al centro.

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.

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6. Experience

Le Tao se appella le Magne Matre
vacue totevia inexhaustibile,
illo parturi le mundos infinite.
Illo es sempre presente intra uno.
On pote usar lo comocunque on vole.

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.

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7. Complete

Le Tao es infinite, eternal.
Proque es illo eternal?
Illo ha nunquam nascite;
Dunque illo pote nunquam morir.
Proque es illo infinite?
Illo ha nulle desira pro se mesme;
dunque illo es presente pro tote esseres.
Le Maestro resta post;
illo es le ration que ille es avante
Ille es distaccate de tote cosas;
illo es le ration que ille es unite con illos
Proque ille ha liberate se mesme,
ille es perfectemente completate.

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.

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8. Water

Le supreme bon es como aqua,
le qual nutri tote cosas sin essayar.
Illo es contente con le locos basse le quales le gente disdigna.
Dunque illo es como le Tao.
In le habitation, habita presso le terra.
In le pensar, tene le simple.
In le conflicto, sia juste e generose.
In le governar, non essaya a diriger.
In le travalio, face lo que te place.
In le vita familial, sia presente completemente.
Quando on es contente a esser simplemente se mesme
e ni compara ni compete,
tote le mundo le respectara.

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.

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9. Retire

Plena tu bassino al orlo
e illo se effundera.
Continua affilar tu cultello
e illo obtundera.
Chassa le moneta e securitate
e tu corde nunquam disserrara.
Da attention al approbation del gente
e tu sera lor prisionero.
Face tu travalio, pois regressa.
Le solmente semita al serenitate.

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.

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10. Harmony

Pote on persuader su mente de su divagar
e tener al unitate original?
Pote on lassar su corpore devenir
flexibile como le del neonato?
Pote on mundar su vision interior
usque on vide nil ma le lumine?
Pote on amar le gente e ducer les
sin imponer su voler?
Pote on arrangiar le affaires le plus essential
per lassar que le eventos ha lor curso?
Pote on regressar de su mente proprie
e dunque comprender tote cosas?
Le parturir e le nutrir,
haber sin posseder,
ager con nulle expectationes,
ducer e non essayar a diriger:
isto es le virtute supreme.

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.

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11. Tools

Nos junge le radios insimul in un rota,
ma il es le cavo central
que face mover le carro.
Nos forma le argilla a in un potto,
ma il es le vacuitate intra
que tene quecunque nos vole.
Nos martella le ligno pro un casa,
ma il es le spatio interior
que lo face habitabile.
Nos travalia con esser,
ma non-esser es lo que nos usa.

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.

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12. Substance

Colores ceca le oculo.
Sonas assurda le aure.
Sapores amorti le gusto.
Pensatas debilita le mente.
Desiros desicca le corde.
Le Maestro observa le mundo
ma se fide a su vision interior.
Ille lassa que le cosas veni e va.
Su corde es aperte como le celo.

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.

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13. Self

Le successo es tanto periculose como le fallimento
Le sperantia es tanto cave como le timor.
Que significa il que le successo es tanto
periculose como le fallimento?
Si on ascende le scala o lo descende,
su position es instabile.
Quando on sta con su duo pedes super le terra,
sempre on mantenera le balancia.
Que significa il que le sperantia es tanto cave
como le timor?
Le sperantia e le timor, le duo, es phantasmas
que nasce del pensar del ego.
Quando nos non vide le ego como le essentia,
que habe nos pro timer?
Vide le mundo como te mesme.
Tene fide in le via cosas es.
Ama le mundo como te mesme;
pois tu pote amar tote cosas.

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.

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14. Mystery

Reguarda, e tu non pote vider lo.
Ascolta, e tu non pote audir lo.
Essaya a attinger lo, e tu non pote caper lo.
In alto, illo non es brillante.
In basso, illo non es obscur.
Sin sutura, innominabile,
illo retorna al dominio de nil.
Forma lo que include tote formas,
imagine sin un imagine,
subtil, ultra tote conception.
Approcha lo e il ha nulle initio;
seque lo e il ha nulle fin.
On non pote saper lo, ma on pote esser lo,
in reposo in su proprie Vita.
Solmente realisa de ubi tu veni:
isto es le essentia del sagessa.

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.

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15. Enlightenment

Le Maestros ancian era profunde e subtil.
Lor sagessa era inpenetrabile.
Il ha nulle via pro describer lo;
toto que nos pote describer es lor apparentia.
Illes era attentive
como alicuno transversante un rivo gelate.
Alerte como un guerrero in terreno inimical.
Cortese como un invitato.
Fluide como glacie disgelante.
Formabile como un bloco de ligno.
Receptive como un valle.
Clar como un vitro del aqua.
Ha tu le patientia pro attender
usque tu fango subside e le aqua es clar?
Pote tu restar immobile
usque le action correcte surge per se mesme?
Le Maestro non cerca satisfaction.
Non-cercar, non-expectar,
ille es presente, e pote accolliger ben tote cosas.

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.

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16. Decay and Renewal

Vacua tu mente de tote pensatas.
Lassa que tu corde sape le pace.
Reguarda le tumulto del esseres,
ma contempla lor retorno.
Cata esser separate in le universo
retorna al fonte commun.
Le retornar al fonte es serenitate.
Si on non realisa le fonte,
on face le passos false in confusion e in tristessa.
Quando on realisa de ubi on veni,
on naturalmente deveni tolerante,
disinteressate, amusate,
benevole como un granmatre,
digne como un rege.
Immergite in le admiration del Tao,
on pote tractar se de quecunque le vita se duce,
e quando le morte veni, on es preste.

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.

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17. Rulers

Quando le Maestro governa, le gente
es a pena conscie que ille exista
Le optime sequente es un leader qui le gente ama.
Le sequente, un del qual illes ha timor.
Le pejor es un qui illes contemne.
Si on non se fide al gente,
on causa que illes es sin confidentia.
Le Maestro non parla, ille age.
Quando su travalio es finite,
le gente dice, «Stupende:
nos lo faceva, completemente sol!»

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.

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18. Hypocrisy

Quando on oblida le grande Tao,
bonitate e pietate appare.
Quando le intelligentia del corpore declina,
le habilitate e le scientia veni foras.
Quando il ha nulle pace in le familia,
pietate filial comencia.
Quando le pais cade a in chaos,
patriotismo nasce.

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.

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19. Simplify

Jecta foras le sanctitate e le sagessa,
e le gente sera cento vices plus felice.
Jecta foras le moralitate e le justitia,
e le gente facera le cosa correcte.
Jecta foras le industria e le profito,
e il ha nulle fures.
Si iste tres non es bastante,
solmente resta al centro del circulo
e lassa que tote cosas prende lor curso.

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.

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20. Wandering

Cessa pensar, e fini tu problemas.
Que differentia inter si e no?
Que differentia inter successo e fallimento?
Debe on tener al qual alteres tene,
evitar le qual alteres evita?
Como ridiculose!
Altere gente es agitate,
como si illes era a un parada
Solmente io non me inquieta,
Somente io es sin expression,
como un infante ante que ille pote surrider.
Altere gente ha lo que illes require;
Solmente io possede nil
Solmente io vaga,
como alicuno sin un casa.
Io es como un idiota, mi mente es troppo vacue.
Altere gente es brillante:
Solmente io es obscur.
Altere gente es astute;
Solmente io es enoiose.
Altere gente ha un intention:
Solmente io non sape.
Io flotta como un unda super le ocean,
Io suffla tanto sin proposito como le vento.
Io es differente del gente ordinari.
Io bibe del pectores del Magne Matre.

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.

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21. Accept

Le Maestro tene su mente
sempre unite con le Tao;
illo es lo que da su radiantia.
Le Tao es incomprensibile.
Como pote su mente esser unite con illo?
Proque ille non adhere a ideales.
Le Tao es obscur e impenetrabile.
Como pote illo facer lo radiante?
Proque illo lo lassa.
Depost que le Tao ha existite ante
le tempore e le spatio,
Illo es ultra «es» e «non es».
Como sape io que isto es ver?
Io reguarda intra me mesme e vide.

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.

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22. Home

Si tu vole devenir integre
lassa que tu es partial.
Si tu vole devenir recte,
lassa que tu es torte.
Si tu vole devenir plen,
lassa que tu es vacue.
Si tu vole esser renascite,
lassa que tu mori.
Si tu vole reciper toto,
relinque toto.
Le Maestro, per resider in le Tao,
da un examplo pro tote esseres.
Proque ille non expone se mesme,
le gente pote vider su lumine.
Proque ille ha nil pro provar,
le gente pote tener se a su parolas.
Proque ille non sape qui ille es,
le gente recognesce se mesme in ille.
Proque ille ha nulle scopo in mente,
toto lo que ille face succede.
Quando le Maestros ancian diceva,
«Si tu vole recipe toto,
relinque toto,»
illes non usava phrases vacue.
Solmente quando le Tao vive per uno,
pote on esser vermente se mesme.

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.

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23. Words

Exprime te mesme completemente, pois tace.
Sia como le fortias del natura:
quando il suffla, il ha solmente vento;
quando il pluve, il ha solmente pluvia;
quando le nubes passa, le sol brilla.
Si on aperi se mesme al Tao,
on es unite con le Tao
e on pote incarnar lo completemente.
Si on aperi se mesme al intuition,
on es unite con le intuition
e on pote usar lo completemente.
Si on aperi se mesme al perdita,
on es unite con le perdita
e on pote acceptar lo completemente.
Aperi te mesme al Tao,
pois te fide a tu responsas natural;
e omne se ponera in ordine.

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.

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24. Indulgence

Ille qui sta sur le puncta del pedes
non sta firmemente.
Ille qui se hasta avante
non vade longe.
Ille qui tenta brillar
obscura su proprie lumine.
Ille qui defini se mesme
non pote saper vermente qui ille es.
Ille qui ha autoritate super alteres
non pote autorisar se mesme.
Ille qui adhere a su travalio
creara nil que indura.
Si tu vole accordar se con le Tao,
solmente face tu posto, pois lassa que illo vade.

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.

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25. Beneath Abstraction

Il habeva qualcosa sin forma e perfecte
ante que le universo nasceva.
Illo es serene. Vacue.
Solitari. Immutabile.
Infinite. Eternalmente presente.
Illo es le matre del universo.
Pro manco de un nomine plus bon,
io se appella le Tao.
Illo flue per tote cosas,
intra e extra, e retorna
al origine de tote cosas.
Le Tao es grande.
Le universo es grande.
Terra es grande.
Homine es grande.
Istos es le quatro potentias grande.
Homine seque le terra.
Terra seque le universo.
Le universo seque le Tao.
Le Tao seque solmente se mesme.

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.

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26. Calm

Le pesante es le radice del legier.
Le immobile es le fonte de tote movimento.
Dunque le Maestro viagia tote le die
sin partiente le casa.
Comocunque splendide es le vistas,
ille resta serenmente in se mesme.
Proque debe le domino del pais
papilionar como un idiota?
Si on lassa que on es sufflate ci e la,
on perde contacto con su radice.
Si on lassa que le agitation se move,
on perde contacto con qui on es.

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.

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27. Perfection

Un bon viagiator ha nulle scopos fixate
e non es absorbite con arrivar.
Un bon artista lassa su intuition
le duce ubicunque illo vole.
Un bon scientista ha liberate se mesme de conceptos
e mantene su mente aperi a lo que es.
Dunque le Maestro es disponibile a tote gente
e non rejecta alicuno.
Ille es preste a usar tote situationes
e non guastar alique.
Isto se appella incarnar le lumine.
Que es un bon homine ma le inseniante
de un mal homine?
Que es un mal homine ma le carga
de un bon homine?
Si on non comprende isto, on devenira perdita,
sin reguardo a su grado del intelligentia.
Illo es le grande secreto.

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.

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28. Becoming

Sape le masculo,
totevia tene te al feminina:
recipe le mundo in tu braccios.
Si on recipe le mundo,
le Tao nunquam le quitara
e on sera como un parve infante.
Sape le blanco,
totevia tene te al nigre:
sia un examplo pro le mundo.
Si on es un examplo pro le mundo,
le Tao sera forte intra uno
e il habera nil que on non pote facer.
Sape le personal,
totevia tene te al impersonal:
accepta le mundo como illo es.
Si on accepta le mundo,
le Tao sera luminose intra uno
e on retornara a su essentia primal.
Le mundo es formate del vacuo,
como le utensiles de un bloco de ligno.
Le Maestro sape le utensiles,
totevia se tene al bloco:
dunque ille pote usar tote cosas.

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.

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29. Ambition

Vole tu meliorar le mundo?
Io non pensa que illo pote occurrer.
Le mundo es sacre.
On non pote meliorar lo.
Si on se ingere con illo, on lo ruinara.
Si on se tracta de illo como un objecto, on lo perdera.
Il ha un tempore pro esser avante,
un tempore pro esser detra;
un tempore pro esser in motion,
un tempore pro esser in reposo;
un tempore pro esser vigorose,
un tempore pro esser fatigate;
un tempore pro esser secur,
un tempore pro esser in periculo.
Le Maestro vide cosas como illos es,
sin tentar diriger los.
Ille lassa que illos vade lor via proprie,
e reside al centro del circulo.

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.

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30. Violence

Quicunque conta super le Tao in governar le homines
non essaya a fortiar resultatos
o vincer inimicos per fortia de armas.
Pro cata fortia il ha un countrafortia.
Violentia, etiam de bon intention,
sempre resalta super se mesme.
Le Maestro face su posto
e pois cessa.
Ille comprende que le universo
es pro sempre sin controlo,
e que le tentar a dominar eventos
va contra le currente del Tao.
A causa de su credentia in se mesme,
ille non essaya a convincer alteres.
A causa de su contentemento con se mesme,
ille non cerca approbation del alteres.
A causa de su acceptation de se mesme,
le integre mundo le accepta.

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.

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31. Armies

Armas es le utensiles de violentia;
tote homines decente los detesta.
Armas es le utensiles de timor;
un homine decente los evitara
excepte in le necessitate le plus grave
e, si compellite, los usara
solmente con le maxime freno.
Pace es su valor le plus elevate.
Si on ha fracassate le pace,
como pote ille esser contente?
Su inimicos non es demones,
ma esseres human como se mesme.
Ille non vole pro illes damno personal.
Ni jubila ille in le victoria.
Como pote ille jubilar in le victoria
e se delecta in le massacro del homines?
Ille entra un battalia gravemente,
con tristessa e con grande compassion,
como si ille assiste a funerales.

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.

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32. Shapes

On non pote apperciper le Tao.
Plus parve que un electron,
Illo contine universos innumerabile.
Si potente homines e feminas
poterea remaner centrate in le Tao,
tote cosas serea in harmonia.
Le mundo devenirea un paradiso.
Tote gente serea a pace,
e le derecto se scriberea in lor cordes.
Quando tu ha nomines e formas,
sape que illos es provisional.
Quando tu ha institutiones,
sape ubi lor functiones debe finir.
Sapiente quando a cessar,
tu pote evitar ulle periculo.
Tote cosas fini in le Tao
como fluvios flue a in le mar.

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.

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33. Virtues

Le saper de alteres es intelligentia;
Le saper de se mesme es ver sagessa.
Le maestrar de alteres es fortia;
Le maestrar de se mesme es ver poter.
Si on realisa que on ha bastante,
on es vermente ric.
Si on resta in le centro
e imbracia le morte con su corde integre,
on durara pro sempre.

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.

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34. Control

Le grande Tao flue ubique.
Tote cosas nasce de illo,
totevia illo non los crea.
Illo se curre abundantemente a in su travalio,
totevia illo face nulle pretension.
Illo nutri mundos infinite,
totevia illo non los tene firme.
Proque illo se fusiona con tote cosas
e se cela in lor cordes,
on pote appellar lo humile.
Proque tote cosas evanesce a in illo
e illo sol dura,
on pote appellar lo grande.
Illo non es conscie de su grandor;
dunque illo es vermente grande.

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.

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35. Peace

Ille qui es centrate in le Tao
pote vader ubi ille vole, sin periculo.
Ille appercipe le harmonia universal,
etiam in medio de grande dolor,
proque ille ha trovate pace in su corde.
Le musica o le odor de bon cocina
pote causar que gente cessa e se diverte.
Ma parolas que puncto al Tao
pare monotonose e sin gusto.
Quando on lo cerca, il ha nil pro vide.
Quando on ascolta pro illo, il ha nil pro audir
Quando on lo usa, illo es inexhauribile.

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.

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36. Opposition

Si on vole contraher qualcosa,
primo on debe lassar que illo se expanda.
Si on vole eliminar qualcosa,
on debe lassar que illo floresce.
Si on vole prender qualcosa,
primo on debe lassa que on lo da.
Isto se appella le perception subtil
del via cosas es.
Le molle supera le dur.
Le lente supera le rapide.
Que tu laborares remane un mysterio.
Solmente monstra al gente le resultatos.

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.

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37. Tranquillity

Le Tao nunquam face alique,
totevia per illo tote cosas es finite.
Si potente homines e feminas
poterea centrar les mesme in illo,
le mundo integre se transformarea
per se, in su rhythmos natural.
Le gente serea contente
con lor vitas simple, quotidian,
in harmonia, e libere del desiro.
Quando il ha nulle desiro,
tote cosas es a pace.

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.

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38. Ritual

Le Maestro non essaya a esser potente;
dunque ille es vermente potente.
Le homine ordinari se continua attinger pro fortia:
dunque ille nunquam ha bastante.
Le Maestro face nil,
totevia ille lassa nil incomplete.
Le homine ordinari es sempre faciente cosas,
totevia multe plus remane incomplete.
Le homine amabile face qualcosa,
totevia qualcosa remane incomplete.
Le homine juste face qualcosa,
e lassa multe cosas pro finir.
Le homine moral face qualcosa,
e quando necuno responda
ille inrola su manica e usa le fortia.
Quando le Tao es perdita, il ha bonitate.
Quando bonitate es perdita, il ha moralitate.
Quando moralitate es perdita, il ha ritual.
Ritual es le scalia de ver fide,
le initio de chaos.
Proque le Maestro concerne se mesme
con le profundos e non le surficie,
con le fructo e non le flor.
Ille ha nulle proprie voler.
Ille habita le realitate,
e lassa que tote illusiones vade foras.

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.

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39. Support

In harmonia con le Tao,
le celo es clar e spatiose,
le terra es solide e plen,
tote creaturas floresce insimul,
contente con le via illos es,
repetente los mesme sin fin,
renovate sin fin.
Quando homine se ingene con le Tao,
le celo deveni immunde,
le terra deveni exhaurite,
le equilibrio se disintegra,
creaturas deveni extincte.
Le Maestro vide le partes con compassion,
proque ille comprende le integre.
Su costume constante es humilitate.
Ille non reluce como un joiel
ma lassa que le Tao le forma ,
tanto irregular e commun como un petra.

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.

40

40. Motion and Use

Le retornar es le movimento del Tao.
Le render es le via del Tao.
Tote cosas nasce de esser.
Esser nasce de non-esser.

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.

41

41. Following

Quando un homine superior audi del Tao,
ille immediatemente comencia a incarnar lo.
Quando un homine medie audi del Tao,
ille quasi lo crede, quasi lo dubita.
Quando un homine imprudente audi del Tao,
ille ride in alte voce.
Si ille non ride,
il non sera le Tao.
Dunque il se dice que
le via a in le lumine pare obscur,
le via avantiate pare a retornar,
le via directe pare longe,
ver fortia pare debile,
ver puritate pare oxydate,
ver resolution pare camiabile,
ver claritate pare obscur,
le plus grande arte pare ingenue,
le plus grande amor pare indifferente,
le plus grande sagessa pare infantil.
Le Tao es nunquam esser trovate.
Totevia illo nutri e comple tote cosas.

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.

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42. Mind

Un parturi a Duo.
Duo parturi a Tres.
Tres parturi a tote cosas.
Omne cosas ha lor fundos al feminina
e sta affrontante le masculo.
Quando masculo e feminina se combina,
tote cosas compli harmonia.
Homines ordinari odia solitude.
Ma le Maestro face uso de illo,
imbraciante su solitude, comprendente
que ille es un con le universo integre.

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.

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43. Overcoming

Le cosa le plus moderate in le mundo
supera le cosa le plus dur in le mundo.
Lo que ha nulle substantia
entra ubi il ha nulle spatio.
Isto monstra le valor de non-action.
Inseniar sin parolas,
exequer sin actiones:
illo es le via del Maestro.

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.

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44. Contentment

Fama o integritate: qual es plus importante?
Moneta o felicitate: qual es plus preciose?
Successo o fallimento: qual es plus destructive?
Si on reguarda a alteres pro satisfaction,
on sera nunquam vermente satisficate.
Si on felicitate depende super moneta,
on sera nunquam felice con se mesme.
Sia contente con illo que tu ha;
jubila in le via cosas es.
Quando on realisa il ha nil carente,
le integre mundo pertine a uno.

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.

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45. Quiet

Ver perfection pare imperfecte,
totevia illo es perfectemente se mesme.
Ver plenitude pare vacue,
totevia illo es completemente presente.
Ver rectitude pare torte.
Ver sagessa pare imprudente.
Ver arte pare sin arte.
Le Maestro lassa que cosas occurre.
Ille forma eventos como illos veni.
Ille se remove del via
e lassa que le Tao parla pro se mesme.

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.

46

46. Horses

Quando un pais es in harmonia con le Tao,
le fabricas construer comiones e tractores.
Quando un pais va contra le Tao,
reservas de capites explosive cresce al exterior del citates.
Il ha nulle illusion plus grande que timor,
nulle injuria plus grande que preparar a defender se mesme,
nulle infortuna plus grande que haber un inimico.
Quicunque pote vider per tote timor
sera sempre secur.

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.

47

47. Knowing

Sin aperir su porta,
on pote aperir su corde al mundo.
Sin reguarder su fenestra,
on pote vider le essentia del Tao.
Le plus on sape,
le minus on comprende.
Le Maestro arriva sin partir,
vide le lumine sin reguardar,
compli sin facer un cosa.

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.

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48. Inaction

In le continuation del scientia,
cata die qualcosa se adde.
In le exercitio del Tao,
cata die qualcosa se lassa cader.
Minus e minus ha on besonio de fortiar cosas,
usque finalmente on arriva a non-action.
Quando nil es finite,
nil remane incomplete.
On pote ganiar ver maesteria
per lassar que cosas va lor proprie via.
On non pote ganiar lo per ingerer se.

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.

49

49. People

Le Maestro ha nulle mente de su propie.
Ille travalia con le mente del gente.
Ille es bon al gente qui es bon.
Anque ille es bon al gente qui non es bon.
Isto es ver bonitate.
Ille ha fide in le gente qui es responsabile.
Anque ille ha fide in le gente qui non es responsabile.
Isto es ver fide.
Le mente del Maestro es como spatio.
Gente non le comprende.
Illes reguarda a ille e attende.
Ille les tracta como su proprie infantes.

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.

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50. Death

Le Maestro se rende mesme
a quecunque le momentos apporta.
Ille sape que ille morira,
e ille ha nil restante al qual tener,
nulle illusiones in su mente,
nulle resistentia in su corpore.
Ille non pensa de su actiones;
illes flue del corde de su esser.
Ille retene nil del vita;
dunque ille es preste pro le morte,
como un homine es preste pro le somno
post un bon die de labor.

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.