51. Nurture

51

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.

Tao jidayikbűnę didęyę,
Qencî ű hęjayî wę lędike
Metiryal wę bi awe dike,
Liv wę pęrfękt dike.
Ji lewre, ti tiţt ji hezaręn tiţtan nîne
Yę ko qedrę Tao nagire an hęjabűna wę
Bilind nanirxîne.
Ev girtina qedrę Tao ű nirxandina wę bi
Bilindî
Tiţtk e ko ew bi awakî xwezayî dikin
Bę ko bęn zor kirin
Loma, Tao jidayikbűnę dide.
Qenciya wę lędike, bi pęţ ve dibe, mezin dike,
serrast dike, dike bi disiplîn,
Bi xwarin dike, dinxumîne ű diparęze,
Beran ű berheman dide lę ji xwe re hilnayine,
Dike bę li bendî kesekî be
Dide pęţ bę zor ű hęz.
Ev e “Qenciya bę mînak ű tije sir ű raz.”

52. Clarity

52

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.

Ji her tiţtî re destpękek heye, em dikarin
Mîna Dayika wan lę binerin.
Ko em dayikę nas bikin, dikarin zarokan
Nas bikin.
Zarokan nas bikî, hîn ko
Xwe bi diya xwe ve girtine,
Tu dikarî bimirî bę ęţ.
Kulek ű qulan bixetimîne
Derî bigire,
Tu dikarî jîna xwe bidomîne
Bę tirs.
Deriyan veke,
Tękilî ű dan ű stendinęn xwe pirr bike
Dawî ti kes nikare alîkariya te bike
Hűrbűnan bibînî ew e tu tęyî ronahî kirin.
Nerm bimînî ew e xurtbűn bi nav dibe.
Ronahîbűnę bi kar bîne, lę vegere
Roniyę.
Tadę li xwe meke.
Ev e “ bikaranîna sermediyetę”

53. Difficult Paths

53

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.

Heger tenę hineke hiţmendî li ba min hebe
Divę ez li ser vę riya hęja ű mezin bimeţim
Ji windakirina wę tenę bitirsim.
Bi ser ko rę pirr fireh e
Xelk ji riyęn tengokî hez dikin.
Dadgeh paqij e,
lę męrg ű zevî di bin ţînkayiyęn ziyanker de nema dixuyin,
ű odeyęn genim vala ne,
Ew cilęn hevirmęţane ű xemlandî li xwe dikin,
Di destęn wan de ţűrine tűj wek ęgir,
Xwe li ser xwarin ű vexwarinan diperixînin
Dewletî ne bęhawe.
Navę dizęn pozbilind ű paye li wan dibe
Ev bęguman ne Tao e.

54. Cultivate Harmony

54

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.

Tiţtę baţ- di cih de ye
Nayę rakirin.
Tiţtę baţ- zeftkirî ye ji te nakeve.
Nifţekî piţtî yę dî rahiţtin
Ręzgirtina pęţiyan ű bi kar anîn bę ţkenandin
Wę di xwe de biçîne ű wę qencî
Rastiqîn bin.
Wę di malbatę de biçîne ű wę
Hęjayî ű nirx biherikin ű di ser re herin.
Wę di bajęr de biçîne ű hęjayî ű ciwamęrî wę
Mezin bin.
Wę di welat de biçîne ű wę nirx ű ciwamęrî
Dewlemend bin.
Wę di çihanę de biçîne ű wę hęjayî ű nirx ű sűd
Li hemű derę bin.
Ji lewre xwe bistîne ű nobedarę xwe be
Malbatę bistîne ű hay ję hebe.
Bajar bistîne ű hay ję hebe.
Welat bistîne ű hay ję hebe.
Cîhanę bistîne ű hay ji cîhanę hebe.
Çawa ez cîhanę nas dikim ko ew wisa ye?
Bi vę riyę.

55. Soft Bones

55

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.

Kesę di hęza binirx de dewletî dijî ű dimîne
Mîna zarokekî nűçębűyî ye.
Mozqirtk ű tűpiţk ű marę jehrdar
Pęvenadin,
Lawiręn bejî ęrîţî wî nakin,
Balendęn goţtxwer lepűţkęn xwe tę ranadin.
Bi ser ko hestiyęn wî qels in
Ű laţę wî bę qewet e,
zeftkirina wî bi tiţtan xurt e.
Bę bîrbirina tevheviya nęritî ű męyitiyę
Ew berhemek xwerű ye,
Di liv ű hęza jiyanę de yę herî bilind e.
Roję giţî bang ű qîrqîrę dike bę ko dengę wî bikev.
Ew e yę herî biserketî di dűzan ű lihevkirinę ű harmoniy
de.
Tęgihiţtina di harmonî ű dűzanę de
Xurtbűna bi kok e.
Naskirina xurtbűna kokane
Xweronahîkirin e.
Bixwarinkirina jiyanę
Xęr ű berekt e
Bęhnderxistin ű bęhnkiţandin
Bi destę te be
Ev hęz ű xurtbűn e.
Piţtî tiţt gul didin ű dibiţkivin ew diçilmisin ű tęk diçin
ű
Ev navę wę ne-Tao e.
Tiţtę ne-Tao e zű hildiweţe.

56. Impartiality

56

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.

Yę dizane naaxive.
Yę ko diaxive nizane.
Penceręn laţę xwe bigire, deriyę xwe bigire,
tűjiya xwe nerm ű ko bike, girękęn xwe
winda bike.
Ţewq ű ronahiya xwe hűr bike ű tev herroj
Bibe.
Ev navę wę yekitiya bicihanî ya tije raz ű hęja ye.
Erę tu nikarî wę bike ya xwe, lę
Tu dostę wę yę nęzîk î
Ű di eynî demę de, tu dűr î.
Erę tu nikarî wę bike ya xwe,
Lę tu li def wę sűd ű fędę werdigirî
Ű ziyan li te dibe li ba wę.
Tu nikarî wę bikî ya xwe, lę
Tu qedirgiran î li ba wę
Ű bęnirx î li ba wę.
Ji lerwre cîhan te qenc dinirxîne.

57. Conquer with Inaction

57

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.

Rastiyę ű baţiyę di biręvebirina dewletę de
Bi kar bîne.
Tektîkęn jinivkęde di cengę de bi kar bîne.
Pirr guh nede cîhanę ű cîhan wę ya te be.
Çawa dizanim ko mîna wisa ye?
Ji lewre:
Çiqa qanűn pirr bibin,
Dę wilqasî merov belengaz bibin.
Çiqa merov çekęn kujer bi dest xin,
Wilqasî wę welat ű ęl tarî ű ţevreţ bin.
Çiqa merov ţehreza bin,
wilqasî wę kirin nexwezayî bin.
Çiqa qanűn hűr be,
Wilqasî wę diz ű nijdevan pirr bin.
Ji lewre hiţmend dibęje:
‘ ez riya xwe bi zorę çęnakim
ű merov xwe diguherin.
Ez bi aramiya xwe re rihet im ű xelk
Xwe serrast dikin.
Ez xwe tev îţęn xelkę nakim ű xelk
Xwe dewlemend dikin.
Ti daxazęn min nînin
Ű xelk zanebűna xwe ya kokane dibînin.

58. No End

58

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.

Ko hikűmetę xwe dabe paţ
Merov bi xweţî dijîn.
Heger hikűmet rexnan bike
Merov bi tirs in.
Bextę pîs li gor bextę baţ e.
Bextę baţ bextę pîs vediţęre.
Çi baţbűna sînorzanîna eţkere ye?
An ne li gor sînoran?
Yę normal vedigere ű dibe xerîb ű seyr.
Baţbűn vedigere ű dibe ţaţtî ű xwarbűn.
Merov bi rastî ev demeke diręje ko
Tevhev ű ţaţo-maţo ne.
Ji lewre hiţmend tiţtan li hev tîne
Bę birrîn ű jękirin.
Bi kęlek dike bę jihevveqetandin.
Rast dike bę ko tęxe ręzekę de.
Dibiriqe bę çavan bięţîne.

59. Restraint

59

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.

Di biręvebirina welatekî ű xizmeta
Ezman de
Ti tiţt mîna destgirtinę nîne.
Tenę ko tu destgirtî bî tu zű
Rihet dibî.
Dema tu zű rihet ű bi ser xwe ve tęyî
Tu hęjayan kom dikî.
Ko te hęjayî ű qencî pirr kirin,
ti tiţt namîne tu nikaribî zorę bibî.
Heger ti tiţt tinne be ko tu karibî zorę bibî
Kî dę kenar ű pileyęn karîbűna te nas bike?
Ev pileyęn karîbűnę ęn nayęn pîvan
Tu dikarî welat hemî bistînî.
Diya ko welat yę wę ye
Dę temenę wę dűdiręj be.
Ev wisa tę bi nav kirin“çandina rehan
Kűr ű xurt.’
Riya jîna diręj ű ţehrezayiya sermedî.

60. Demons

60

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.

Biręvebirina welatekî fireh mîna çękirina
Masiyekî biçűk e.
Heger tu merovan bi Tao biręve bibî
Dę ji Iblîs ű ţeytan re ti hęz tine be.
Ne ko wę bęhęz bin,
lę wę qewet ű hęl ű hęza wan nikaribe
ziyan ű tadę li mirovan bike.
Ji lewre hiţmend tadę li xelkę nake,
Herdu dę ziyanę negihînin hev.
Li vir hęza wan tevhev dibe ű li wan
Vedigere.

61. Submission

61

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.

Dewleta herî mezin divę mîna
Newala çemekî be.
Cihę tevheviyę yę dinyayę,
Pîrekiya cîhanę.
Herdem mętî bi ser nęrtiyę dikev
Bi riya nermatiyę
Ji ber nermatî kęmtir e
Ji lewre heger dewleta mezin xizmeta ya biçűk kir
Ew dę dewleta biçűk ji xwe re bistîne.
Heger dewleta biçűk xizmeta ya mezin bike
Ew dę wę ji xwe re bistîne.
Ji lewre hin xizmetę dikin bo fędę bikin
Ű hin fędę dikin bi ser koletî ű dîlitiya xwe de.
Dewleta mezin tiţtekî ji yekkirina ű bixwarindana
Merovęn xwe pirrtir naxwaze.
Dewleta biçűk tiţtekî ji ko tękeve bin destę
Merovekî rast zędetir naxwaze.
Wisa herdu tiţtęn dixwazin bi cih tînin.
Hęjayî ű mezinahî ye ko tu xwe li jęr bihęlî.

62. Sin

62

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.

Tao kűr di her tiţtî de veţartî ye.
Ew xizna baţan e
Ű warę revę ye ji yęn ne- wilqasî-baţ re.
Bi gotinine haydar ű ţehreza tu dikarî
Serkeftî bî.
Bi kirinine ciwamęr tu dikarî bę bijartin.
Merov belkî ne wisa baţ bin, lę tę
Çawa guh li wan meke?
Ji lewre, ű heger komęn hespan pirr mor ű mircanęn
Hęja ű biha anîbin bo ţahiya bitackirina impirator
Ű danîna hersî mîran jî,
ev ne çętir e ji mana te li cihę tu
aniha lę yî
ű di Tao de pęţ dikevî.
Çima kevnaran wisa Tao nirxbiha
Dîtin ?
Tu nikarî bibęjî ko ev bo xatirę
Ji xwe re ję peran bigirin
An cezak ű tirsek di destęn wan de
hebe pę kuţtinę
Rawestînin.
Ji lewre ew ya herî pesndayî ű bihadîtî ye
Li cîhanę.

63. Difficulty

63

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.

Bike bę ‘tu bikî.’
Bibe beţdarek bę tu tękevî tękiliyan ű rolekę
Bilîzî.
Bitehmîne bę tu bitehmînî
Yę mezin biçűk bike,
Pirr hindik bike.
Bersiva bęhntengiyę ű aciziyę bi baţiyę bide.
Îţęn xwe bi zehmetiyan re biqedîne hîn ko
Ew hesan in .
Bi yę mezin re bide ű bistîne hîn ko ew kiçik e.
Teţqelęn mezin di jiyanę de
Herdem sade ű hesan dest pę dikin.
Tękiliyęn mezin herdem biçűk dest pę dikin.
Ji lewre hiţmend bi yę mezin re nade ű nastîne
Ű dikare mezinahiya xwe bike birra.
Aniha gotinine sivik baweriyeke hindik çędikin
Pirr hesanî dibe pirr zehmetî
Ji lewre hiţmend bi tiţtan re dide ű distîne
Mîna ko zehmet bin,
Ű ji ber wisa, ti zehmetiyęn wî nînin.

64

64

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.

Yę radizę pirr hesan e pę bę girtin.
Yę hîn neqewimiye ű çęnebűye
Hesan e amadekirina ję re.
Yę ko lawaz e ű tenik e hesan e bę ţkenandin.
Yę pirr biçűk e ű hűr e hesan e bę
Belav kirin.
Tiţtan bi kar bîne berî mezin bibin.
Bi kęrî îţan were berî tękevin nav hev.
Dareke gewre ji navkekę kiçik mezin dibe.
Lękirineke bilind ji komeke axę bi jor dikeve.
Ręwîtiyeke ji hezar mîlî bi gavekę dest pę dike.
Planan çędike, zora te dire
Bi tiţtan digire, tu wan winda dikî.
Hiţmendî ji tinebűnę naafirîne, wisa
Zora wę nare.
Bi tiţtan nagire, ji lewre winda nake
Dema merov procekt ű planęn xwe
Bi kar tînin
Ew pirrę caran di dawiyę de lanetę
Li wan tînin.
Eger tu di dawiyę de wisa haydar bî
Mîna di pęţiyę de bűyî ,
Tę nemîne bęhęvî ű bęçare
Ji lewre hiţmendî ne-hęvîkirinę hęvî dike,
Firaxęn entîke bazar nake,
Tiţtę nayę hînbűn dixwîne
Da karibe ţaţtiyęn merovęn neţehreza
Serrast bike
Ű alîkariya hemű tiţtan bike bo xwezaya
Xwe ya rast kifţ ű eţkere bikin
Bę xwe bi avętina gava pęţî paye bike.

65. Subtlety

65

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.

Yęn kevnar yęn di Tao de pirr
Zîrek bűn
Xelk ronahî nedikirin
Lę ew sade dihiţtin.
Dema ko biręvebirina merovan zehmet be
Ev wisa ye ji ber jîrbűna wan ya xurt.
Ji lewre
Heger tu jîrbűnę bo biręvebirina dewletę
Bi kar bînî
Tu dizę welat î.
Heger tu jîrbűnę ji bo biręvebirina dewletę
Bi kar neyinî
Tu xęr ű bereket î ji dewletę re.
Ko te ev herdu xal fam kirin,
ji xwe te
awayę rast ji biręvebirinę re
nas kiriye .
Ko herdem awayę rast ű ligor tę bigihęjî
Hęjaya tije raz ű sir wisa ev tiţt tę bi nav kirin .
Çikasî kűr ű dűr e
Nirx ű hęjaya pirr bi sir ű raz!
Dihęle hemű vegerin
Ta bigihęn awayę herî mezin ű pak.

66. Lead by Following

66

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.

Sedema ko li çeman ű li derya tę nerîn
Mîna ew serok ű serdestę kaniyęn newalę bin
Ew e ko ew li jęrî wan in.
Ji lewre dikarin qiralęn wan bin.
Wisa ko tu bixwazî di ser merovan re bî
Divę tu bi kęmayî ű xwebiçűkî bi wan re biaxivî.
Ko tu bixwazî bidî pęţ wan
Divę tu xwe deynî paţ wan.
Wisa hiţmend cihę wî li jor e
Ű merov bi bindestiyę nahisin.
Ew li pęţî ye ű ew nabînin
bę ti ţaţtî peyda dibe.
Ji lewre ew dihebînin wî bajon bi
Pęţî de ű wî venegerînin.
Ű lewra ew bi kesî re pevnaçine
Ti kes pę re jî pevnaçine.

67. Unimportance

67

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.

Sedema ko her kes Tao a min mezin ű hęja
Dibîne
Ew e ko ti tiţt mîna wę nîne.
Ji ber ew pirr hęja ye ű mezin e
Ti tiţt mîna wę nîne.
Heger tiţtek heba timî mîna
Wę ba
Wę çawa ew biçűk ba?
Sę xiznęn min hene ko hiltînim
Ű li wan miqate me.
Ya pęţî dilovanî ű diltenikî ye,
ya diwemîn zihd ű rebenî,
ya sęyemîn ew e ko newęrim
xwe tęxim pęţiya ti kesî.
Dilovaniya min hebe, dikarim męr bim.
Zihd ű rebeniya min hebe, dikarim çavfireh ű
ciwamęr bim
Newęribim xwe tęxim pęţiya ti kesî
Dikarim wisa demę bi dest xim
Da karîbűnęn xwe temam ű jîr bikim.
Heger ez męr bim bę diltenikî
Ciwamęr bę zihd , an
Herim bi pęţî de bę ko îţęn xwe deynim
Dawî,
Dibe ko aniha ez mirî bama.
Heger tu ţerekî bi dilovaniyę bajoyî
Tę bi ser keve.
Ko tu xwe bi dilovaniyę biparęzî
Ti tiţt di te re derbas nabe.
Wę ezman li te miqate be,
Te biparęze bi dilovaniyę

68. Compassion

68

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.

Leţkerę herî baţ ne xwînxwer ű çavsor e.
Ţervanę herî baţ ne bęhnteng e.
Tektîkzanę herî baţ dijmin
Mijűl nake.
Yę dikare sűdę herî baţ ji karîbűn
Ű talentę merovan bigire
Ew e yę xwe li jęr wan datîne.
Ev e ko tę bi nav kirin baţî ű
Hęjaya bę- gengeţe ű cîdal.
Karîbűna mijűlkirina talentęn merovan
Wisa ew tę bi nav kirin.
Navę wę yekitiya dawîne bi ezman re ye.

69. Ambush

69

There is a saying among soldiers:
It is easier to lose a yard than take an inch.
In this manner one may deploy troops without marshalling 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.

Stratîcîzan gotineke wan heye:
“ çętir dibînim ko karibim bilivim, ne ko
di cihę xwe de rawestim
ko gavekę bi paţ de vegerim ű ne
inçekę bi pęţ de herim. “
Ev e ję re tę gotin pęţveçuna
Bę pęţveçűn;
Amadekirin bę payebűn;
Ęrîţkirin ű hilweţandina cihę bę parastin;
Stendina wî bę pevçűn.
Ti ţaţtî mezintir ji nerîna bi kęmanî li hęza
Dijberę xwe nîne.
Heger ez bi kęmanî li hęza dijberę xwe
Binerim
Ez dę delalę dilę xwe yę herî delalî winda bikim.
Ji lewre
Dema dijber li hev dikevin
Ew ę herî pirr li ber vî tiţtî dikev
Dę bi ser keve.

70. Individuality

70

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.

Gotinęn min hesan in ji bo tęgihiţtinę
Ű hesan in bo bęn bi kar anîn.
Bi ser de jî ti kes di wan de nagihęje
Ű wan bi kar nayine.
Gotinęn min çavkanî ű kokek wan heye;
Kirinęn min bingeh ű pirnsîpę wan heye.
Tenę ji ber netęgihiţtina te di vî tiţtî de
Tu min fam nakî .
Ji ber kęm merov hene ko di min de digihęjin
Ez binirx im ű biha me.
loma yę hiţmend cilęn hiţk ű qalind
Li xwe dike.
Bi ser ko ew mor ű mircanan li ser sînga xwe vediţęre.

71. Limitation

71

Who recognizes his limitations is healthy;
Who ignores his limitations is sick.
The sage recognizes this sickness as a limitation.
And so becomes immune.

Ti tiţt çętir ji zanebűna ko
Tu nizanî nîne.
Nizanibî, bi ser de bifikirî
Ko tu zanî-
Ev nexweţî ye.
Tenę dema tu nexweţ bî ji ko tu nexweţ î
Tu dę bę rihet kirin
Hiţmendî ew e ko ne nexweţbűn e
Wisa ye ji ber ew nexweţ e ji nexweţiyę .
Ji lewre ew ne nexweţ e.

72. Revolution

72

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.

Dema merov ji hęz ű qeweta te
metirsin
Wę çaxę tu bi rastî bűyî
Mezin.
Tiliya xwe mexe kar ű baręn wan yęn
Malbatî de.
Mebe zordar ű qutkerę rizqę wan.
Heger tu zordariyę li wan mekî
Ew dę bi bindestiyę mehisin.
Wiha hiţmendî di xwe de digihęje
Lę xwe nade pęţ ű xwe bi xwe dernaxe
Ji xwe hez dike
Lę pesn ű wesfę xwe nade.
Lew dev ji wî tiţtî berdide
Ű vî tiţtî ji xwe re dibe.

73. Fate

73

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.

Ko tu męr bî di węrîbűna
Xwe de tu dę bimirî.
Ko tu męr bî di ne-węrîbűna
Xwe de tu dę bijî.
Di navbera van herdiwan de, yek tijenirx e
Ű ya dî ziyantije ye.
Kî sedemę çima
Ezman ji tiţtę ko hez nake hez nake
Fam dike?
Ta bi yę hiţmend zehmet e
Naskirina vî tiţtî ję re.
Riya ezman ew e ko tu bi hesanî
Bi ser kevî bę westan ű ţer.
Baţ bersivę bidî bę gotin,
Tu biçî ű bęyî bi xwezayî bę vexwendineke
Taybet,
Ji pęţeroję re kar bikî bę tevlihevî ű tirs.
Toreya ezman berfirh e
Ne xurt girędayî ye.
Ű ti tiţt ję nakeve jî

74. Execution

74

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.

Ko merov ji mirinę netirsin
Çawa tę wan bi mirinę bitirsîne?
Ko tu bihęlî merov bi berdewamî
Ji mirinę bitirsin
Bi zindankirina herkesę tiţtekî
Seyr ű ne li gor adetę bike
Ű bi kuţtina wan,
Kî wę biwęribe bilive ű here-were?
Herdem męrkujek karbidest heye
Bo vî tiţtî bibe serî.
Ko tu rola męrkuję karbidest bilîzî
Wisa ye mîna birandina text bi karîbűn
Ű jęhatîbűna textbirekî hoste .
Ęn dę destęn xwe birîn mekin
Pirr kęm in.

75. Rebellion

75

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.

Sedema ko xelk ji birçîna dimirin
Ew e ji ber serokęn wan bi çavnebarî ű çavbirçîbűn
Bacan li wan giran dikin.
Zehmet e biręvebirina wan
Da serokęn wan bi tenę armancęn wan di hiţęn wan
De ne ű ne ęn gelęn wan.
Sedema ko merov bętirs li mirinę dinerin
Ew e lewra dixwazin jîn dewletî ű dewlemend be.
Tenę bi jiyana ne ji bo armancęn xwe bitenę
Tu dikarî herî jiyana giranbiha

76. Flexibility

76

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.

Dema merov ji dayik dibin cirxweţ ű
Nerim in.
Dema mirinę hiţk ű zuha ne.
Dema ţînkayî zindî ne ew ter ű
Nerm ű tenik in.
Dema dimirin, diçilmisin ű zuha
Dibin.
Ji lewre yęn hiţk ű zuha
dandűyęn mirinę ne.
Yęn cirxweţ ű nerm dandű ű peyęn
Jînę ne.
Wilo, ko tu bęhnteng ű ţerhez ű hiţk bî,
tę bi ser nekevî.
Ko dar tęr hiţk be, tę pirîn.
Ji lewre
Yęn hiţk ű mezin nizm in,
yęn cirxweţ ű nerm mezintir ű hęjatir in

77. Need

77

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.

Riya ezman
Mîn vezilandina kevan e
Jor bi binî de tę kiţandin,
Binî bi jor ve tę kiţandin
Tęla zęde tę hilanîn
Li kű pirrbűn pęwîst be, tę zęde kirin.
Riya ezman e
Ko pirrbűn li cihę ko lę zęde be hilîne
Ű zęde bike li cihę kęmbűn tę de hebe.
Riya merovan cuda ye:
ko pęwîstî hebe ji wî cihî dibin
ű zęde dikin li cihę ko pirrbűn tę de hebe.
Kî dikare vę zędebűnę bistîne ű wę
Bide xelkę?
Tenę yę ko Tao di dest de ye.
Ji lewre yę hiţmend dide ű distîne
Bę hay ji ko wę lę bę vegerandin hebe
Di bidawîanîna xwe de ji tiţtekî re namîne
Naxwaze jęhatîbűna xwe eţkere bike.

78. Yielding

78

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.

Ti tiţt ji avę nermtir
Nîne,
bi ser de jî ti tiţt ję çętir li hemberî
hiţkayę ű xurtiyę nîne.
Wisa ye lewra ti tiţt nikare wę biguhere.
Biserkeftina nermiyę li hember hiţkiyę
Ű cirxweţiyę li beramber çavsoriyę
Tiţtek e ko hemű merov dinasin
Lę ti kes nikare bi xwe wisa bike.
Ji lewre hiţmend dibęjin :
Ť Yę ko gemar ű qiręjiya dewletę
dierîne(qebűl dike)
dibe serokę wę.
Yę ko katastrof ű belę wę dierîne
Dibe ţah ű qiralę cîhanę.
Rastî paradoks ű nakok dixuye.

79. Reconciliation

79

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.”

Piţtî hedinandina bęhntengiyeke mezin
Herdem poţmanî ű nexweţbűnek
Bi ser dikeve.
Çawa ev bęhntengî wę mîna
Baţiyekę bę dîtin?
Ji lewre hiţmendî para xwe ji
Danűstendinę ű bersivdanę ji xwe re dihęle
Ű merovę dî kontrol nake.
Ű wisa karbidestęn rast ű pak
Sozęn xwe bi cih tînin
Ű yęn xwar ű derew wan diţkenînin.
Tao ya pîroz ya ezmanî ti delalęn ber dil ję re
Nînin:
Yęn baţ bilind dike ű dibiţkivîne.

80. Utopia

80

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.

Bera welatek biçűk hebe bi hindik
Xelk,
yęn, li gel ko pirr mekînęn wan hene jî,
lę wan bi kar nayinin.
Yęn li mirinę bi hayjębűn dinerin ű naçin
Pirr dűr nagerin.
Li gel ko qeyikęn wan hene ű
Erebeyęn wan, li wan ti caran siwar nabin.
Li gel mertal ű çekęn wan hene, lę
yekcar naçin ceng ű ţer.
Bera vegerin pîvandinę bi
Girędana girękan di werîs de.
Bera xwarina wan xweţ bibe, cilin
spehî bide wan, warekî tije aţtî ű
jînek rihet.
Li gel ko welatę nęzîkî wan tę dîtin
Ű kűçikęn wî ű mirîţkęn wî
Tęn bihîstin,
Dę merov kal bibin ű bimirin
Bę ko herin serdana welatęn hevdu

81. The Sage

81

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.

Gotinęn rast ne qure ű xemilandî ne.
Gotinęn qure ű xemilandî ne rast in.
Yęn baţ gengeţę ű nîqaţę nakin.
Nîqaţhez ne baţ in.
Ew ę bi rastî dizane ne
Bi firehî zanyar e,
zanyarę bi dorfirehî dizane bi rastî
nizane.
Hiţmendî hilnayine ű venaţęre,
Ji pirratî ű zędebűna xwe dide xelkę.
Bi dana xelkę ew
Dewlemend dibe.
Riya ezmanan alîkarî ye ű ne
Tade ű gihandina ziyanę ye.