Daodejing Translation: Chapter 31 — Chapter 35
Here is my new English translation of Chapter 31 to Chapter 35 of the Daodejing together with links to commentaries and breakdowns of each chapter.
Daodejing Chapter 31
老子道德經第三十一章
Even the finest weapons
Are instruments of doom.
Everyone hates them.
The Daoist avoids them.
When at home,
The gentleman favours the left.
When waging war,
The gentleman favours the right.
Weapons are instruments of doom,
Not the instruments of a gentleman.
The gentleman does not use weapons,
Except as a last resort.
In victory there is no glory.
Celebrating victory
Is to enjoy killing others.
Anyone who enjoys killing others
Must never be allowed
To impose his will
Over all-under-heaven.
On auspicious occasions,
The left takes precedence.
On inauspicious occasions,
The right takes precedence.
In times of war,
The junior commander
Is positioned on the left.
The senior commander
Is positioned on the right.
This is how funeral rites are conducted.
When masses of people are slaughtered,
We should mourn them
With heartfelt grief.
When a war is won,
We should observe the victory
With funeral rites.
「夫佳兵者，不祥之器。物或惡之，故有道者不處。君子居則貴左，用兵則貴右。兵者，不祥之器，非君子之器。不得已而用之，恬淡為上。勝而不美，而美之者，是樂殺人。夫樂殺人者，不可得志於天下。吉事尚左，凶事尚右。偏將軍居左，上將軍居右。言以喪禮處之，殺人眾多，以悲哀泣之。戰勝以喪禮處之。」
Daodejing Chapter 31: instruments of doom
Daodejing Chapter 31: in victory there is no glory
Daodejing Chapter 32
老子道德經第三十二章
The Dao has no name.
Although the uncarved block is small,
No one in all-under-heaven
Can subordinate it.
If nobles and kings hold fast to it,
The myriad things will submit
Of their own accord.
Heaven and earth will unite,
Sweet dew drops will fall.
The people will live in harmony,
Without anyone ordering them to.
Only when the whole
Is split apart,
Do names appear.
As soon as there are names,
You should know
That it is time to stop.
Knowing when to stop
Keeps you safe from harm.
For the Dao is
To all-under-heaven,
As the rivers and oceans are
To the streams and valleys.
「道常無名，樸，雖小，天下莫能臣也。侯王若能守之，萬物將自賓。天地相合，以降甘露，民莫之令而自均。始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦將知止；知止，可以不殆。譬道之在天下，猶川谷之與江海。」
Daodejing Chapter 32: the Dao has no name
Daodejing Chapter 32 breakdown: sweet dew drops will fall
Daodejing Chapter 33
老子道德經第三十三章
To know others is wisdom,
To know yourself is enlightenment.
To conquer others is power.
To conquer self is strength.
To know contentment is to possess wealth.
To persevere is to possess willpower.
Not to lose your foundation is to endure.
To die but to never vanish is longevity.
「知人者智，自知者明；勝人者有力，自勝者強；知足者富，強行者有志；不失其所者久，死而不亡者壽。」
Daodejing Chapter 33: know yourself
Daodejing Chapter 33 breakdown: wisdom and enlightenment
Daodejing Chapter 34
老子道德經第三十四章
The great Dao flows everywhere,
Both to the left and to the right.
The myriad things depend on it for life,
It never turns away from them.
It accomplishes its work,
Yet it claims no credit for it.
It clothes and nourishes
The myriad things,
Yet it does not claim
To be their master.
Free of desire,
It can be called small.
The myriad things return to it,
Yet it does not act as their master.
It can be called great.
Because it never claims to be great,
It achieves greatness.
「大道氾兮，其可左右。萬物恃之而生而不辭，功成不名有，衣養萬物而不為主。常無欲，可名於小；萬物歸焉而不為主，可名為大。以其不自為大，故能成其大！」
Daodejing Chapter 34: free of desire
Daodejing Chapter 34 breakdown: the great Dao flows everywhere
Daodejing Chapter 35
老子道德經第三十五章
Grasp the great image,
All-under-heaven will come,
Safe from harm,
In peace and tranquillity.
Music and fine food
Entice the passerby to stop.
Words of the Dao,
Are bland and flavourless.
When you look for it,
You cannot see it.
When you listen for it,
You cannot hear it.
But when you use it,
You cannot exhaust it.
「執大象，下下往；往而不害，安平泰。樂與餌，過客止。道之出言，淡兮其無味。視之不足見，聽之不足聞，用之不足既。」
Daodejing Chapter 35: grasp the great image
Daodejing Chapter 35 breakdown: words of the Dao
