第二十二章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 22

Yielding keeps one whole; the sage does not show off or contend, so no one can contend with him.

曲qū则zé全quán，枉wǎng则zé直zhí，

The wrong is made wholesome, the crooked is straightened,
洼wā则zé盈yíng，敝bì则zé新xīn，

The hole is filled, the worn-out is renewed,
少shǎo则zé得dé，多duō则zé惑huò。

With few there is attainment, with much there is confusion.
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén抱bào一yī，为wéi天tiān下xià式shì。

Therefore the sage embraces unity, and follows the universe's patterns.
不bù自zì见xiàn故gù明míng，不bù自zì是shì故gù彰zhāng，

Does not show himself, and therefore is apparent. Does not affirm himself, and therefore is acknowledged.
不bù自zì伐fá故gù有yǒu功gōng，不bù自zì矜jīn故gù长zhǎng。

Does not boast and therefore has merit. Does not glorify himself and can therefore improve.
夫fú唯wéi不bù争zhēng，故gù天tiān下xià莫mò能néng与yǔ之zhī争zhēng。

He does not contend, therefore the world cannot contend with him.
古gǔ之zhī所suǒ谓wèi曲qū则zé全quán者zhě，岂qǐ虚xū言yán哉zāi！

The ancient saying "The wrong is made wholesome", how can it be regarded as empty talk?
诚chéng全quán而ér归guī之zhī。

Be sincerely wholesome and return to it.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 22, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
曲	qū	bent, crooked
则	zé	then
全	quán	whole, intact
枉	wǎng	crooked, bent
直	zhí	straight
洼	wā	hollow, sunken
盈	yíng	full, to fill
敝	bì	worn out
新	xīn	new, renewed
少	shǎo	few, to lessen
得	dé	to get, to obtain
多	duō	much, many
惑	huò	confusion
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
圣人	shèng rén	the sage
抱	bào	to embrace
一	yī	the One
为	wéi	to be, to count as
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
式	shì	model, pattern
不	bù	not
自	zì	oneself, by oneself
见	xiàn	to display, show
故	gù	therefore
明	míng	clarity, insight; clear
是	shì	to deem right
彰	zhāng	conspicuous, manifest
伐	fá	to boast
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
功	gōng	achievement, work done
矜	jīn	to pride oneself
长	zhǎng	to rear, to lead
夫唯	fú wéi	precisely because
不争	bù zhēng	not contending
莫	mò	no one, nothing
能	néng	can, to be able
与	yǔ	with, and
之	zhī	it, them (object)
争	zhēng	to contend
古	gǔ	antiquity, ancient
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
所谓	suǒ wèi	what is called
者	zhě	one who, that which
岂	qǐ	how could
虚	xū	empty, to empty
言	yán	words, to speak
哉	zāi	exclamation particle
诚	chéng	truly, sincerely
而	ér	and, and then
归	guī	to return, to go back

Compare: James Legge (1891)

The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new. He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray.

Therefore the sage holds in his embrace the one thing (of humility), and manifests it to all the world. He is free from self-display, and therefore he shines; from self-assertion, and therefore he is distinguished; from self-boasting, and therefore his merit is acknowledged; from self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him.

That saying of the ancients that 'the partial becomes complete' was not vainly spoken:--all real completion is comprehended under it.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 22

Chapter 22 opens with an old saying, 曲则全, what bends is kept whole, and five more like it: the crooked becomes straight, the hollow fills, the worn becomes new, having little brings gain, having much brings confusion. Each pairs a lack with its reversal.

The sage applies this to himself. He embraces 一 (the One) and becomes a model for the world. He does not display himself, so he is seen; does not insist he is right, so he is recognized; does not boast, so he has merit; does not glorify himself, so he lasts. Because he does not contend, no one in the world can contend with him.

The chapter closes by returning to its opening: is the old saying about what bends being kept whole empty words? Wholeness is real, and things come back to it. The four "does not" lines appear again, reversed, in chapter 24, where those who display and boast fail, and the line on not contending returns in chapter 66. Where Wang Bi has 抱一, embrace the One, the silk manuscripts read 执一, hold to the One; the sense is close.

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Meaning of chapter 22