第三十九章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 39

Heaven, earth and all things are whole through the One; the noble has the humble as its root.

昔xī之zhī得dé一yī者zhě，天tiān得dé一yī以yǐ清qīng，

Of old, these attained the One: heaven attained the One and became clear,
地dì得dé一yī以yǐ宁níng，神shén得dé一yī以yǐ灵líng，

earth attained the One and became calm, the spirits attained the One and became potent,
谷gǔ得dé一yī以yǐ盈yíng，万wàn物wù得dé一yī以yǐ生shēng，

the valley attained the One and became full, the myriad things attained the One and came to life,
侯hóu王wáng得dé一yī以yǐ为wéi天tiān下xià贞zhēn。

lords and kings attained the One and became the standard of the world.
其qí致zhì之zhī。

It is the One that brought this about.
天tiān无wú以yǐ清qīng将jiāng恐kǒng裂liè，

If heaven were not clear, it might split;
地dì无wú以yǐ宁níng将jiāng恐kǒng发fā，

if earth were not calm, it might erupt;
神shén无wú以yǐ灵líng将jiāng恐kǒng歇xiē，

if the spirits were not potent, they might fade away;
谷gǔ无wú以yǐ盈yíng将jiāng恐kǒng竭jié，

if the valley were not full, it might run dry;
万wàn物wù无wú以yǐ生shēng将jiāng恐kǒng灭miè，

if the myriad things did not live, they might perish;
侯hóu王wáng无wú以yǐ贵guì高gāo将jiāng恐kǒng蹶jué。

if lords and kings were not noble and high, they might fall.
故gù贵guì以yǐ贱jiàn为wéi本běn，高gāo以yǐ下xià为wéi基jī。

So the noble has the humble as its root, and the high has the low as its base.
是shì以yǐ侯hóu王wáng自zì谓wèi孤gū寡guǎ不bù谷gǔ。

That is why lords and kings call themselves "orphaned", "widowed" and "unworthy".
此cǐ非fēi以yǐ贱jiàn为wéi本běn邪yé？非fēi乎hū？

Is this not taking the humble as the root? Is it not?
故gù致zhì数shù舆yú无wú舆yú。

So if you count the parts of a carriage, there is no carriage.
不bù欲yù琭lù琭lù如rú玉yù，

Do not wish to glitter like jade,
珞luò珞luò如rú石shí。

but be plain and hard like stone.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 39, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
昔	xī	of old
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
得	dé	to get, to obtain
一	yī	the One
者	zhě	one who, that which
天	tiān	heaven
以	yǐ	in order to
清	qīng	clear
地	dì	earth, ground
宁	níng	calm, at peace
神	shén	spirits, the divine
灵	líng	potent, spiritual
谷	gǔ	valley
盈	yíng	full, to fill
万物	wàn wù	the myriad things
生	shēng	to live
侯王	hóu wáng	lords and kings
为	wéi	to be, to count as
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
贞	zhēn	the standard, the norm
其	qí	it, he, they (subject)
致	zhì	to reach, attain
之	zhī	it, them (object)
无	wú	not have, without, no
以	yǐ	by means of, with
将	jiāng	about to; to intend
恐	kǒng	it is to be feared
裂	liè	to split
发	fā	to erupt, to break open
歇	xiē	to fade, to cease
竭	jié	to run dry
灭	miè	to perish
贵	guì	noble, honored
高	gāo	high
蹶	jué	to stumble, to fall
故	gù	therefore
以	yǐ	to take (as)
贱	jiàn	humble, lowly
本	běn	root, foundation
下	xià	low, below
基	jī	base, foundation
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
自	zì	oneself, by oneself
谓	wèi	to call, to be called
孤	gū	orphaned, alone
寡	guǎ	widowed, lacking
不谷	bù gǔ	the unworthy
此	cǐ	this, these
非	fēi	is not
邪	yé	question particle
乎	hū	question particle
数	shù	to count
舆	yú	carriage
不	bù	not
欲	yù	desire, to desire
琭琭	lù lù	glittering (like jade)
如	rú	as if, like
玉	yù	jade
珞珞	luò luò	plain and hard (like stone)
石	shí	stone

Compare: James Legge (1891)

The things which from of old have got the One (the Tao) are--

Heaven which by it is bright and pure;
Earth rendered thereby firm and sure;
Spirits with powers by it supplied;
Valleys kept full throughout their void
All creatures which through it do live
Princes and kings who from it get
The model which to all they give.

All these are the results of the One (Tao).

If heaven were not thus pure, it soon would rend;
If earth were not thus sure, it would break and bend;
Without these powers, the spirits soon would fail;
If not so filled, the drought would parch each vale;
Without that life, creatures would pass away;
Princes and kings, without that moral sway,
However grand and high, would all decay.

Thus it is that dignity finds its (firm) root in its (previous) meanness, and what is lofty finds its stability in the lowness (from which it rises). Hence princes and kings call themselves 'Orphans,' 'Men of small virtue,' and as 'Carriages without a nave.' Is not this an acknowledgment that in their considering themselves mean they see the foundation of their dignity? So it is that in the enumeration of the different parts of a carriage we do not come on what makes it answer the ends of a carriage. They do not wish to show themselves elegant-looking as jade, but (prefer) to be coarse-looking as an (ordinary) stone.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 39

Chapter 39 says that heaven, earth, the spirits, the valley, the myriad things and rulers are each what they are by attaining the One (一).

The first half runs through the same list twice. Heaven attained the One and became clear, earth became calm, the spirits potent, the valley full, the myriad things alive, and lords and kings became the standard of the world. The second pass turns the list around: without what the One gives, heaven would split, earth would erupt, the valley would run dry and rulers would fall. Embracing the One appears in chapters 10 and 22, and chapter 42 places the One just after the Way.

The second half draws a lesson for rulers: the noble has the humble as its root and the high has the low as its base, which is why kings call themselves orphaned, widowed and unworthy, as chapter 42 also notes. The line 致数舆无舆 is hard. Wang Bi's text has 舆, a carriage, and the site reads it as counting the parts of a carriage until there is no carriage; other editions have 誉, praise: seek too much praise and there is none. The chapter ends by preferring plain stone to glittering jade.

Text

Meaning of chapter 39