第五十一章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 51

The Way gives life and virtue nourishes, without command or possession.

道dào生shēng之zhī，德dé畜xù之zhī，物wù形xíng之zhī，

The Way gives them life, virtue nourishes them, things shape them,
势shì成chéng之zhī。

circumstance completes them.
是shì以yǐ万wàn物wù莫mò不bù尊zūn道dào而ér贵guì德dé。

So among the myriad things none fails to honor the Way and value virtue.
道dào之zhī尊zūn，德dé之zhī贵guì，夫fú莫mò之zhī命mìng而ér常cháng自zì然rán。

The Way is honored and virtue valued not by anyone's command, but always of themselves.
故gù道dào生shēng之zhī，德dé畜xù之zhī。

So the Way gives them life and virtue nourishes them.
长zhǎng之zhī育yù之zhī，亭tíng之zhī毒dú之zhī，

It raises them and rears them, shapes them and ripens them,
盖gài之zhī覆fù之zhī。

shelters them and protects them.
生shēng而ér不bù有yǒu，

It gives life but does not possess,
为wéi而ér不bù恃shì，

acts but does not rely on it,
长zhǎng而ér不bù宰zǎi。

leads but does not rule.
是shì谓wèi玄xuán德dé。

This is called mysterious virtue.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 51, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
道	dào	the Way
生	shēng	to produce, give life, arise
之	zhī	it, them (object)
德	dé	virtue
畜	xù	to nurture
物	wù	thing, beings
形	xíng	shape
势	shì	circumstance, force
成	chéng	to complete, accomplish
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
万物	wàn wù	the myriad things
莫	mò	no one, nothing
不	bù	not
尊	zūn	to honor; noble
而	ér	and, and then
贵	guì	to value, to prize
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
夫	fú	now, indeed (opening particle)
命	mìng	command, order
而	ér	and yet, but
常	cháng	always, ever
自然	zì rán	what is so of itself
故	gù	therefore
长	zhǎng	to rear, to lead
育	yù	to rear
亭	tíng	to shape, to form
毒	dú	to ripen
盖	gài	to shelter, to cover
覆	fù	to shelter, protect
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
为	wéi	to act, to do, to make
恃	shì	to rely on, presume on
宰	zǎi	to rule, dominate
是	shì	this
谓	wèi	to call, to be called
玄	xuán	mystery, mysterious

Compare: James Legge (1891)

All things are produced by the Tao, and nourished by its outflowing operation. They receive their forms according to the nature of each, and are completed according to the circumstances of their condition. Therefore all things without exception honour the Tao, and exalt its outflowing operation.

This honouring of the Tao and exalting of its operation is not the result of any ordination, but always a spontaneous tribute.

Thus it is that the Tao produces (all things), nourishes them, brings them to their full growth, nurses them, completes them, matures them, maintains them, and overspreads them.

It produces them and makes no claim to the possession of them; it carries them through their processes and does not vaunt its ability in doing so; it brings them to maturity and exercises no control over them;--this is called its mysterious operation.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 51

Chapter 51 describes how the Way and virtue bring all things into being and care for them without commanding or possessing them.

The first lines name four stages: the Way gives things life, virtue (德) nourishes them, things give them shape, and circumstance completes them. That is why all things honor the Way and value virtue, and the chapter stresses that this honor is not commanded but comes of itself (自然). The care is then spelled out in a run of verbs: raising, rearing, shaping, ripening, sheltering, protecting. 亭之毒之 is the hard phrase, since 毒 usually means poison; Wang Bi's note speaks of completing what is real in them, Heshang Gong's text writes 成之孰之, completing and ripening, and the site's "shapes them and ripens them" follows that line of reading.

The ending repeats lines from chapters 2 and 10: it gives life but does not possess, acts but does not rely on it, leads but does not rule. This is called 玄德, mysterious virtue, a phrase that also closes chapter 10 and returns in chapter 65. Chapter 34 says much the same of the great Way.

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Meaning of chapter 51