Returning

1. 故有无相生，难易相成，

   Therefore presence and absence produce each other. Difficulty and ease bring about each other.

2. 长短相较，高下相倾，

   Long and short delimit each other. High and low contrast with each other.

3. 音声相和，前后相随。

   Sound and noise harmonize each other. Front and back follow each other.

Listen Chapter 2, line 3

1. 玄牝之门，

   the opening of the mystic female,

2. 是谓天地根。

   is called the root of heaven and earth.

Listen Chapter 6, line 3

1. 绳绳不可名，复归于无物，

   Existing continuously, it cannot be named and it returns to no-thingness.

Listen Chapter 14, line 6

1. 致虚极，守静笃，

   To reach extreme vacuity, preserve stillness earnestly.

2. 万物并作，吾以观复。

   The myriad things act in concert, I therefore watch their return.

3. 夫物芸芸，各复归其根。

   Of all things diverse and varied, each returns to its root.

4. 归根曰静，是谓复命。

   Returning to the root is called quietude. Quietude is called returning to life.

5. 复命曰常，知常曰明，

   Returning to life is called constant. Knowing this constant is called brilliance.

6. 不知常，妄作，凶。

   Not knowing the constant, acting arbitrarily, is harmful.

Listen Chapter 16, line 1

1. 绝仁弃义，民复孝慈；

   Get rid of humaneness and abandon justice, the people will return to filial piety and compassion.

Listen Chapter 19, line 2

1. 曲则全，枉则直，

   The bent is made whole, the crooked is straightened,

2. 洼则盈，敝则新，

   the hole is filled, the worn-out is renewed,

Listen Chapter 22, line 1

1. 古之所谓曲则全者，岂虚言哉！

   The ancient saying "The bent is made whole", how can it be regarded as empty talk?

2. 诚全而归之。

   Be sincerely wholesome and return to it.

Listen Chapter 22, line 8

1. 强为之名曰大。

   Imposing on it a name, I call it "great."

2. 大曰逝，逝曰远，

   Greatness encompasses the passing of time, the passing of time encompasses the distant,

3. 远曰反。

   the distant entails return.

Listen Chapter 25, line 5

1. 重为轻根，静为躁君。

   Heaviness is the root of lightness, composure rules impetuousness.

Listen Chapter 26, line 1

1. 轻则失本，躁则失君。

   Frivolousness leads to lost roots, impetuousness leads to lost rulership.

Listen Chapter 26, line 6

1. 知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪。

   Know masculinity, abide by femininity, be as the world's stream.

2. 为天下溪，常德不离，

   Be as the world's stream, and the enduring virtue shall not fade,

3. 复归于婴儿。

   ever returning to the newborn.

4. 知其白，守其黑，为天下式。

   Know whiteness, abide by darkness, be as the world's model.

5. 为天下式，常德不忒，

   Be as the world's model, and the enduring virtue shall be faultless,

6. 复归于无极。

   ever reverting to infinity.

7. 知其荣，守其辱，为天下谷。

   Know glory, abide by disgrace, be as the world's valley.

8. 为天下谷，常德乃足，

   Be as the world's valley, and the enduring virtue shall be sufficient,

9. 复归于朴。

   ever returning to the uncarved block.

Listen Chapter 28, line 1

1. 其事好还。

   This undertaking backfires.

Listen Chapter 30, line 3

1. 物壮则老，

   Things with strength ultimately wither,

2. 是谓不道，不道早已。

   this is not the Way, and what is not the Way soon ends.

Listen Chapter 30, line 10

1. 万物归焉而不为主，

   the myriad things return to it, yet it does not act as their master:

2. 可名为大。

   it can be called great.

Listen Chapter 34, line 6

1. 将欲歙之，必固张之；

   What is to be shrunk must first be stretched;

2. 将欲弱之，必固强之；

   what is to be weakened must first be strengthened;

3. 将欲废之，必固兴之；

   what is to be cast down must first be raised up;

4. 将欲夺之，必固与之，

   what is to be taken must first be given.

5. 是谓微明。

   This is called subtle insight.

6. 柔弱胜刚强。

   The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong.

Listen Chapter 36, line 1

1. 故贵以贱为本，高以下为基。

   So the noble has the humble as its root, and the high has the low as its base.

2. 是以侯王自谓孤、寡、不谷。

   That is why lords and kings call themselves "orphaned", "widowed" and "unworthy".

3. 此非以贱为本邪？非乎？

   Is this not taking the humble as the root? Is it not?

Listen Chapter 39, line 12

1. 反者，道之动；

   Returning is the movement of the Way;

2. 弱者，道之用。

   weakness is the use of the Way.

3. 天下万物生于有，

   The myriad things of the world are born from presence,

4. 有生于无。

   and presence is born from absence.

Listen Chapter 40, line 1

1. 明道若昧，进道若退，

   The bright Way seems dark, the Way forward seems to go back,

Listen Chapter 41, line 8

1. 故物或损之而益，

   So things may gain by being diminished,

2. 或益之而损。

   or lose by being increased.

Listen Chapter 42, line 8

1. 既得其母，以知其子，

   Having found the mother, one knows the children;

2. 既知其子，复守其母，

   knowing the children, one holds again to the mother,

Listen Chapter 52, line 2

1. 用其光，复归其明，

   Use the light and return to clarity,

2. 无遗身殃，是为习常。

   bring no harm upon yourself: this is called following the constant.

Listen Chapter 52, line 10

1. 祸兮福之所倚，

   Misfortune is what fortune leans on;

2. 福兮祸之所伏。

   fortune is where misfortune hides.

3. 孰知其极？其无正。

   Who knows where it ends? There is no fixed rule.

4. 正复为奇，善复为妖。

   The upright turns again into the strange; the good turns again into the ill-omened.

Listen Chapter 58, line 3

1. 是谓深根固柢，长生久视之道。

   This is called deep roots and a firm base, the Way of long life and lasting sight.

Listen Chapter 59, line 8

1. 学不学，复众人之所过。

   he learns not to learn, and brings people back from where they went too far.

Listen Chapter 64, line 17

1. 玄德深矣，远矣，

   Mysterious virtue is deep, is far-reaching,

2. 与物反矣，

   it turns back with all things,

3. 然后乃至大顺。

   and then reaches the great harmony.

Listen Chapter 65, line 8

1. 强大处下，柔弱处上。

   The hard and great take the lower place; the soft and weak take the higher place.

Listen Chapter 76, line 8

1. 天之道，其犹张弓与？

   Is the Way of heaven not like drawing a bow?

2. 高者抑之，下者举之；

   What is high is pressed down, what is low is raised up;

3. 有余者损之，

   what has too much is reduced,

4. 不足者补之。

   what has too little is added to.

5. 天之道，损有余而补不足。

   The Way of heaven reduces what has too much and adds to what has too little.

Listen Chapter 77, line 1

1. 正言若反。

   True words seem contrary.

Listen Chapter 78, line 10

1. 使人复结绳而用之，

   Let people go back to knotting cords to keep records,

Listen Chapter 80, line 5