lipu Nasin la: kasi nanpa 20 pi lipu Nasin Pona

绝学无忧   Get rid of “learning” and there will be no anxiety.
唯之与阿相去几何   How much difference is there between “yes” and “no”?
善之与恶相去若何   How far removed from each other are “good” and “evil”?
人之所畏不可不畏   Yet what the people are in awe of cannot be disregarded.
荒兮其未央哉   I am scattered, never having been in a comfortable center.
众人熙熙如享太牢   All the people enjoy themselves, as if they are at the festival of the great sacrifice,
如春登台   Or climbing the Spring Platform.
我独怕兮其未兆   I alone remain, not yet having shown myself.
如婴儿之未孩   Like an infant who has not yet laughed.
累累兮若无所归   Weary, like one despairing of no home to return to.
众人皆有馀   All the people enjoy extra
而我独若遗   While I have left everything behind.
我愚人之心也哉   I am ignorant of the minds of others.
沌沌兮   So dull!
俗人昭昭我独若昏   While average people are clear and bright, I alone am dull and dim.
俗人察察   Average people know everything.
我独闷闷   To me alone all seems covered.
澹兮   So flat!
其若海   Like the ocean.
飂兮   Blowing around!
若无止   It seems there is no place to rest.
众人皆有以   Everybody has a goal in mind.
而我独顽似鄙   I alone am as ignorant as a bumpkin.
我独异于人   I alone differ from people.
而贵食母   I enjoy being nourished by the mother.

Sitelen Sitelen Renderer by Olaf Janssen.

Acknowledgements / Notes