lipu Nasin la: kasi nanpa 25 pi lipu Nasin Pona

有物混成   There is something that is perfect in its disorder
先天地生   Which is born before Heaven and Earth.
寂兮寥兮独立不改   So silent and desolate! It establishes itself without renewal.
周行而不殆   Functions universally without lapse.
可以为天下母   We can regard it as the Mother of Everything.
吾不知其名   I don’t know its name.
字之曰道   Hence, when forced to name it, I call it “Way.”
强为之名曰大   When forced to categorize it, I call it “great.”
大曰逝   Greatness entails transcendence.
逝曰远   Transcendence entails going-far.
远曰反   Going-far entails return.
故道大天大地大   Hence, the Way is great, Heaven is great, the Earth is great
王亦大   And the human is also great.
域中有四大而王居其一焉   Within our realm there are four greatnesses and the human being is one of them.
人法地   Human beings follow the Earth.
地法天   Earth follows Heaven
天法道   Heaven follows the Way
道法自然   The Way follows things as they are.

Sitelen Sitelen Renderer by Olaf Janssen.

Acknowledgements / Notes