lipu Nasin la: kasi nanpa 35 pi lipu Nasin Pona

执大象   Grasping to the Great Form
天下往   All in the world go proceed forth. 1
往而不害安平太   Proceeding forth unharmed, they rest in calm peace.
乐与饵过客止   It is for food and music that the passing traveler stops.
道之出口   When the Way emerges from its opening
淡乎其无味   It is insipid, having no taste.
视之不足见   Look at it, you cannot see it.
听之不足闻   Listen, you cannot hear it.
用之不可既   Use it[, y]ou cannot exhaust it.

Sitelen Sitelen Renderer by Olaf Janssen.

  1. [Miller:] “As far as I can tell, I am the only translator who takes 往 as “going forth” rather than “come.” Where in any other text do we see the rendering of “come”? I take it to mean that if people will hold on to the Dao as they go out in the world, they won’t have trouble, and will enjoy peace and calm. This seems to accord with the general message of the Daodejing.” 

Acknowledgements / Notes