lipu Pona la: kasi nanpa 39 pi lipu Nasin Pona

昔之得一者		These in the past have attained wholeness:
天得一以清		Heaven attains wholeness with its clarity;
地得一以宁		The Earth attains wholeness with its firmness;
神得一以灵		The Spirit attains wholeness with its transcendence;
谷得一以盈		The Valley attain wholeness when filled;
万物得一以生		The Myriad Things attain wholeness in life;
侯王得一以为天下贞		The Ruler attains wholeness in the correct governance of the people.
其致之		In effecting this:
天无以清将恐裂		If Heaven lacked clarity it would be divided;
地无以宁将恐发		If the Earth lacked firmness it would fly away;
神无以灵将恐歇		If the spirit lacked transcendence it would be exhausted;
谷无以盈将恐竭		If the valley lacked fullness it would be depleted;
万物无以生将恐灭		If the myriad things lacked life they would vanish.
侯王无以贵高将恐蹶		If the ruler lacks nobility and loftiness he will be tripped up.
故		Hence
贵以贱为本		Nobility has lowliness as its root
高以下为基		The High has the Low as its base.
是以侯王自称孤寡不谷		Thus the kings call themselves “the orphan, the lowly, the unworthy.”
此非以贱为本耶非乎		Is this not taking lowliness as the fundamental? Isn’t it?
故致数誉无誉		In this way you can bring about great effect without burden.
不欲琭琭如玉		Not desiring the rarity of gems
珞珞如石		Or the manyness of grains of sand.

Sitelen Sitelen Renderer by Olaf Janssen.

Acknowledgements / Notes