lipu Pona la: kasi nanpa 67 pi lipu Nasin Pona

天下皆谓我道大   The reason everybody calls my Way great
似不肖   Is because there is nothing quite like it.
夫唯大   It is exactly because it is great
故似不肖   That there is nothing quite like it.
若肖久矣   If there were something that were consistently like it
其细也夫   How could it be small?
我有三宝持而保之 mi jo, kin mi olin e ijo ni la: I have three treasures that I hold and cherish.
一曰慈 wan la, olin. The first is compassion,
二曰俭 tu la, … The second is frugality,
三曰不敢为天下先 mute la, … The third is not daring to put myself ahead of everybody.
慈故能勇 mi jo e olin la, mi ken … Having compassion, I can be brave.
俭故能广   Having frugality, I can be generous.
不敢为天下先   Not daring to put myself ahead of everybody
故能成器长   I can take the time to perfect my abilities.
今舍慈且勇   Now if I am brave without compassion
舍俭且广   Generous without frugality, or
舍后且先   Go to the fore without putting my own concerns last,
死矣   I might as well be dead.
夫慈以战则胜   If you wage war with compassion you will win.
以守则固   If you protect yourself with compassion you will be impervious.
天将救之   Heaven will take care of you,
以慈卫之   Protecting you with compassion.

Sitelen Sitelen Renderer by Olaf Janssen.

Acknowledgements / Notes