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Tao Te Ching Chp. 7

Agnieszka Solska ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

7K
reH taH chal tera' je.
qatlh taH?
bIHvaD yInbe' vaj yIntaH.
vaj 'emDaq ratlh yajchu'wI' 'ach tlhopDaq ghaHchoH.
SaH'eghbe'mo', SaHtaH. [A]
ngoQDaj SaHbe'mo' ngoQDaj chav'be'a'? [B]


7E
Heaven and earth go on forever.
Why are they able to go on?
They do not live for themselves so they live on.
Thus the sage stays at the back yet finds himself at the front.
Unconcerned about himself, he survives.
Unconcerned about his goals, does he not attain them?

[A]  Literally  "Because he does not care (SaH) about himself he continues 
to be present (SaH)."
I considered {SaH'eghbe'mo', taH} but I really liked the play of words, 
based on the double meaning of {SaH}, which {SaH'eghbe'mo', SaHtaH} 
introduces here.

[B] Perhaps there was no need to repeat {ngoQDaj} here. Still, canon 
examples seem to indicate that in Klingon repeating a noun instead of using 
a pronoun is perfectly acceptable:

   Qu' buSHa'chugh SuvwI', batlhHa' vangchugh,
   qoj matlhHa'chugh, pagh ghaH SuvwI''e'.

   If a warrior ignores duty, acts dishonorably,
   or is disloyal, he is nothing.
   [TKW, p. 139]

   HeghDI' SuvwI' nargh SuvwI' qa'.
   When a warrior dies, his spirit escapes.
    [TKW, p. 145]

   Suvbe'chugh SuvwI' tlhuHbe' SuvwI'.
   If a warrior does not fight, he does not breathe.
    [TKW, p. 193]

'ISqu'
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