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Tao Te Ching Chp. 55



55K

qen boghpu'bogh ghu rur
ghob naQqu' ghajbogh nuv'e'.
lu'aw'be' ghew ghargh je [A].
luHIvbe' Ha'DIbaH qu'.
ghaHDaq jopbe' toQmey.

tun HomDaj, puj Somraw'Daj
'ach pe'vIl 'uch ghopDaj.
wej nga'chuqghach Sov 'ach vIHchoH loD 'ay'Daj [B],
vaQchu'taHmo' ghaH. [C]
SaQ qaStaHvIS jaj 'ach chuStaH ghoghDaj.
'eychu'taHmo' ghaH. [C]

'eychu'ghach DaSovchugh, ru'Ha'wI' DaSov.
ru'Ha'wI' DaSovchugh bIjIvHa'.
yInlIj Daje'chugh SanlIj DaSIgh [D].
qa'lI' che' tIqlIj 'e' Dachaw'chugh HoSlIj Dalo'Ha'.

tlhoy Sachchugh vay' Dejbej.
mIw'a' 'oHbe' mIwvam'e'.
mIw'a' pabHa'chugh vay' tugh Sab. [E]

55E

The one who has virtue in its fullness
is like a newborn babe.
Hornets and snakes do not sting him.
Savage beasts don't attack him.
Birds of prey don't pounce on him.

His bones are soft and his muscles weak
but his grasp is firm.
He knows nothing yet of mating but his organ stirs
for his vigor is at its height.
He will cry all day but his voice will remain loud.
for his harmony is at its height.

If you know harmony you know the eternal.
If you know the eternal you are enlightened.
If you enrich your life you settle your fate.
If you let your spirit be ruled by your heart,
you misuse your strength.

What expands too much is bound to collapse.
This is not the way of Tao.
What goes against Tao soon declines.

[A] Maybe {ghew'a' ghargh'a' je} would be better.

[B] latlh DuH: ... vIHchoH loD janDaj
qech nIv ghaj vay' 'e' vIHonbe'.   {{;-)

[C] The implication here is that he has not yet begun to stop being 
perfectly vigorous (or harmonious).
Perhaps I don't need the {–taH}.

[D] Translations of this line vary drastically because the key character – 
xiang2 – which originally referred to a portent of any kind (good or bad) 
then changed its meaning to "bad fate/ omen" and then changed its meaning 
again and now it indicates "good fate/omen". Hopefully the phrase {San 
SIgh}"settle fate" makes it possible to get round the problem by not 
specifying whether "enriching life" is something that bodes ill or well.

[E] The same three lines conclude Chapter 30.

'ISqu'
http://www.geocites.com/taoteching_klingon

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