*this* is the translation I had Gill.
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of ten thousand things.
Ever desireless, one can see the mystery.
Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.
These two spring from the same source but differ in name;
this appears as darkness.
Darkness within darkness.
The gate to all mystery.
Translated by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (1972)
Now all I have to do is *find* it.
Comments
8 responses to “Found it!”
At least, I think it is…now I’m not sure – I found a page with 100 translations of the first chapter and that one seemed familiar…
Oooh – got a link to that page? Would be interested in looking.
The version you typed is more esoteric than mine, I think. Probably more authentic to the direct translation – less Westernised. Mine is less flowery but I understand it better: “The unnamable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin of all particular things,” makes more sense to me than: “The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things.”
I think Tao Te Ching translations are a bit like HE methodology – different styles work for different people! Whatever floats your boat. I also change my translation preferences with my mood & whatever phase I happen to be going through. Sometimes I don’t even look at it at all, for years at a time, but I always come back to it in one form or another eventually. Good job there are so many to choose from!
it’s here
I also found out last night that Ursula K Le Guin wrote a redaction (apparently she didn’t translate it) and I’d love to read that.
Thanks for the link. Yes, I’d love to read that too!
What a great site! I especially like the bottom section of the page the gives verbatim versions and literal translation variations etc.
Oh and ‘The Tao that can be Tao-ed..’ is in there of course! Gotta love that one! Like… WTF???
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?bx=off&sts=t&ds=30&bi=0&an=Ursula+K+Le+Guin&tn=tao&sortby=2
The first hit is Paperbackshop.co.uk, which entails large p&p since all they do is import it from the US anyhow 🙁