Mysterious Virtue, Safety, Male and Female, Harmony, Virtue, Newborn Child,
Useless Arts,
Natural Path, Accept Aging, Sign of the Mysterious,
玄符
"Whoever is filled with Virtue
is like a new-born child.
Wasps and scorpions will not sting it;
snakes and serpents will not bite it;
wild animals will not attack it;
birds of prey will not swoop down on it.
Its bones are soft, its muscles weak,
and yet its grip is firm.
It does not know of male and female union
and yet its organ stirs;
its vital energy is at its height.
It cries throughout the day
and yet is never hoarse;
its harmony is at its height.
To know harmony is to know the eternal.
To know the eternal is to know enlightenment.
To speed the growth of life is an omen of disaster; *
to control the breath by will-power is to overstrain it;
to grow too much is to decay.
All this is against the Dao
and whatever is against the Dao soon dies."
- Translated by
Tom Chilcott,
2005,
Chapter 55
"He who possesses Virtue in abundance is
like a newly born infant.
Poisonous insects will not sting him;
Wild beasts will not seize him;
Birds of prey will not attack him.
His bones are soft, his muscles weak, but his grasp is strong.
He has not experienced the union of male and female,
And yet is fully virile:
His essence is complete.
He can cry all day without getting hoarse.
This is harmony at its height.
Knowing harmony is to know what is eternal.
Knowing what is eternal is to be enlightened.
It is inauspicious to try to improve on life,
And harmful to regulate breathing by conscious control.
To strive for too much results in exhaustion.
These actions are contrary to Tao.
And what is contrary to Tao soon comes to an early end."
- Translated by
Keith Seddon,
Chapter 55
"He who contains virtue in abundance
resembles a newborn child
wasps don't sting him beasts don't claw him
birds of prey don't carry him off
his bones are weak and his tendons are soft and yet his grip is firm
he hasn't known the union of sexes and yet his penis is stiff so full of essence
is he
he cries all day yet ever gets hoarse
so full of breath is he who knows how to breath
endures who knows how to endure is wise
who lengthens his life tempts luck
who breathes with his will is strong
but virility means old age this isn't the Way
what isn't the Way ends early"
- Translated by
Bill Porter (Red Pine),
1996,
Chapter 55
By Alexander Simkins. 
By Derek Lin.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
Translated by Thomas Cleary.
"One who is filled with goodness is like a
freshly-born infant.
Wasps, scorpions and snakes will not bite her.
Wild beasts will not attack her, nor will birds of prey pounce on her.
Her bones may be fragile and her skin soft,
But her grasp is firm.
She does not recognize the union of male and female
For she knows it only as an undivided whole.
This is the essence of perfection.
She can how All day and not get hoarse.
This is perfect harmony.
Knowing harmony is faithfulness.
Knowing faithfulness is salvation.
Trying to extend one's life-span is dangerous and unnatural.
To manipulate one's energy with the mind is a powerful thing
But whoever possesses such strength invariably grows old and withers.
This is not the way of the Tao.
All those who do not follow the Tao will come to an early end."
- Translated by
John R. Mabry,
Chapter 55
"One who possesses true virtue
Is like a new-born infant.
Poisonous insects won’t sting it.
Savage creatures won’t bite it.
Birds of prey won’t claw it.
Though its bones are weak,
And its muscles feeble,
Its grip is still strong.
Though it doesn’t know about sexual union
Its sexual parts are already active,
This is because it has perfect vitality.
It cries all day without becoming hoarse,
This is because it’s in perfect harmony.
To know this harmony is called the constant.
To know the constant is called enlightenment.
Fuelling the vital spirits is called disastrous.
Mind impelling the breath is called violence.
The creature that ignores what exists from of old
Is described as going against the Way.
What goes against the Way
Will come to a swift end."
- Translated by
A. S. Kline,
Chapter 55
"He who has in himself abundantly the
attributes (of the Tao) is like an infant.
Poisonous insects will not sting him; fierce beasts will not seize him; birds of
prey will not strike him. (The infant's) bones are weak and its sinews soft, yet
its grasp is firm.
It knows not yet the union of male and female, and yet its virile member may be
excited;
showing the perfection of its physical essence.
All day long it will cry without its throat becoming hoarse; showing the harmony
(in its constitution).
To him by whom this harmony is known, the secret of the unchanging Tao is shown,
And in the knowledge wisdom finds its throne.
All life-increasing arts to evil turn;
Where the mind makes the vital breath to burn,
False is the strength, and o'er it we should mourn.
When things have become strong, they then become old, which may be said to be
contrary to the Tao. Whatever is contrary to the Tao soon ends."
- Translated by
Andre Gauthier,
Chapter 55
By Hu Xuzehi
Annotated translation by Victor Mair 
By Ha Poong Kim
By Hans-Georg Moeller 
By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
By Wes Burgess
By Arthur Waley
"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 what is constant.
If you know what is constant you are enlightened.
If your mind forces your breath you misuse your strength.
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."
- Translated by
Agnieszka Solska,
2005,
Chapter 55
"Who holds within the fullest power
To a newborn may compare,
Which no insects stings,
No wild beast seizes,
No taloned bird snatches.
Though soft-boned and weak-limbed, its grip is firm.
Before it ever knows of intercourse,
Its standing phallus knows its full life force.
It cries all day without a loss of voice,
A sign of its perfect balance.
Knowing balance means constant norm;
Knowing the norm means inner vision;
Enhancing life means good fortune;
Mind controlling spirit means inner strength.
“Beware old age in pride of manly might,”
For that means working against the Way.
“Work against the Way, die before your day.”"
- Translated by
Moss Roberts,
Chapter 55
"One who possesses the fullness of De can
be compared to a newborn baby.
Bees, scorpions and poisonous snakes will not sting him.
Hunting birds and ferocious animals will not grab him.
His bones are weak, his muscles are soft, yet he can grasp objects with great
strength.
He has no knowledge of sexual intercourse, yet his penis becomes enlarged: so
extreme is his life force.
He can yell all day, yet he doesn't get hoarse.
There is ultimate harmony in his expressiveness.
This harmony of expressiveness is said to be constant;
Knowing this harmony is said to be obvious.
Increasing life is said to be lucky.
Using the mind to control the natural energy of life is said to show strength.
A living creature who who pretends to be stronger than they are will quickly
age.
This may be described as one who doesn't follow Dao.
Don't follow Dao and you'll come to an early end."
- Translated by
Nina Correa, 2005,
Chapter 55
Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni
Translated by Brian Walker
Translated by Arthur Waley
Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles
By Eva Wong
"He whom life fulfills,
Though he remains a child,
Is immune to the poisonous sting
Of insects, to the ravening
Of wild beasts or to vultures' bills.
He needs no more bone or muscle than a baby's for sure hold.
Without thought of joined organs, he is gender
Which grows firm, unfaltering.
Though his voice should cry out at full pitch all day, it would not rasp but
would stay tender
Through the perfect balancing
Of a man at endless ease with everything
Because of the true life that he has led.
To try for more than this bodes ill.
It is said, 'there's a way where there's a will;'
But let life ripen and then fall.
Will is not the way at all:
Deny the way of life and you are dead."
- Translated by
Witter Bynner,
Chapter 55
"He who embodies the fullness of integrity is like a
ruddy infant.
Wasps, spiders, scorpions, and snakes will not sting or bite him;
Rapacious birds and fierce beasts will not seize him.
His bones are weak and his sinews soft, yet his grip is tight.
He knows not the joining of male and female, yet his penis is aroused.
His essence has reached a peak.
He screams the whole day without becoming hoarse;
His harmony has reached perfection.
Harmony implies constancy;
Constancy requires insight.
Striving to increase one's life is ominous;
To control the vital breath with one's mind entails force.
Something that grows old while still in its prime is said to be not in accord
with the Way;
Not being in accord with the Way leads to an early demise."
- Translated by
Victor H. Mair,
Chapter 55
"Measure the fullness of one's virtue against an
infants:
Neither scorpion nor snake will attack it.
Nor does the tiger maul it.
Nor do the birds of prey clutch it.
Its bones and sinews soft,
Yet its grip is firm.
It does not know the union of male and female,
Yet its reproductive organ is fully formed:
Its essence is whole.
It can cry all day without getting hoarse;
This is total harmony.
To know harmony is constancy.
To know constancy is enlightening.
That which is beneficial to life is auspicious.
To direct ch'i by heart is steadfastness.
Things mature and then decay.
This is contra-Tao.
That which runs counter to the Tao is soon finished."
- Translated by
Tam Gibbs, Chapter
55
Translated by Eva Wong 
Translated by Philip Ivahoe
By James Miller
Translated by Stephen Bokencamp
By Alexander and Annellen Simpkins
Translated by Thomas Cleary
By Livia Kohn
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The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) circa 500 BCE