Contentment, Remaining in Seclusion, Simple Life, Standing Alone, 獨立
"The ideal land is small
Its people very few,
Where tools abound
Ten times or yet
A hundred-fold
Beyond their use;
Where people die
And die again
But never emigrate;
Have boats and carts
Which no one rides.
Weapons have they
And armor too,
But none displayed.
The folk returns
To use again
The knotted chords.
Their meat is sweet;
Their clothes adorned,
Their homes at peace,
Their customs charm.
And neighbor lands
Are juxtaposed
So each may hear
The barking dogs,
The crowing cocks
Across the way;
Where folks grow old
And folks will die
And never once
Exchange a call."
- Translated by
Raymond B. Blakney,
1955, Chapter 80
"A small country has fewer people.
Though there are machines that can work ten to a hundred times faster than man,
they are not needed.
The people take death seriously and do not travel far.
Though they have boats and carriages, no one uses them.
Though they have armor and weapons, no one displays them.
Men return to the knotting of rope in place of writing.
Their food is plain and good, their clothes fine but simple, their homes secure;
They are happy in their ways.
Though they live within sight of their neighbors,
And crowing cocks and barking dogs are heard across the way,
Yet they leave each other in peace while they grow old and die."
- Translated by
Jane English,
1972, Chapter 80
"Let there be a small country with few people,
Who, even having much machinery, don't use it.
Who take death seriously and don't wander far away.
Even though they have boats and carriages, they never ride in them.
Having armor and weapons, they never go to war.
Let them return to measurement by tying knots in rope.
Sweeten their food, give them nice clothes, a peaceful abode and a relaxed life.
Even though the next country can be seen and its doges and chickens can be heard,
The people will grow old and die without visiting each others land."
- Translated by
Charles Muller,
1997, Chapter 80
"A small state with few people.
Let the implements (ch'ih) for ten and hundred men be unused,
Let the people fear death such that they do not move far away.
Although there are boats and carriages,
There are no places to ride them to.
Although there are weapons and armours,
There are no occasions to display them.
Let the people again tie ropes and use them (as memory aids).
Let them enjoy their food,
Consider their clothing beautiful,
Be contented with their dwellings,
And happy with their customs.
The neighbouring states overlooking one another,
The dogs' barkings and cocks' crowings are heard from other states,
Yet till they are old and dying the people do not visit one another."
- Translated by
Ellen M. Chen,
Chapter 80
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"A country does well to remain small with few
inhabitants who are provided with everything yet need little who love life and
do not long to roam afar who have armor and weapons but do not use them who
possess culture and scholarship yet prefer the usage and wisdom of the ancients.
Their food is natural yet tasty.
Their clothes are plain yet beautiful.
Their dwellings are simple yet comfortable and peaceful.
Their way of life is free and tolerant and a source of unity and contentment.
Though the neighboring State lies within reach and the effervescence of its life
is calling temptingly to them they remain self-sufficient and serene and they
grow old in peace free from the desire to stray afar."
- Translated by
Schmidt, Chapter
80
"Let nations grow smaller and smaller and people fewer
and fewer,
let weapons become rare
and superfluous,
let people feel death's gravity again
and never wander far from home.
Then boat and carriage will sit unused
and shield and sword lie unnoticed.
Let people knot ropes for notation again and never need anything more,
let them find pleasure in their food and beauty in their clothes, peace in their
homes and joy in their ancestral ways.
Then people in neighboring nations will look across to each other,
their chickens and dogs calling back and forth,
and yet they'll grow old and die without bothering to exchange visits."
- Translated by
David Hinton,
Chapter 80
Cloud Hands Blog, January 1, 2012: Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 80
Dao
Te Ching by Lao Tsu, Posts to the Cloud Hands Blog
By Alexander Simkins. 
By Derek Lin.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
Translated by Thomas Cleary.
"A small state has few people.
It has the people keep arms but not use them.
It has them regard death gravely and not go on distant campaigns.
Even if they have vehicles, they have nowhere to drive them.
Even if they have weapons, they have nowhere to use them.
It has the people go back to simple techniques, relish their food, like their
clothes, be comfortable in their ways, and enjoy their work.
Neighboring states may be so close they can hear each other's dogs and roosters,
but they make it o that the people have never gone back and forth."
- Translated by
Thomas Cleary,
1991, Chapter 80
"The ideal state is a small intimate community.
Where all the necessities of life are present in abundance.
There everyone is satisfied to live and die without looking around for greener
pastures.
Even if they have cats or boats, they do not use them for traveling abroad.
Even if they have police and fortifications, these are never put to use.
Business transactions are simple enough to be calculated on one's fingers rather
than requiring complicated bookkeeping.
The people are satisfied with their food,
Contented with their clothing,
Comfortable in their dwellings,
And happy with their customs.
Even though neighboring communities are within sight,
And the crowing of the neighbor's cocks and barking of the neighbor's dogs are
within hearing,
They grow old and die without ever troubling themselves to go outside of their
own communities."
- Translated by
Archie J. Bahm,
Chapter 80
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
"Given a small country with few inhabitants,
He could bring it about that through
There should be among the people contrivances requiring ten times,
A hundred times less labor, they would not use them.
He could bring it about that the people would be ready
To lay down their lives and lay them down again in defense of their homes,
Rather than emigrate.
There might still be boats and carriage,
But no one would go in them;
There might still be weapons of war,
But no one would drill with them.
He could bring it about that
“The people should have no use for any from of writing save knotted ropes,
Should be contented with their food, pleased with their clothing,
Satisfied with their homes,
Should take pleasure in their rustic tasks.
The next place might be so near at hand
That one could one could hear the cocks crowing in it, the dogs barking;
But the people would grow old and die without ever having been there”."
- Translated by
Arthur Waley,
1934, Chapter 80
"Let there be a small country with a small population,
Where the supply of goods are tenfold or hundredfold,
more than they can use.
Let the people value their lives and not migrate far.
Though there be boats and carriages,
None be there to ride them.
Though there be armor and weapons,
No occasion to display them.
Let the people again tie ropes for reckoning,
Let them enjoy their food,
Beautify their clothing,
Be satisfied with their homes,
Delight in their customs.
The neighboring settlements overlook one another
So that they can hear the barking of dogs and crowing
of cocks of their neighbors,
And the people till the end of their days shall never
have been outside their country."
- Translated by
Lin Yutang, 1955,
Chapter 80
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
"Keep the kingdom small, its people few;
Make sure they have no use for tools
That do the work of tens or hundreds.
Nor let the people travel far
And leave their homes and risk their lives.
Boat or cart, if kept at all, best not to ride;
Shield and blade best not to show.
Guide them back to early times
When knotted cords served for signs,
And they took relish in their food
And delight in their dress,
Secure in their dwellings,
Content in their customs,
Although a neighbor kingdom stood in view
And the barnyard cries of cocks and dogs
Echoed from village to village,
Their folk would never traffic to and fro –
Never, to the last of their days."
- Translated by
Moss Roberts,
2001, Chapter 80
"Small country, few people -
Hundreds of devices,
But none are used.
People ponder on death
And don't travel far.
They have carriages and boats,
But no one goes on board;
Weapons and armour,
But no one brandishes them.
They use knotted cords for counting.
Sweet is their food,
Beautiful their clothes,
Peaceful their homes,
Delightful their customs.
Neighboring countries are so close
You can hear their chickens and dogs.
But people grow old and die
Without needing to come and go."
- Translated by
Stephen Addiss,
1993, Chapter 80
"A small nation diminishes people.
It causes the people to have hundreds of conveniences, but won't let them use
them.
It causes the people to be burdened by the thought of death, and they try to get
out of the way.
There are boats and cats, but no place to drive them to.
There are weapons, but no place to display them.
It causes the people to return to:
Tying knots and using them;
Be satisfied with their food;
See their clothing as beautiful;
Find joy in what is common;
Feel safe in their homes.
Each town looks forward to hearing from each other by the sounds of their
chickens and dogs; this is how they learn about each other.
The people get old and die, not coming into contact with each other."
- Translated by
Nina Correa, 2005,
Chapter 80
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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