[ ] = symbol not in WB has been added The final English translation Sections separated by blank lines are the opinion of the translator. Raw translation underline = verbatim translation italics = interpreted translation; exact translation is to the far right in [brackets] underlined italics = combined literal meanings from one symbol underline2 or italics2 or underlined italics2 = 2 symbols used to provide translation {word} = equally likely translation of single symbol [word] = symbol left out for grammatical clarity [word] = word added for clarity that significantly influences the meaning of the sentence word* = Confucian concept word° = untranslatable; word is chosen for consistency ♦ = all symbols in the sentence are the same in all or all but one of the sources (sentence is identical or essentially identical across all sources); this does not account for different symbols with the same meaning! Footnotes and cross-references Differences between the sources are sometimes noted, but not every difference is noted. Footnotes in italics provide my own possible interpretations of the more difficult passages, which you may certainly ignore! Chapter One • 道 可 道 非 常 道 • 名 可 名 非 常 名 • 無 名 天 地 之 始 • 有 名 萬 物 之 母 • (•)故 常 無 欲 以 觀 其 妙 • 常 有 欲 以 觀 其 徼 此 兩 者 同 出 而 異 名 同 謂 之 玄 玄 之 又 玄 眾 妙 之 門 The Dao that can be spoken of is not the ever-constant Dao. The name that can be named is not the ever-constant name. That which is without-name is the beginning of heaven and earth. That which possesses a name is the mother of the ten thousand creatures. Therefore : always without-desire, thus you observe its subtle mystery. Always possessing desires, thus you observe its external appearances. These two, they arise from the same source but have different names; This sameness is called their deep mystery. Deep mysteries, and again deep mysteries – The gateway of many subtle mysteries. ♦The Dao that can be spoken of is not the ever-constant Dao. ♦The name that can be named is not the ever-constant name. [That which] is without-name is the beginning of heaven and earth.A ♦[That which] possesses a name is the mother of the ten thousand creatures. Therefore : always without-desire, thus you observe its subtle mystery. Always possessing desires, thus you observe its external appearances. [boundary,surface] These two, they arise from the same [source]B but have different names;