第五十五章

含德之厚，比于赤子。

蜂蠆虺蛇不螫，猛獸不據(jù)，攫鳥不搏。

骨弱筋柔而握固。

未知牝牡之合而朘作，精之至也。

終日號(hào)而不嗄，和之至也。

知和曰常，知常曰明，益生曰祥，心使氣曰強(qiáng)。

物壯則老，謂之不道，不道早已。

He who is in harmony with the Tao is like a newborn child.

Deadly insects will not sting him.

Wild beasts will not attack him.

Birds of prey will not strike him.

Bones are weak, muscles are soft, yet his grasp is firm.

He has not experienced the union of man and woman, but is whole.

His manhood is strong.

He screams all day without becoming hoarse.

This is perfect harmony.

To know harmony is to know the changeless;

to know the changeless is to have insight.

Things in harmony with the Tao remain;

things that are forced grow for a while, but then wither away.

This is not the Tao.

And whatever is against the Tao soon ceases to be.