The great Tao resembles confluence, it can be left and right. Ten thou
任成 · Rèn Chéng
Classical Chinese Text
大道汜兮，其可左右。万物恃之以生而不辞，功成而不有。衣养万物而不为主，常无欲，可名于小；万物归焉而不为主，可名为大。以其终不自为大，故能成其大。
Translation & Meaning
The great Tao resembles confluence, it can be left and right. Ten thousand things depend on it to live and (it does) not shirk, accomplishes the feat but takes nothing. (It) provides clothing and sustenance to ten thousand things but not master (them), constantly desireless, can be named small; ten thousand things return to it without it mastering them, (it) can be named great. For it never considers itself great, that completes its greatness.
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
- 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
- 汜 (sì): classical character (sì)
- 兮 (xī): classical character (xī)
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 可 (kě): can / capable of being
- 左 (zuǒ): classical character (zuǒ)
- 右 (yòu): classical character (yòu)
- 万 (wàn): ten thousand / myriad / all
- 物 (wù): things / phenomena / forms
- 恃 (shì): classical character (shì)
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 生 (shēng): give birth to / arise
- 而 (ér): yet / and / but
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 辞 (cí): classical character (cí)
- 功 (gōng): achievement / merit
- 成 (chéng): complete / fulfill
- 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
- 衣 (yī): classical character (yī)
- 养 (yǎng): classical character (yǎng)
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 主 (zhǔ): classical character (zhǔ)
- 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
- 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
- 欲 (yù): intent / desire / craving
- 名 (míng): name / conceptual label / to name
- 于 (yú): to / at / in
- 小 (xiǎo): classical character (xiǎo)
- 归 (guī): classical character (guī)
- 焉 (yān): classical character (yān)
- 终 (zhōng): classical character (zhōng)
- 自 (zì): classical character (zì)
- 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
- 能 (néng): fruitful / capacity / ability