Tao constantly does nothing and do everything. If marquises and kings
為政 · Wéi Zhèng
Classical Chinese Text
道常无为而无不为。侯王若能守之，万物将自化。化而欲作，吾将镇之以无名之朴，镇之以无名之朴，夫将不欲。不欲以静，天下将自定。
Translation & Meaning
Tao constantly does nothing and do everything. If marquises and kings can keep it, ten thousand things will tame themselves. The tameness arouses desires, I will then repress them by the plainness of no name. Repressed by the plainness of no name, they will be desireless. Desireless arouses tranquility, all that is under heaven will thus be in peace on their own accord.
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
- 常 (cháng): constant / dynamic invariable
- 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 而 (ér): yet / and / but
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 侯 (hóu): classical character (hóu)
- 王 (wáng): classical character (wáng)
- 若 (ruò): classical character (ruò)
- 能 (néng): fruitful / capacity / ability
- 守 (shǒu): classical character (shǒu)
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 万 (wàn): ten thousand / myriad / all
- 物 (wù): things / phenomena / forms
- 将 (jiāng): classical character (jiāng)
- 自 (zì): classical character (zì)
- 化 (huà): classical character (huà)
- 欲 (yù): intent / desire / craving
- 作 (zuò): move / arise / operate
- 吾 (wú): I / myself
- 镇 (zhèn): classical character (zhèn)
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 名 (míng): name / conceptual label / to name
- 朴 (pǔ): classical character (pǔ)
- 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
- 静 (jìng): classical character (jìng)
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
- 定 (dìng): classical character (dìng)