True words are not pleasing, pleasing words are mostly not true. Those
顯質 · Xiǎn Zhì
Classical Chinese Text
信言不美，美言不信。善者不辩，辩者不善。知者不博，博者不知。圣人不积，既以为人己愈有，既以与人己愈多。天之道，利而不害。圣人之道，为而不争。
Translation & Meaning
True words are not pleasing, pleasing words are mostly not true. Those who are kind are not eloquent, the ones who are eloquent are not kind. Those who know don't flaunt, those who flaunt don't know. A sage is not self-centered, she believes in growing with others, she believes in succeeding with others. The Tao of Heaven benefits all without leaving any behind. The Tao of the Sage strives but does not compete.
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 信 (xìn): truth / fidelity / honesty
- 言 (yán): words / speech
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 美 (měi): beauty / aesthetic ideal
- 善 (shàn): goodness / skillful / kind
- 者 (zhě): aspects / those who / things
- 辩 (biàn): classical character (biàn)
- 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
- 博 (bó): classical character (bó)
- 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
- 人 (rén): person / human
- 积 (jī): classical character (jī)
- 既 (jì): classical character (jì)
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 己 (jǐ): classical character (jǐ)
- 愈 (yù): classical character (yù)
- 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
- 与 (yǔ): classical character (yǔ)
- 多 (duō): classical character (duō)
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 道 (dào): The Way / Logos / to speak
- 利 (lì): benefits / nourishes
- 而 (ér): yet / and / but
- 害 (hài): classical character (hài)
- 争 (zhēng): compete / contend / rival