<span class="chinese-post-title">五</span> Chapter 5 from the <span class="chinese-post-title">道德經</span> Dào​dé​jīng

五

天地不仁，
以萬物為芻狗。
聖人不仁，
以百姓為芻狗。
天地之間，
其猶橐籥乎。
虛而不屈，動而愈出。
多言數窮，
不如守中。

老子

"Heaven and earth do not act from any wish to be benevolent;
they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with.
The sages do not act from (any wish to be) benevolent;
they deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with.
May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows?
'Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power;
'Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more.
Much speech to swift exhaustion lead we see;
Your inner being guard, and keep it free."

Unless noted otherwise, all quotations of classical texts and accompanying translations come from the Chinese Text Project