Tao Teh Ching - 60 Interactive Versions

#Click on a sentence 1 2 3 Chapter 11 Chapter 13 Back to index #

Ch. 12	Sentence 1
Beck	The five colors blind the eyes; the five musical tones deafen the ears; the five flavors dull the taste.
Blackney	The five colours darken the eye; The five sounds will deaden the ear; The five flavours weary the taste.
Bynner	The five colours can blind, The five tones deafen, The five tastes cloy.
Byrn	Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavours make the palate go stale.
Chan	The five colours cause one's eyes to be blind. The five tones cause one's ears to be deaf. The five flavours cause one's palate to be spoiled.
Cleary	Colors blind people's eyes; sounds deafen their ears; flavors spoil people's palates,
Crowley	The five colours film over Sight; the five sounds make Hearing dull; the five flavours conceal Taste.
Hansen	The five colours stupefy the people's eyes. The five tones desensitize the people's ears. The five flavours numb the people's mouths
LaFargue	The five colours make people's eyes go blind the five tones make people's ears go deaf the five flavours make people's mouths turn sour.
Legge	Colour's five hues from the eyes their sight will take; Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make; The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste.
Lindauer	Five colors blind the eye of man Five tones deafen the ear of man Five flavors chafe the mouth of man
LinYutan	The five colors blind the eyes of man; The five musical notes deafen the ears of man; The five flavors dull the taste of man;
Mabry	Too many colors tax people's vision. Too many sounds deaden people's hearing. Too many flavors spoil people's taste.
McDonald	The five colours tend to confuse the eye, the five sounds of music can deafen the ear, the five tastes all dull or spoil the palate.
Merel	Too much colour blinds the eye, Too much music deafens the ear, Too much taste dulls the palate.
Mitchell	Colours blind the eye. Sounds deafen the ear. Flavours numb the taste.
Muller	The five colours blind our eyes. The five tones deafen our ears. The five flavours confuse our taste.
Red Pine	The five colours make our eyes blind the five tones make our ears deaf the five flavours make our mouths numb
Ta-Kao	The five colours will blind a man's sight. The five sounds will deaden a man's hearing. The five tastes will spoil a man's palate.
Walker	The five colours blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavours overwhelm the palate.
Wieger	Colours blind the eyes of man. Sound makes him deaf. Flavours exhaust his taste.
World	The oneness of the five colors blind the eyes. The oneness of the five tones deafens the ears. The oneness of the five flavors dull the tongue.
Wu	The five colours blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavours cloy the palate.

Ch. 12 Sentence 2

Beck Racing and hunting madden the mind. Precious goods keep their owners on guard.

Blackney Chasing the beasts of the field Will drive a man mad. The goods that are hard to procure Are hobbles that slow walking feet.

Bynner The race, the hunt, can drive men mad And their booty leave them no peace.

Byrn Too much activity deranges the mind. Too much wealth causes crime.

Chan Racing and hunting cause one's mind to be mad. Goods that are hard to get injure one's activities.

Cleary the chase and the hunt craze people's minds; goods hard to obtain make people's actions harmful.

Crowley occupation with motion and action bedevil Mind; even as the esteem of rare things begets covetousness and disorder.

Hansen Horse races and hunting derange the people's heart-minds. Hard to get goods pervert the people's behavior.

LaFargue Galloping and racing, bunting and chasing, make people's minds go mad. Goods hard to come by corrupt people's ways.

Legge The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange, Sought for, men's conduct will to evil change.

Lindauer Racing and hunting inspire the mind of man to express craziness Goods difficult to obtain hamper the path of man.

LinYutan Horse-racing, hunting and chasing madden the minds of man; Rare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.

Mabry Thrill-seeking leads people to do crazy things. The pursuit of wealth just gets in people's way.

McDonald Excess of hunting and chasing makes a mind go mad. Things hard to get, keeps one on one's guard. Valuable things and products quite hard to get, can impede their owner's progress.

Merel Too much play maddens the mind, Too much desire tears the heart.

Mitchell Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart.

Muller Racing and hunting madden our minds. Possessing rare treasures brings about harmful behaviour.

Red Pine riding and hunting make our minds wild hard-to-get goods make us break laws

Ta-Kao Chasing and hunting will drive a man wild Things hard to get will do harm to a man's conduct.

Walker Fancy things get in the way of one's growth. Racing here and there, hunting for this and that - Good ways to madden your mind, that's all.

Wieger Hunting and racing, by unchaining savage passions in him, madden his heart. The love of rare and difficult-to-obtain objects pushes him to efforts that harm him.

World Racing ahead of change and pursuing the illusion of reality promotes confusion.

Wu Racing and hunting madden the mind. Rare goods tempt men to do wrong.

Ch. 12 Sentence 3

Beck Therefore the wise satisfy the inner self rather than external senses. They accept the one and reject the other.

Blackney So the Wise Man will do What his belly dictates And never the sight of his eyes. Thus he will choose this but not that.

Bynner Therefore a sensible man Prefers the inner to the outer eye: He has his yes, - he has his no.

Byrn The Master acts on what she feels and not what she sees. She shuns the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

Chan For this reason the sage is concerned with the belly and not the eyes, Therefore he rejects the one but accepts the other.

Cleary Therefore sages work for the middle and not the eyes, leaving the latter and taking the former.

Crowley The wise man seeks therefore to content the actual needs of his people, not to excite them by the sight of luxuries. He bans these, and concentrates on those.

Hansen Using this: Sages deem:act for the gut not the eye. So they choose this and reject that.

LaFargue And so the Wise Person: Goes by the belly, not by the eye. Yes: He leaves 'that' aside, and attends to 'this'

Legge Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

Lindauer Appropriately it happens That sages act from the center without acting from the eyes. So detach from that, grab this.

LinYutan Therefore the Sage: Provides for the belly and not the eye. Hence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.

Mabry Therefore, the Sage provides for her needs, not her desires. She renounces the latter, and chooses the former.

McDonald So the wise man is concerned with his tummy before his eyes. He can consider the tummy first, not the eye. That is: He disregards the world outside - "that", and he accepts, goes for and in the end grabs the supernormal powers dormant within - his daoist "this". Therefore he rejects the one but accepts the other.

Merel In this manner the sage cares for people: He provides for the belly, not for the senses; He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance.

Mitchell The Master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky.

Muller Therefore the sage regards his centre, and not his eyes. He lets go of that and chooses this.

Red Pine thus the rule of the sage puts the stomach ahead of the eyes thus he picks this over that

Ta-Kao Therefore the Sage makes provision for the stomach and not for the eye. He rejects the latter and chooses the former.

Walker Relinquish what is without. Cultivate what is within. Live for your center, not your senses.

Wieger Therefore the Sage looks to his stomach, and not his senses. renounces this, in order to embrace that. (He renounces what causes wear, in order to embrace what conserves).

World Therefore, the sage is in harmony with what she is and does not distinguish what she sees. She chooses oneness and distinguishes nothing.

Wu Therefore, the Sage takes care of the belly, not the eye. He prefers what is within to what is without.

Ch. 12	Sentence 2
Beck	Racing and hunting madden the mind. Precious goods keep their owners on guard.
Blackney	Chasing the beasts of the field Will drive a man mad. The goods that are hard to procure Are hobbles that slow walking feet.
Bynner	The race, the hunt, can drive men mad And their booty leave them no peace.
Byrn	Too much activity deranges the mind. Too much wealth causes crime.
Chan	Racing and hunting cause one's mind to be mad. Goods that are hard to get injure one's activities.
Cleary	the chase and the hunt craze people's minds; goods hard to obtain make people's actions harmful.
Crowley	occupation with motion and action bedevil Mind; even as the esteem of rare things begets covetousness and disorder.
Hansen	Horse races and hunting derange the people's heart-minds. Hard to get goods pervert the people's behavior.
LaFargue	Galloping and racing, bunting and chasing, make people's minds go mad. Goods hard to come by corrupt people's ways.
Legge	The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange, Sought for, men's conduct will to evil change.
Lindauer	Racing and hunting inspire the mind of man to express craziness Goods difficult to obtain hamper the path of man.
LinYutan	Horse-racing, hunting and chasing madden the minds of man; Rare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.
Mabry	Thrill-seeking leads people to do crazy things. The pursuit of wealth just gets in people's way.
McDonald	Excess of hunting and chasing makes a mind go mad. Things hard to get, keeps one on one's guard. Valuable things and products quite hard to get, can impede their owner's progress.
Merel	Too much play maddens the mind, Too much desire tears the heart.
Mitchell	Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart.
Muller	Racing and hunting madden our minds. Possessing rare treasures brings about harmful behaviour.
Red Pine	riding and hunting make our minds wild hard-to-get goods make us break laws
Ta-Kao	Chasing and hunting will drive a man wild Things hard to get will do harm to a man's conduct.
Walker	Fancy things get in the way of one's growth. Racing here and there, hunting for this and that - Good ways to madden your mind, that's all.
Wieger	Hunting and racing, by unchaining savage passions in him, madden his heart. The love of rare and difficult-to-obtain objects pushes him to efforts that harm him.
World	Racing ahead of change and pursuing the illusion of reality promotes confusion.
Wu	Racing and hunting madden the mind. Rare goods tempt men to do wrong.

Ch. 12	Sentence 3
Beck	Therefore the wise satisfy the inner self rather than external senses. They accept the one and reject the other.
Blackney	So the Wise Man will do What his belly dictates And never the sight of his eyes. Thus he will choose this but not that.
Bynner	Therefore a sensible man Prefers the inner to the outer eye: He has his yes, - he has his no.
Byrn	The Master acts on what she feels and not what she sees. She shuns the latter, and prefers to seek the former.
Chan	For this reason the sage is concerned with the belly and not the eyes, Therefore he rejects the one but accepts the other.
Cleary	Therefore sages work for the middle and not the eyes, leaving the latter and taking the former.
Crowley	The wise man seeks therefore to content the actual needs of his people, not to excite them by the sight of luxuries. He bans these, and concentrates on those.
Hansen	Using this: Sages deem:act for the gut not the eye. So they choose this and reject that.
LaFargue	And so the Wise Person: Goes by the belly, not by the eye. Yes: He leaves 'that' aside, and attends to 'this'
Legge	Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.
Lindauer	Appropriately it happens That sages act from the center without acting from the eyes. So detach from that, grab this.
LinYutan	Therefore the Sage: Provides for the belly and not the eye. Hence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.
Mabry	Therefore, the Sage provides for her needs, not her desires. She renounces the latter, and chooses the former.
McDonald	So the wise man is concerned with his tummy before his eyes. He can consider the tummy first, not the eye. That is: He disregards the world outside - "that", and he accepts, goes for and in the end grabs the supernormal powers dormant within - his daoist "this". Therefore he rejects the one but accepts the other.
Merel	In this manner the sage cares for people: He provides for the belly, not for the senses; He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance.
Mitchell	The Master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky.
Muller	Therefore the sage regards his centre, and not his eyes. He lets go of that and chooses this.
Red Pine	thus the rule of the sage puts the stomach ahead of the eyes thus he picks this over that
Ta-Kao	Therefore the Sage makes provision for the stomach and not for the eye. He rejects the latter and chooses the former.
Walker	Relinquish what is without. Cultivate what is within. Live for your center, not your senses.
Wieger	Therefore the Sage looks to his stomach, and not his senses. renounces this, in order to embrace that. (He renounces what causes wear, in order to embrace what conserves).
World	Therefore, the sage is in harmony with what she is and does not distinguish what she sees. She chooses oneness and distinguishes nothing.
Wu	Therefore, the Sage takes care of the belly, not the eye. He prefers what is within to what is without.