All 81 chapters

DAO DE JING · THE DAO

Chapter 33

知人者智,自知者明。

勝人者有力,自勝者強。

知足者富。

強行者有志。

不失其所者久。

死而不亡者壽。

JAMES LEGGE · ENGLISH TRANSLATION

1. He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty. He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who goes on acting with energy has a (firm) will.

2. He who does not fail in the requirements of his position, continues long; he who dies and yet does not perish, has longevity.

About these texts

The Chinese follows the Wang Bi recension in the Sibu Beiyao edition, transcribed on Wikisource. The English is James Legge’s translation.

They are paired by chapter number. Wording and punctuation can differ between editions. The historical text and translation are distinct from any AI reflection.

The Chinese transcription is adapted by extracting chapter text and omitting commentary. Editorial contributions are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0; the historical work is public domain. English source: Project Gutenberg, ebook 216; the underlying Legge translation is public domain in the USA.