The whole of Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching is well worth savoring-as much for the ancient substance as for Le Guin’s stylistic splendor. "The type of work which the great Polish poet and Nobel laureate Wisława Szymborska meant when she spoke of ‘that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes. "A student of the Tao for several decades, Le Guin has created an English text that will speak to modern readers in a fresh and lively way, while conveying the humor, insight, and beauty of the original." - Lion’s Roar magazine Le Guin’s intuitive and personal ingenuity." -Chuangliang Al Huang, founder of the Living Tao Foundation and coauthor (with Alan Watts) of Tao: The Watercourse Way There is something startlingly fresh and creatively alive here, brought forth by Ms. Le Guin’s new version is a special treasure-a delight. "Among the many translations of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, Ursula K. These words are akin to water in the desert." -Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge If any one of them happens to be otherwise, I will appreciate if you could contact me as soon as you can."Each day I open this book at random and receive a contemplative gift. I’m reproducing them here for the interest of the general readers. *I believe all these works are in the public domain. I hope this approach can help you better in understanding the the book of wisdom. Compare the translations of the three writers, and you’d have a more complete picture of what the chapter is all about. Just click the relevant links, and you are brought to the same chapter in another translation. Read more …Īt the end of each chapter, there are links to the other two works. I have no knowledge about the translator, but his translation for the public domain done in 1996 is quite a good one. Upon graduation from Saint John’s University in Shanghai, he received a half-scholarship to continue study for a doctoral degree at Harvard University. Lin Yutang (1895 – 1976), a highly respected writer, translator, linguist and inventor. In association with Max Müller he prepared the monumental Sacred Books of the East series, published in 50 volumes between 18, and the translation of Tao Te Ching is found in Volume 39. James Legge (1815 – 1897), a Scottish Sinologist and the first Professor of Chinese at Oxford University (1876–1897). Even when he is reading the book in the same stage of life, what he can derive from the book can be vary as well depending on the issues he has at hand and his emotion at the point of time.Ĭonsidering these very practical reason, I’d think the best solution is to read more than one translations.įor the reason, I have put together three well-received translations side-by-side, so that you can gain understanding and derive my inspirations when you are reading each chapter. In fact, even for the same person, reading the book at different stages of his life can mean very different things. It talks about big issues like the Laws of the Universe and the subtle relationships between things, and the interpretations can be very different among different people. The ancient book is so profound that you can grasp its essence only after several diligent readings. Tao Te Ching is not an operation manual, where the messages conveyed is clear-cut. What I can say is that no matter how good a translator is, and how hard he works, no one can truly bring out entirely the spirit of the ancient book translation. What I’d like to do is simply to bring your attention to a key factor when reading them. Otherwise, both are fine.Īs it is really beyond me to read more than a few of these translations, I’m hesitant to recommend the best translation available. Generally speaking, if you are doing scholarly research, you should choose the works belonging to the first category. They range enthusiasts and established authors to motivational speakers.īoth categories have very good works. The second are renditions of the book of Lao Tzu based on existing translations. Book description: This is an important translation of Lao-Tzus book which is a key scripture of Taoism. The translators of these works are conversant with the Chinese language and culture. The first are the ones that are translated directly from the Chinese text. I’d broadly divide the translations available in the market into two categories. When choosing a translation, find out what you want. Which is the one that you should lay your hands on to get started, and which you should have at your bedside as a constant source of inspiration? There are countless translations of the book out there and more are on their ways to the market. The ancient work written 2500 years ago by the sage Lao Tzu is so popular it has become the most translated work in the world after Bible. Choosing the right translation for Tao Te Ching is indeed a challenge for many people.
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