Tao Te Ching Chinese English Parallel Text | Bilingual Edition|Tao Te Ching – Dao Jing, Chapter 1
Original Text (Chinese): 第一章 道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名天地之始，有名万物之母。故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄，玄之又玄，众妙之门。 English Translation:The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.The name that can be named is not the constant name.The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth;The named is the mother of all things.Therefore, from non-being, we observe the mystery;From being, we observe the manifestations.Though arising from…
Original Text (Chinese):
第一章
道可道，非常道；名可名，非常名。无名天地之始，有名万物之母。故常无，欲以观其妙；常有，欲以观其徼。此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄，玄之又玄，众妙之门。
English Translation:
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named is not the constant name.
The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth;
The named is the mother of all things.
Therefore, from non-being, we observe the mystery;
From being, we observe the manifestations.
Though arising from the same source, they have different names.
Together they are called profound—profound and ever more profound,
The gateway to all mysteries.
白话文解释：可以用语言表达的“道”，不是永恒的道；可以用语言命名的“名”，不是永恒的名。无名是天地的开始，有名是万物的根源。所以，从“无”中观察道的奥妙，从“有”中观察道的边界。这两者同出一源而名称不同，都可以称为“玄”，玄妙又玄妙，是一切奥妙的门径。
Explanation (Modern Interpretation):
In this opening chapter, Laozi tells us that any Tao (the Way) that can be described in words is not the ultimate Tao, and any name we give is not the eternal name. Nameless represents the origin of the cosmos, while named gives rise to the myriad things. Through non-being, we perceive the subtle mysteries of Tao; through being, we perceive the boundaries and forms. Both “being” and “non-being” come from the same source, though we call them by different names. This unity is called the profound, a depth beyond depth, the gateway through which all wonders arise.