CHINESE ORIGINAL
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 · JAMES LEGGE, 1891
The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.
(Conceived of as) having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all things.
Always without desire we must be found, If its deep mystery we would sound; But if desire always within us be, Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.
Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.
A CONTEMPORARY READING
Modern English reading
The Way that can be spoken is not the constant Way; 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. Thus, always without desire, observe its subtle wonder; always with desire, observe its boundaries. These two emerge together but have different names. Together they are called mysterious. Mystery upon mystery: the gateway of all wonders.
Modern English readings and commentary translations are AI-assisted study aids, not a published critical translation. Compare the Chinese source when wording matters.
Modern Chinese reading
可以用语言表述的道，不是永恒不变的道；可以用名称界定的名，不是永恒不变的名。无名是天地的开端，有名是万物的根源。所以，常从无中观察奥妙，常从有中观察端倪。无和有同源而名称不同，都可以说是深奥的。这种深奥又深奥，是一切奥妙的门户。
READ ACROSS TRADITIONS
Historical commentaries
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang 唐玄宗
Imperial commentary
Manuscripts and variants
Differences are computed from transcribed Chinese characters, with punctuation excluded. ∅ marks an insertion or omission; highlights do not establish which reading is earlier.
Mawangdui silk manuscript 73% similarity · 19 changed spans
Received text · Wang Bi tradition
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
Mawangdui silk manuscript
道可道也非恒道也名可名也非恒名也无名万物之始也有名万物之母也故恒无欲也以观亓眇恒有欲也以观亓所徼∅两者同出∅异名同谓∅玄∅之又玄众眇之门
Jinglong stone inscription 96% similarity · 5 changed spans
Received text · Wang Bi tradition
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
Jinglong stone inscription
道可道非常道名可名非常名无名天地∅始有名万物∅母∅常无欲∅观其妙常有欲∅观其徼此两者同出而异名同谓之玄玄之又玄众妙之门
Internet transcription; not checked against inscription photographs.
This chapter is not in the attested Guodian A/B/C chapter list. Compare the whole book ↗
Expressions from this chapter
CHAPTER 1 · EXACT WORDING
道可道
The Way can be spoken of, but a spoken way is not the enduring Way.
道可道，非常道Read the source chapter ↗CHAPTER 1 · LATER ADAPTATION
非常之道
An extraordinary way. This later expression should be distinguished from chapter 1's “not the constant Way.”
道可道，非常道，名可名Read the source chapter ↗CHAPTER 1 · EXACT WORDING
天地之始
The beginning of heaven and earth.
无名，天地之始，有名Read the source chapter ↗CHAPTER 1 · EXACT WORDING
万物之母
The mother of the myriad things: the source from which they arise.
有名，万物之母Read the source chapter ↗CHAPTER 1 · EXACT WORDING
玄之又玄
Mystery upon mystery: something profoundly subtle.
玄之又玄，众妙之门Read the source chapter ↗READ IN CONTEXT
The Way
The source that cannot be fully named. Explore the language of emptiness, return, and the patterns through which things arise.
The Way
ENGLISH STUDY TRANSLATION
The Way is the subtle functioning of utmost emptiness. A name is the designation by which a thing's attainment is called. Its functioning can be applied to things, so it is said that the Way can be spoken. Names arise from functioning, so it is said that names can be named. Application has no fixed direction, so it is not constant in a single way. Things differ and their names differ, so it is not constant in a single name. Thus we impose the name “Way,” while the Way is constantly nameless.
The nameless is the subtle root. From the subtle root qi appears, initiating Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth draw upon it for their beginning, so it is called nameless. The named is responsive functioning. Responsive functioning fashions and completes, abundantly nourishing the myriad things. Because things receive this nourishment, there are names.
People are still at birth: this is Heaven-given nature. Being moved through contact with things is nature's desire. If one constantly guards clarity and stillness, releases the heart and frees spirit, turns illumination back and rectifies one's nature, one observes the subtle root. If one does not rectify nature, feelings move in pursuit of desire; nature is lost in desire and the source of the Way becomes obscured. Wishing to observe the subtle root, one instead sees only the outer boundary.
The two described above are both rooted in the Way, hence they are the same. Movement issues in responsive functioning, and names are established according to functioning; thus the names differ.
In issuing forth, their names differ; in their sameness, they are called mysterious. Mysterious means deep and subtle.
When intentional causes do not arise, one is at one with mysterious subtlety. Yet there remains the danger of clinging to mystery as an obstruction and failing to forget both. Therefore “mysterious again” is provisionally invoked to leave mystery itself behind, showing desirelessness even toward desirelessness. One able to be like this lets the myriad methods issue of themselves; hence “the gate of all subtleties.” [The supplied wording in this final explanation contains a damaged character.]
Chinese commentary
道者，虚极之妙用。名者，物得之所称。用可于物，故云可道。名生于用，故云可名。应用且无方，则非常于一道。物殊而名异，则非常于一名。是则强名曰道，而道常无名也。
无名者，妙本也。妙本见气，权舆天地，天地资始，故云无名。有名者，应用也。应用匠成，茂养万物，物得其养，故有名也。
人生而静，天之性。感物而动，性之欲。若常守清静，解心释神，返照正性，则观乎妙本矣。若不正性，其情逐欲而动，性失于欲，迷乎道原，欲观妙本，则见边徼矣。
如上两者，皆本于道，故云同也。动出应用，随用立名，则名异矣。
出则名异，同则谓玄。玄，深妙也。
意因不生，则同乎玄妙，犹恐执玄为滞，不至兼忘，故寄又玄峡遗玄，示明无欲于无欲能如此者，万法由之而自出，故云众妙之门。