Disaster hides where fortune rests; fortune lurks within disaster.

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Daoist Poems

1. 道德经·第八章 (Tao Te Ching, Ch. 8)
Chinese:
上善若水。水善利万物而不争,
处众人之所恶,故几于道。

English:
The highest good is like water.
Water nourishes all without contention,
Flows to places others disdain,
Thus it is near the Dao.

French:
Le bien suprême est comme l’eau.
L’eau nourrit tout sans rivalité,
S’écoule là où les autres dédaignent,
Ainsi, elle est proche du Dao.


2. 寻隐者不遇 (Seeking the Hermit in Vain) — 贾岛 (Jia Dao)
Chinese:
松下问童子,言师采药去。
只在此山中,云深不知处。

English:
Beneath pines, I ask the boy;
“My master gathers herbs,” he says.
“Somewhere on this mountain—
Clouds cloak his whereabouts.”

French:
Sous un pin, j’interroge un garçon :
« Mon maître cueille des herbes, » dit-il.
« Dans cette montagne quelque part—
Les nuages cachent son chemin. »


3. 道德经·第二十五章 (Tao Te Ching, Ch. 25)
Chinese:
人法地,地法天,天法道,道法自然。

English:
Humans follow Earth, Earth follows Heaven,
Heaven follows the Dao,
The Dao follows Nature.

French:
L’homme suit la Terre, la Terre suit le Ciel,
Le Ciel suit le Dao,
Le Dao suit la Nature.


4. 山居秋暝 (Autumn Evening in the Mountains) — 王维 (Wang Wei)
Chinese:
空山新雨后,天气晚来秋。
明月松间照,清泉石上流。

English:
Empty mountains, fresh after rain;
Autumn dusk seeps through the air.
Moonlight spills between pines,
Clear springs flow over stones.

French:
Montagnes vides, fraîches après la pluie ;
Le crépuscule d’automne imprègne l’air.
La lune brille entre les pins,
Des sources claires coulent sur les pierres.


5. 庄子·逍遥游 (Zhuangzi, Free Wandering)
Chinese:
北冥有鱼,其名为鲲。
鲲之大,不知其几千里也。

English:
In the northern ocean, a fish named Kun,
So vast—its breadth spans countless miles.

French:
Dans l’océan du nord, un poisson nommé Kun,
Si vaste—son envergure s’étend sur des milliers de lieues.


Taoist & Folk Wisdom Quotes

  1. Chinese: 道可道,非常道。
    English: The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.
  2. Chinese: 知人者智,自知者明。
    English: Knowing others is wisdom; knowing yourself is enlightenment.
  3. Chinese: 大巧若拙。
    English: Great skill appears clumsy.
  4. Chinese: 千里之行,始于足下。
    English: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
  5. Chinese: 上善若水,水善利万物而不争。
    English: The highest virtue is like water, benefiting all without contention.
  6. Chinese: 祸兮福之所倚,福兮祸之所伏。
    English: Disaster hides where fortune rests; fortune lurks within disaster.
  7. Chinese: 天地不仁,以万物为刍狗。
    English: Heaven and Earth are impartial; they see all things as straw dogs.
  8. Chinese: 知足不辱,知止不殆。
    English: Contentment avoids disgrace; knowing when to stop prevents danger.
  9. Chinese: 治大国若烹小鲜。
    English: Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish (handle gently).
  10. Chinese: 柔弱胜刚强。
    English: Softness and weakness overcome hardness and strength.
  11. Chinese: 人无远虑,必有近忧。
    English: Without long-term vision, immediate troubles arise.
  12. Chinese: 塞翁失马,焉知非福。
    English: When the old man lost his horse, who knew it wasn’t a blessing?
  13. Chinese: 欲速则不达。
    English: Haste makes waste.
  14. Chinese: 滴水穿石。
    English: Dripping water pierces stone.
  15. Chinese: 忍一时风平浪静,退一步海阔天空。
    English: Endure a moment for calm seas; step back for boundless skies.
  16. Chinese: 知己知彼,百战不殆。
    English: Know yourself and your enemy; in a hundred battles, never peril.
  17. Chinese: 人心齐,泰山移。
    English: When hearts unite, Mount Tai can be moved.
  18. Chinese: 不怕慢,就怕站。

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