Dao De Jing – De la Voie et de la Vertu

Celui qui possède une vertu solide ressemble à un nouveau-né qui ne craint ni la piqûre des animaux venimeux, ni les griffes des bêtes féroces, ni les serres des oiseaux de proie.
Ses os sont faibles, ses nerfs sont mous, et cependant il saisit fortement les objets.
Il ne connaît pas encore l'union des deux sexes, et cependant certaines parties (de son corps) éprouvent un orgasme viril. Cela vient de la perfection du semen.
Il crie tout le jour et sa voix ne s'altère point, cela vient de la perfection de l'harmonie (de la force vitale).
Connaître l'harmonie s'appelle être constant46.
Connaître la constance s'appelle être éclairé.
Augmenter sa vie s'appelle une calamité.
Quand le cœur donne l'impulsion à l'énergie vitale, cela s'appelle être fort.
Dès que les êtres sont devenus robustes, ils vieillissent.
C'est ce qu'on appelle ne pas imiter le Tao.
Celui qui n'imite pas le Tao périt de bonne heure.

Julien 55

The impunity of things fraught with the “power”
May be likened to that of an infant.
Poisonous insects do not sting it,
Nor fierce beasts seize it,
Nor clawing birds maul it,
Its bones are soft, its sinews weak; but its grip is strong.
Not yet to have known the union of male and female, but to be completely formed,
Means that the vital force is at its height;
To be able to scream all day without getting hoarse
Means that the harmony is at its perfection.
To understand such harmony is to understand the always so.
To understand the always-so is to be illumined.
But to fill life to the brim is to invite omens.
If the heart makes calls upon the life-breath, rigidity follows.
Whatever has a time of vigour also has a time of decay.
Such things are against Tao,
And whatever is against Tao is soon destroyed.

Waley 55

含德深厚的人, 就象天真无邪的婴儿。毒虫不蛰他, 猛兽不伤他, 凶鹰不搏击他。
骨弱筋柔而能紧握着小手, 不知道牝牡做爱之事但小生殖器却常勃起, 这是精气充足的缘故。终日号哭而不哑, 这是元气淳和的缘故。
能知道和顺至柔就能掌握永恒的常, 知道永恒的道理就是明白, 爱惜生命是真正的吉祥, 以心意去使用身体之气就是逞强。
物质一旦发展得过于强壮就要衰老, 并离道越来越远, 不合道就要早亡。

白话翻译

Wer festhält des LEBENS Völligkeit,
der gleicht einem neugeborenen Kindlein:
Giftige Schlangen stechen es nicht.
Reißende Tiere packen es nicht.
Raubvögel stoßen nicht nach ihm.
Seine Knochen sind schwach, seine Sehnen weich,
und doch kann es fest zugreifen.
Es weiß noch nichts von Mann und Weib,
md doch regt sich sein Blut,
weil es des Samens Fülle hat.
Es kann den ganzen Tag schreien,
und doch wird seine Stimme nicht heiser,
weil es des Friedens Fülle hat.
Den Frieden erkennen heißt ewig sein.
Die Ewigkeit erkennen heißt klar sein.
Das Leben mehren nennt man Glück.
Für sein Begehren seine Kraft einsetzen nennt man stark.
Sind die Dinge stark geworden, altern sie.
Denn, das ist Wider-SINN.
Und Wider-SINN ist nahe dem Ende.

Wilhelm 55

One who possesses virtue in abundance is comparable to a new born babe:
Poisonous insects will not sting it;
Ferocious animals will not pounce on it;
Predatory birds will not swoop down on it.
Its bones are weak and its sinews supple yet its hold is firm.
It does not know the union of male and female yet its male member willstir:
This is because its virility is at its height.
It howls all day yet does not become hoarse:
This is because its harmony is at its height.
To know harmony is called the constant;
To know the constant is called discernment.
To try to add to one's vitality is called ill-omened;
For the mind to egg on the breath is called violent.

A creature in its prime doing harm to the old
Is known as going against the way.
That which goes against the way will come to an early end.

Lau 55