一孔录The video for this chapter is still in production. For now this page gives the original text, the facsimile page, a working translation and the commentary; the full reading follows when the video is out.
有物混成，先天地生。寂兮寥兮，獨立不改，周行而不殆，可以為天下母。吾不知其名，字之曰道，强為之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。故道大，天大，地大，王亦大。域中有四大，而王居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。There was a thing formed in chaos, born before heaven and earth. Silent and empty, standing alone and unchanging, going round everywhere without danger, it can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name; I style it "the Way," and forced to name it, I call it "great." Great means going on; going on means far away; far away means turning back. So the Way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the king too is great. Within the realm there are four great ones, and the king is one of them. Man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Way, and the Way follows what is so of itself.
白Plain Chinese
有一个东西浑然而成，在天地之前就已存在。寂静啊，空虚啊，独立存在而不改变，循环运行而不停息，可以作为天下的母亲。我不知道它的名字，给它取个字叫“道”，勉强给它起名叫“大”。大就运行不息，运行不息就伸展遥远，伸展遥远就返回本原。所以道大，天大，地大，王也大。宇宙之中有四大，王是其中之一。人效法地，地效法天，天效法道，道效法自然。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Wang Bi; it will be checked when the chapter is taught.
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