Phi texts

Translation

keiro

Selections from the Tao Te Ching

Water takes the low place. A wheel turns because its center is open. The best authority is barely noticed, the great begins small, and what yields stays alive. This page presents five chapters of the Tao Te Ching in Phi translation.

The translation follows every proposition in James Legge's chapters 8, 11, 17, 63, and 76. Water keeps its low place, and the wheel keeps its open center. Authority, force, and the tree cutter remain where Legge puts them.

The ground truth is Legge's 1891 translation in The Sacred Books of the East, volume XXXIX, stored verbatim in texts/sources/tao_teh_king_1891.txt. Each block carries the Phi sentence, its word-by-word gloss, a literal English back-translation, and Legge's wording. The citations preserve his claims where a Phi description remains approximate.

The title is keiro, way, heard here in its guiding sense. ruela is walked ground and shoeka a chosen course. Neither has the range Legge gives Tao here.

Translation

Chapter 8: the water

mo ko welao phea phialu nai.

CMPR FOC good AS water be.

(The highest good is like water.)

legge: 8. 1. The highest excellence is like (that of) water.

phialu theula thena naphe.

water UNIV thing help.

(Water helps all things.)

legge: The excellence of water appears in its benefiting all things,

phialu mua mulu lokue menui.

water LOC low place dwell.

(Water dwells in a low place.)

legge: and in its occupying,

phialu wea phirae lokue ma meloa. theula miona ra lokue ma kaeli.

water TOWARD different place NEG persevere. UNIV person DIST place NEG like.

(Water does not persevere towards a different place. All people dislike that place.)

legge: without striving (to the contrary), the low place which all men dislike.

thelao phialu pai keiro nai.

CONS water NEAR way be.

(Therefore water is near the way.)

legge: Hence (its way) is near to (that of) the Tao.

Legge's excellence takes the quality noun of welao, good. The line about striving needs more room. meloa is sustained effort through difficulty, so the water does not persevere towards another place; the next clause restores Legge's human response. Nothing in the word for water makes it generous. Water helps everything and stays low. Only then does thelao place it near keiro.

womu welao mua theali lokue nai.

home good LOC fitting place be.

(A home's goodness is in a fitting place.)

legge: 2. The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place;

remo welao mua nulo moesha nai.

think good LOC deep still be.

(The goodness of thinking is in deep stillness.)

legge: that of the mind is in abysmal stillness;

phiremo welao nua taleri miona nai.

relate good COM virtuous person be.

(The goodness of association is with virtuous people.)

legge: that of associations is in their being with the virtuous;

punoa kowanu welao mua punoa koru ka nai.

society governance good LOC society harmonious CAUS be.

(The goodness of society's governance is in making society harmonious.)

legge: that of government is in its securing good order;

lo riola welao mua pokera phoa nai.

PL labor good LOC competent do be.

(The goodness of affairs is in competent action.)

legge: that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability;

roke thorui welao mua theali thimu nai.

move beginning good LOC fitting time be.

(The goodness of beginning a movement is in a fitting time.)

legge: and that of (the initiation of) any movement is in its timeliness.

Legge places excellence in six settings, and Phi lets each one find its own predicate. A home needs a fitting place. Mind takes the event noun of remo, think, and rests in deep stillness. Associations now use taleri, virtuous, rather than asking broad goodness to carry the ethical judgement. Government becomes kowanu, governance, whose goodness here lies in making society harmonious. pokera, competent, states present ability in the conduct of affairs. Movement begins at theali thimu, a fitting time.

[whu mo ko welao phelu] miona miso mulu noa ma whakeru.

[REL CMPR FOC good hold] person REFL low position NEG object.

(The person who holds the highest good does not object to their own low position.)

legge: 3. And when (one with the highest excellence) does not wrangle (about his low position),

thelao mawha miona shia phelira nila.

CONS NONE person 3SG mistaken see.

(Therefore no one sees them as mistaken.)

legge: no one finds fault with him.

whakeru, object, narrows Legge's wrangling to raising a problem with the low position; unlike themore, it does not turn the exchange into a structure of premises and conclusion. Legge's finding fault is broader than phelira nila. The Phi phrase sees someone as mistaken, while the cited English retains the reproach.

Chapter 11: the use of what is not there

ta lau ta shao rolu monaki lue rolu shuna wea ta kesho welura.

one twenty-seven-group one three-group wheel component ABL wheel edge TOWARD one middle spread.

(Thirty wheel components extend from the wheel's edge towards one centre.)

legge: 11. The thirty spokes

lo shia mua ta kesho koluma.

PL 3SG LOC one middle unite.

(They unite at one center.)

legge: unite in the one nave;

rolu kelitho wei tekari kema thena whemoa tholu pherami.

wheel function DAT straight strong thing empty space depend.

(The wheel's function depends on empty space for a straight, strong thing.)

legge: but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends.

miona muo lo lopha mueri kire.

person INTO PL vessel clay shape.

(One shapes clay into vessels.)

legge: Clay is fashioned into vessels;

lo lopha kelitho whemoa tholu pherami.

PL vessel function empty space depend.

(The vessels' function depends on empty space.)

legge: but it is on their empty hollowness, that their use depends.

lila miona tholupi kire miona lue lo moru ponu tholu nela lo wira kati.

PURP person room shape person ABL PL wall door space COORD PL window cut.

(One cuts a door-space and windows from walls in order to shape a room.)

legge: The door and windows are cut out (from the walls) to form an apartment;

tholupi kelitho mua shia whemoa tholu pherami.

room function LOC 3SG empty space depend.

(The room's function depends on the empty space within it.)

legge: but it is on the empty space (within), that its use depends.

[whu nai] lo thena se po hinolu.

[REL be] PL thing PASS POT adapt.

(Things that exist can be adapted.)

legge: Therefore, what has a (positive) existence serves for profitable adaptation,

whemoa tholu lo shia kelasu ka nai.

empty space PL 3SG usable CAUS be.

(Empty space makes them usable.)

legge: and what has not that for (actual) usefulness.

Phi has a wheel but no spoke, nave, or axle. The first three lines describe the mechanism: thirty monaki, functional components, extend from the rim to one centre, where a straight, strong thing needs open space. The source line identifies that thing as the axle. monaki and pherami, depend, come from Systems and Shared Infrastructure. The same verb joins function to emptiness again in the vessel and the room. ponu tholu, door-space, keeps the opening apart from ponu, the panel that closes it.

The closing pair separates adaptation from usability. Existing things can be altered for a use; empty space makes that use possible. Legge's word "profitable" stays in the citation because Phi does not turn this craft lesson into a monetary claim.

Chapter 17: authority barely seen

lo miona mua mo ko tholua thimu tha [whu punoa karami phelu] lo miona nai tho to ma sano.

PL person LOC CMPR FOC ancient time DECL.COMP [REL society authority hold] PL person be DECL.COMP.CLOSE PST NEG know.

(In the most ancient time, people did not know that there were people who held authority in society.)

legge: 17. 1. In the highest antiquity, (the people) did not know that there were (their rulers).

lo miona mua nu wi thimu lo shia to lothea. lo miona wei lo shia woraka phelui to haolu.

PL person LOC ORD two time PL 3SG PST love. PL person DAT PL 3SG appreciate word PST speak.

(In the second time, people loved them. People spoke words of appreciation to them.)

legge: In the next age they loved them and praised them.

lo miona mua nu ta shao thimu wea lo shia sukima to phaelo.

PL person LOC ORD one three-group time TOWARD PL 3SG fear PST feel.

(In the third time, people felt fear toward them.)

legge: In the next they feared them;

lo miona mua nu ta shao ta thimu lo shia to thiku nila.

PL person LOC ORD one three-group one time PL 3SG PST small see.

(In the fourth time, people saw them as small.)

legge: in the next they despised them.

lu [whu punoa karami phelu] lo miona keiro to ma themui. lo miona lo shia to ma themui.

COND [REL society authority hold] PL person way PST NEG faith. PL person PL 3SG PST NEG faith.

(When the people who held authority lacked faith in the way, the people lacked faith in them.)

legge: Thus it was that when faith (in the Tao) was deficient (in the rulers) a want of faith in them ensued (in the people).

Legge's rulers are not called guides here. They are people who hold karami, authority, in society. The word reports a claimed or recognized power without deciding whether it deserves obedience. Phi's ternary ordinals keep the four ages in order. Praise is spoken rather than folded into honour: the people speak woraka phelui, words of appreciation. themui shapes faith as sustained confidence in a process.

lo miona tha lo shia norethi ma nai tho to nila. lo shia thiku to haolu. lo shia miso lo phelui to sone.

PL person DECL.COMP PL 3SG confident NEG be DECL.COMP.CLOSE PST see. PL 3SG small PST speak. PL 3SG REFL PL word PST value.

(People saw that they were not confident. They spoke little. They valued their own words.)

legge: 2. How irresolute did those (earliest rulers) appear, showing (by their reticence) the importance which they set upon their words!

lo shia riola sholu to nai. lo shia lo rinoka to korei.

PL 3SG labor complete PST be. PL 3SG PL project PST fulfill.

(Their work was complete. They fulfilled their undertakings.)

legge: Their work was done and their undertakings were successful,

theula miona sha lo mia lue miso phea lo mia nai sho to haolu.

UNIV person QUOT.COMP PL 1SG ABL REFL AS PL 1SG be QUOT.COMP.CLOSE PST speak.

(And all the people said: we, of ourselves, are as we are.)

legge: while the people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!'

Legge's irresolution becomes an observed lack of norethi, confidence; the source does not say that the rulers were shy. The next clauses carry the reticence: these authority holders speak little and value their words. rinoka, project, places a boundary around each undertaking; korei says the work reached completion. Their exact words sit inside sha ... sho.

Chapter 63: the great begins small

miona whuo phoa remo phoa.

person WITHOUT do think do.

(One acts without thought of acting.)

legge: 63. 1. (It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting;

miona lo riola phoa. shia tupeka ma phaelo.

person PL labor do. 3SG burden NEG feel.

(One conducts affairs and feels no burden from them.)

legge: to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them;

miona thena thorima. shia thorima phirae ma nila.

person thing taste. 3SG taste different NEG see.

(One tastes a thing without seeing distinctions of flavor.)

legge: to taste without discerning any flavour;

miona [whu thiku nai] thena whalo nila. shia phea sheloi thena phina thena nila.

person [REL small be] thing large see. 3SG AS many thing few thing see.

(One sees what is small as great and a few things as many.)

legge: to consider what is small as great, and a few as many;

miona wei [whu wei shia peloma phoa] miona phena loa.

person DAT [REL DAT 3SG harmful do] person kind give.

(A person gives kindness to the person who acts harmfully towards them.)

legge: and to recompense injury with kindness.

whuo phoa remo is a thought of doing held outside the act. It comes close to Legge's English without claiming to exhaust wu wei. Trouble appears as tupeka, a burden felt by the person conducting affairs. Flavour is the event noun of thorima, taste; no difference in it is seen. The last sentence remains general: a person gives kindness to whoever acted harmfully towards them. It does not become a command.

phoe lo riola kethua kelu [whu ha keiro thole] miona lo riola thilonu.

ANT PL labor hard become [REL PROX way practice] person PL labor prepare.

(Before affairs become difficult, the person who practices this way prepares them.)

legge: 2. (The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they are easy,

[whu ha keiro thole] miona [whu so whalo kelu] lo thiku thena phoa.

[REL PROX way practice] person [REL FUT large become] PL small thing do.

(The person who practices this way does small things that will become great.)

legge: and does things that would become great while they are small.

theula [whu kethua nai] muila thena lue [whu kethua ma nai] mirela shua.

UNIV [REL hard be] earth thing ABL [REL hard NEG be] state come.

(All difficult things in the world come from a state that is not difficult.)

legge: All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy,

theula whalo thena lue thiku thena shua.

UNIV large thing ABL small thing come.

(Every great thing comes from a small thing.)

legge: and all great things from one in which they were small.

phewo whalo thena mawha thimu phoa. thelao phewo lo mo ko whalo thena po korei.

sage large thing NONE time do. CONS sage PL CMPR FOC large thing POT fulfill.

(The sage never does the great thing. Therefore the sage can accomplish the greatest things.)

legge: Therefore the sage, while he never does what is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatest things.

Phi has kethua, hard, for a task or condition that demands substantial effort, but it has no separate adjective for easy. Negating kethua supplies the other side without making it a second root. phoe places preparation before affairs become difficult. Legge's master is a person who practices this way; phewo appears only where the source has a sage.

[whu muko seru] miona phina seru ro korei.

[REL careless commit] person few commit HAB fulfill.

(A person who commits carelessly usually fulfils few commitments.)

legge: 3. He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith;

[whu tha lo riola kethua ma nai tho theula thimu remo] miona [whu kethua nai] lo riola ro hekawi.

[REL DECL.COMP PL labor hard NEG be DECL.COMP.CLOSE UNIV time think] person [REL hard be] PL labor HAB find.

(A person who always thinks that affairs are not difficult usually finds difficult affairs.)

legge: he who is continually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult.

shai riola kethua se ma nila phewo riola kethua nila. thelao phewo mawha thimu kethua phelu.

CONC labor hard PASS NEG see sage labor hard see. CONS sage NONE time hard hold.

(Although the work is not seen as difficult, the sage sees it as difficult. Therefore the sage never has difficulty.)

legge: Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so never has any difficulties.

Legge's light promise is a muko seru, a careless commitment, rather than low physical weight borrowed through an English homonym. ro turns poor fulfilment into a pattern without claiming logical certainty. The last pair uses kethua first for difficult work and then as the quality noun difficulty. The final sentence makes the relation possessive: the sage never has it.

Chapter 76: the soft outlasts the hard

miona mua thowia thimu luwi nela huwa nai. miona mua lumeo thimu tinako nela kema nai.

person LOC born time flexible COORD weak be. person LOC die time rigid COORD strong be.

(At birth a person is flexible and weak. At death a person is rigid and strong.)

legge: 76. 1. Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong.

theula thena we phea ha nai.

UNIV thing ALSO AS PROX be.

(All things are also like this.)

legge: (So it is with) all things.

lo shiro nela lo phireo mua limu thuroa thimu wuloe nela welua nai.

PL tree COORD PL plant LOC young grow time soft COORD fragile be.

(Trees and plants in their early growth are soft and fragile.)

legge: Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle;

lo shia mua lumeo thimu kurathi nai. lo shia mua lumeo thimu ki kureno.

PL 3SG LOC die time dry be. PL 3SG LOC die time PFV wither.

(At death they are dry and have withered.)

legge: at their death, dry and withered.

The human pair follows Legge directly: luwi, flexible, and huwa, weak, then tinako, rigid, and kema, strong. Plants begin with wuloe, soft, and welua, fragile, which carries brittle susceptibility without adding a separate brittle root. At death they are kurathi, dry, and perfective ki kureno marks completed withering.

tinako nela kema nua lumeo shua. wuloe nela huwa nua lioru shua.

rigid COORD strong COM die come. soft COORD weak COM life come.

(Rigidity and strength come with death. Softness and weakness come with life.)

legge: 2. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.

[whu miso [whu roe puro phoa] lo miona puro theomi] miona miso porua ma korei.

[REL REFL [REL INS strength do] PL person strength trust] person REFL purpose NEG fulfill.

(The person who trusts the strength of their own people who act through force does not fulfill their purpose.)

legge: 3. Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not conquer;

kema shiro [whu shia lomare] lo pelio pheno so ka nai. thelao [whu lo shiro kati] miona shia kanu.

strong tree [REL 3SG embrace] PL arm full FUT CAUS be. CONS [REL PL tree cut] person 3SG choose.

(A strong tree will fill the arms that embrace it. Therefore a person who cuts trees chooses it.)

legge: and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms, (and thereby invites the feller.)

tinako nela kema noa mulu nai. wuloe nela huwa noa raelu nai.

rigid COORD strong position low be. soft COORD weak position tall be.

(The position of the rigid and strong is low. The position of the soft and weak is high.)

legge: 4. Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.

The military line includes both force and failure. Without a neutral army or conquest root, Phi describes forces as people who act through strength and renders conquest as fulfillment of their purpose. That last phrase is deliberately bare: the source citation identifies the purpose as conquest. The feller receives the same treatment. A tree cutter chooses the trunk broad enough to fill embracing arms.

Complete translation

keiro

mo ko welao phea phialu nai. phialu theula thena naphe. phialu mua mulu lokue menui. phialu wea phirae lokue ma meloa. theula miona ra lokue ma kaeli. thelao phialu pai keiro nai.

womu welao mua theali lokue nai. remo welao mua nulo moesha nai. phiremo welao nua taleri miona nai. punoa kowanu welao mua punoa koru ka nai. lo riola welao mua pokera phoa nai. roke thorui welao mua theali thimu nai.

[whu mo ko welao phelu] miona miso mulu noa ma whakeru. thelao mawha miona shia phelira nila.

ta lau ta shao rolu monaki lue rolu shuna wea ta kesho welura. lo shia mua ta kesho koluma. rolu kelitho wei tekari kema thena whemoa tholu pherami. miona muo lo lopha mueri kire. lo lopha kelitho whemoa tholu pherami. lila miona tholupi kire miona lue lo moru ponu tholu nela lo wira kati. tholupi kelitho mua shia whemoa tholu pherami. [whu nai] lo thena se po hinolu. whemoa tholu lo shia kelasu ka nai.

lo miona mua mo ko tholua thimu tha [whu punoa karami phelu] lo miona nai tho to ma sano. lo miona mua nu wi thimu lo shia to lothea. lo miona wei lo shia woraka phelui to haolu. lo miona mua nu ta shao thimu wea lo shia sukima to phaelo. lo miona mua nu ta shao ta thimu lo shia to thiku nila. lu [whu punoa karami phelu] lo miona keiro to ma themui. lo miona lo shia to ma themui.

lo miona tha lo shia norethi ma nai tho to nila. lo shia thiku to haolu. lo shia miso lo phelui to sone. lo shia riola sholu to nai. lo shia lo rinoka to korei. theula miona sha lo mia lue miso phea lo mia nai sho to haolu.

miona whuo phoa remo phoa. miona lo riola phoa. shia tupeka ma phaelo. miona thena thorima. shia thorima phirae ma nila. miona [whu thiku nai] thena whalo nila. shia phea sheloi thena phina thena nila. miona wei [whu wei shia peloma phoa] miona phena loa.

phoe lo riola kethua kelu [whu ha keiro thole] miona lo riola thilonu. [whu ha keiro thole] miona [whu so whalo kelu] lo thiku thena phoa. theula [whu kethua nai] muila thena lue [whu kethua ma nai] mirela shua. theula whalo thena lue thiku thena shua. phewo whalo thena mawha thimu phoa. thelao phewo lo mo ko whalo thena po korei.

[whu muko seru] miona phina seru ro korei. [whu tha lo riola kethua ma nai tho theula thimu remo] miona [whu kethua nai] lo riola ro hekawi. shai riola kethua se ma nila phewo riola kethua nila. thelao phewo mawha thimu kethua phelu.

miona mua thowia thimu luwi nela huwa nai. miona mua lumeo thimu tinako nela kema nai. theula thena we phea ha nai. lo shiro nela lo phireo mua limu thuroa thimu wuloe nela welua nai. lo shia mua lumeo thimu kurathi nai. lo shia mua lumeo thimu ki kureno.

tinako nela kema nua lumeo shua. wuloe nela huwa nua lioru shua. [whu miso [whu roe puro phoa] lo miona puro theomi] miona miso porua ma korei. kema shiro [whu shia lomare] lo pelio pheno so ka nai. thelao [whu lo shiro kati] miona shia kanu. tinako nela kema noa mulu nai. wuloe nela huwa noa raelu nai.

Translation limits

Legge wordingPhi renderingRemaining difference
Taokeiro, a way or method used here for TaoThe word can also name a physical route. It does not carry the Taoist tradition by itself.
highest excellencequality noun of welao, good, under mo koThe ordinary adjective joins ethical benefit and proper function. It has no separate rank of excellence.
mind; abysmal stillnessthe goodness of thinking is in deep stillnessPhi uses the activity of thinking rather than a mental faculty. nulo and moesha retain depth and stillness.
without striving; wranglingwater does not persevere towards another place; the person does not object to their low positionPerseverance adds sustained effort, while objecting is less contentious than wrangling.
virtuous associationsbeing with taleri miona, virtuous peopletaleri makes the ethical judgement explicit while leaving its grounds with the source tradition.
government; rulerskowanu, governance; people who hold society's karami, authorityGovernance translates the continuing social arrangement in chapter 8. Authority preserves the political relation in chapter 17 without adding a ruler class.
praisedpeople spoke woraka phelui, words of appreciationThe spoken act is explicit, though Phi composes it instead of using a dedicated praise root.
finds faultsees the person as phelira, mistakenReproach narrows to a judgment of error. It does not carry blame or moral censure.
spoke, nave, axlewheel components, one centre, a straight strong thingmonaki identifies the spokes as functional parts. The geometry and dependency remain visible, but the three craft terms have no Phi roots.
doorponu tholu, door-spaceLegge uses door for the opening cut from a wall. Phi keeps that opening apart from ponu, the movable closure.
profitable adaptationthings that exist can be adaptedAdaptation survives. The English word's monetary resonance stays in Legge's line.
irresolute; reticenceseen as not norethi, confident, followed by speaking littleLack of confidence approximates irresolution. Speaking little and valuing one's words carry the reticence.
master of the waythe person who practices this wayPhi describes practice instead of importing a title that can also name domination.
easy; difficultkethua, hard or difficult, and its negationPhi has no separate easy adjective. Negation states the lower-effort side of the contrast without borrowing physical lightness.
lightly promises; is sure tocommits carelessly; habitual fulfilment or difficulty under roCommitment covers both pledge and follow-through. ro states a pattern instead of Legge's certainty.
injury recompenseda person gives kindness to someone who acts harmfully towards themThe transfer remains, but Phi leaves behind the accounting sense of recompense and describes injury as harmful action.
brittle; witheredfragile; dry and perfective witherFragility covers susceptibility to breaking. ki kureno presents withering as complete at the time of death.
concomitantsqualities that come with death or lifeOrdinary accompaniment replaces Legge's abstract relation.
forces; conquerpeople who act through strength; failure to fulfill their purposePhi preserves reliance on force and failure, but it does not specify a military body. Conquest is explicit only in Legge's source line.
fellera person who cuts treesThe role is a transparent action, not a permanent person class.