DAO DE JING

Chapter 1

Translation by K Ellis

The way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way.
The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.
The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth.
The named is the mother of the ten thousand things.

Ever free from desire, one can see the subtle.
Ever filled with desire, one can see the surface.
These two arise from the same source but differ in name,
together they are called mystery.

Mystery within mystery,
the gate to all that is subtle.

Translation © 2026 K Ellis. All rights reserved.