Chapter 28
知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿。
為天下谿，常德不離，復歸於嬰兒。
知其白，守其黑，為天下式，常德不忒，復歸於無極。
知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷。
為天下谷，常德乃足，復歸於樸。
為天下式。
樸散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長，故大制不割。
Know the male, keep to the female, and be the ravine of the world.
Be the ravine of the world, and the abiding virtue will not leave; one returns to infancy.
Know the white, keep to the black, and be a pattern for the world; the abiding virtue will not err; one returns to the limitless.
Know glory, keep to disgrace, and be the valley of the world.
Be the valley of the world, and the abiding virtue will be enough; one returns to the uncarved block.
Be a pattern for the world.1
When the uncarved block is split, it becomes vessels; the sage uses them and becomes the chief of officials. So the great shaping does not cut.
Notes
1. This line is found only in our source; it is translated where our source has it. Wang Bi’s text has nothing here, and instead says “be a pattern for the world” twice in the third line, as the first and fifth lines repeat their own phrases. The words seem to have strayed from their place.