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dpumpernickel

The Way Virtue Weaves - Beida (Peking University) Laozi Translation

By dpumpernickel, in Daodejing

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dpumpernickel   

dpumpernickel
Posted (edited)
  • Translated from https://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?isHttpsRedirect=true&blogId=jaseng54&logNo=90169460338 aka the Beijing University Laozi (Beida).
  • Was written in Early Clerical script ~100BCE-ish?
  • Guodian additions used Scott Cook’s: The Bamboo Texts of Guodian: A Study and Complete Translation.
    • Written in Chu Script, ~300BCE-ish?
  • Used almost every source available: Wiktionary (untrustworthy), zi.tools (excellent), BaikeBaidu.com (excellent), Multi-function Chinese Character Database (excellent), Dong-Chinese, Baxter-Sagart, etc, then used every ancient dictionary available: Shuowen Jiezi (all commentaries), Erya, Fangyan, Jingdian Shiwen, Tangyun, Guangyun, Peiwen, Yunfu, Kangxi, Guangya, etc. Duan Yucai has been especially helpful, and most of the translation comes directly from the correct entries of his in the Shuowen Jiezi. Also intertwined cosmology and (hopefully an accurate) ancient Chinese perception. Finally, translated directly from understanding each glyph’s image. 

 

This is as close to actual original Chinese meaning. Let me know if you find any mistakes, I'm sure I've made them. I've only used meanings that would be in effect by 100BCE, nothing newer. The richness of each Chinese glyph is because its often a picture...or a combination of sounds merged with meaning. It's complicated. But very rich. Its like a super difficult puzzle of putting together old dictionaries and sorting through very old errors. Any every other translator just hasn't done the work!!! LAZY FUCKS :)

 

Anyways.... 

 

-Pumpernickel

 

Updated as of 1/20/2026

 

P.S. Not allowing me to upload files, here's link to Proton Drive. https://drive.proton.me/urls/HEG7TZ4ECG#ZQIuk77d9MCU

Edited by dpumpernickel
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Cobie   

Cobie
Posted (edited)

@dpumpernickel 

Impressive use of resources.
 

I like your approach:

“… cosmology … ancient Chinese perception. … each glyph’s image.”
“I have not made most of the substitutions … stuck with mostly original …”

“ … bias in foreword and key …”

 

From the first link I gather you are a Korean speaker?

The Proton Drive link is not accessible to me. 

Could you possibly copy just your translation of only one chapter and post it here?

Imo chapter 1 is the most difficult one to translate, so I’d very much like to see that.

 

 

Edited by Cobie

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dpumpernickel   

dpumpernickel
Posted (edited)

1. ONE BEGINNING OF THE WAY

 

道可道/導, A way that can show the way,

⾮恒道殹. isn't always the way!!
名可命, A name or concept that can be named, designated, or commanded,

⾮恒名也. isn't always the name or concept..


無名, Nameless… unidentified, concept-less, devoid of language, unrecognized, and uninterpreted,

萬物之始也. is the beginning and origin of everything.

有名, To have a name, an identity, a concept, …language,

萬物之母也. is the mother, the nurturer, of everything.

 

故恒無欲以觀其眇/妙, Therefore, always be desireless in order to clearly observe subtleties,

恒有欲以觀其所僥. always be desiring in order to clearly observe things coveted.
此兩者同出, These 2 things… assemble together in presentation,

異名同謂. a distinctive name and concept unifies in report.1

⽞之有⽞之, Profundity and ambiguity go to having profound ambiguity come about,

眾眇/妙之⾨. the door of numerous subtleties.

 

1. So… simultaneously, when presenting something or advancing one’s way, be both desireless and desiring. This leads to a distinctive and distinguished name. This is ambiguity, because it invites people to step through the door and try to uncover what one is really reporting! They have to read between the lines!

Edited by dpumpernickel
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BigSkyDiamond   

BigSkyDiamond
Posted

From the proton file, here is first four lines of Chapter 42:

 

道⽣⼀, The way gives birth to 1

⼀⽣⼆, 1 gives birth to 2,

⼆⽣三, 2 gives birth to 3,

三⽣萬物. 3 gives birth to everything.

 

and here is footnote from Chapter 42 line 1:

 

1. See footnote Chapter 40 For more on 1,2,3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taijitu Specifically 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuji_(philosophy)

 

and here is footnote from Chapter 40, which is referenced in the Chapter 42 footnote

 

1. The way (道) is void; total absence; nothing; emptiness (無)… before any thing or concept existed… a pure animalistic state; a totally unconscious, instinctual state, before language. This void is the beginning (元), is One (⼀), is the beginning of our own vital energy, spiritedness, breath, and personality (⽓), is the pinnacle of goodness (元), and is limitless; void’s ultimate (無極)

 

[I can try mailing you the PDF file from the Proton link]

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Cobie   

Cobie
Posted (edited)


@dpumpernickel 

 

I’d like to compare the characters you use with the characters in the source file.  E.g. there’s the character    恒   in a few places (e.g. line 2) in your ch. 1.  It’s of interest as there was a taboo on the use of Emperor’s names during the Western Han.


I find the Korean link hard to navigate.  Ch.1 should be at the start of part 2, but it has a 第一章（王本三十八章）ch. 1 (Wang’s ch. 38).  Searching for part 1 I cannot find it; ch. 1 for me impossible to find.

 

Could you please copy and post here, only the source file of ch. 1  (from https://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?isHttpsRedirect=true&blogId=jaseng54&logNo=90169460338aka the Beijing University Laozi (Beida). 

 

 

Edited by Cobie

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Cobie   

Cobie
Posted (edited)

dPumpernickle’s intro, last line page 9, “I fucking love psychedelics”.  Righto, I take that to explain his translation. 
 

 

Edited by Cobie

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Cobie   

Cobie
Posted (edited)

 

On 24-8-2025 at 11:18 PM, BigSkyDiamond said:

[quoting dPumpernickle] ... 道  ... is One (⼀) ...

 

I agree; imo  道  equals  ⼀ 

 

 

Edited by Cobie

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Cobie   

Cobie
Posted (edited)

 

On 24/08/2025 at 11:18 PM, BigSkyDiamond said:

[quoting dPumpernickle] ...  道  is … a pure animalistic state ...

 

imo 道 equals 'morality'

 

 

Edited by Cobie

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