Tao Te Ching Ch.1: The Tao That Cannot Be Told (天地之始)

道dào可kě道dào，非fēi常cháng道dào；名míng可kě名míng，非fēi常cháng名míng。

1The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao.

2The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.

无wú，名míng天tiān地dì之zhī始shǐ；有yǒu，名míng万wàn物wù之zhī母mǔ。

3(Conceived of as) having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all things.

故gù常cháng无wú，欲yù以yǐ观guān其qí妙miào；常cháng有yǒu，欲yù以yǐ观guān其qí徼jiǎo。

4Always without desire we must be found, If its deep mystery we would sound; But if desire always within us be, Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.

此cǐ两liǎng者zhě，同tóng出chū而ér异yì名míng，同tóng谓wèi之zhī玄xuán。

5Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names.

6Together we call them the Mystery.

玄xuán之zhī又yòu玄xuán，众zhòng妙miào之zhī门mén。

7Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.