Heaven and Earth Are Not Kind

多言数穷

Duō Yán Shuò Qióng

Heaven and earth treat all things alike, the way the sacrificial straw dog is treated. Words run out; better to hold the middle, like a bellows that empties and never collapses.

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5 sentences · 5 notes

天tiān地dì不bù仁rén，以yǐ万wàn物wù为wéi刍chú狗gǒu。

1Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with.

圣shèng人rén不bù仁rén，以yǐ百bǎi姓xìng为wéi刍chú狗gǒu。

2The sages do not act from (any wish to be) benevolent; they deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with.

天tiān地dì之zhī间jiān，其qí犹yóu橐tuó龠yuè乎hū？

3May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows?

虚xū而ér不bù屈qū，动dòng而ér愈yù出chū。

4'Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power; 'Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more.

多duō言yán数shù穷qióng，不bù如rú守shǒu中zhōng。

5Much speech to swift exhaustion lead we see; Your inner being guard, and keep it free.

Chinese commentary · 5 notes

The notes printed with this chapter in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

1仁：仁爱、仁慈。

2刍（chú）狗：用野草扎成的狗，古人祭祀时用，用后即扔。刍，野草。

3橐（tuó）龠（yuè）：古代的风箱。

4数：通“速”。

5中：适中的意思。

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