Longer Than Heaven and Earth

天长地久

Tiān Cháng Dì Jiǔ

Heaven and earth endure because they do not live for themselves. The sage puts himself last and is found first; he steps outside himself and is preserved.

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5 sentences · 3 notes

天tiān长cháng地dì久jiǔ。

1Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long.

天tiān地dì所suǒ以yǐ能néng长cháng且qiě久jiǔ者zhě，以yǐ其qí不bù自zì生shēng，故gù能néng长cháng生shēng。

2The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves.

是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén后hòu其qí身shēn而ér身shēn先xiān，外wài其qí身shēn而ér身shēn存cún。

3This is how they are able to continue and endure.

非fēi以yǐ其qí无wú私sī邪xié！

4Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved.

故gù能néng成chéng其qí私sī。

5Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised?

Chinese commentary · 3 notes

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

1以：因为。

2邪：同“耶”，疑问语气词。

3私：在这里指个人利益。

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