1.  In holding the soul and embracing oneness
2.         Can one be without straying?
3.  In concentrating the energy and reaching relaxation
4.         Can one be like an infant?

5.  In cleaning away the worldly view
6.         Can one be without imperfections?
7.  In loving the people and ruling the nation
8.         Can one be without manipulation?
9.  In the heavenly gate’s opening and closing
10.       Can one hold to the feminine principle?
11. In understanding clearly all directions
12.       Can one be without intellectuality?

13. Bearing it, rearing it
14. Bearing without possession
15. Achieving without arrogance
16. Raising without domination
17. This is called the mystic virtue

Lines 1 – 4

1	載  營 魄   抱	In holding[1] the soul[2] and embracing[3] oneness[4]
2	能  無 離  乎	Can[5] one be without[6] straying[7]?[8]
3	專 氣 致 柔	In concentrating[9] the energy[10] and reaching[11] relaxation[12]
4	能 嬰 兒 乎	Can one be like[13] an infant[14]?

---

[1] 载         zài;          to carry; to convey; to load; to hold; to fill up; and; also; as well as; simultaneously

[2] 魄         pò           soul; mortal soul, i.e. attached to the body

[3] 抱         Bào         to hold; to carry (in one‘s arms); to hug; to embrace; to surround; to cherish

[4] 营         ying;        barracks; battalion; to build; to operate; to manage; to strive for

[5] 能: 能   néng;       can; to be able to; might possibly; ability; (physics) energy; 

[6] 無; 无; wú;          not to have; no; none; not; to lack; un-; –less

[7] 離; 离; lí;            to leave; to part from; to be away from; (in giving distances) from; without (something); independent of; 

[8] 乎;        hū;          in; at; from; because; than; (classical final particle similar 吗, 吧, 呢, expressing, question, doubt, astonishment)

[9] 專; 专; zhuān;     for particular person, occasion, purpose; focused on one thing; special; expert; particular; concentrated; specialized

[10] 氣;气; qì;           gas; air; smell; weather; to make angry; to annoy; to get angry; vital energy; qi

[11] 致; 緻; zhì;          fine; delicate; to send; to devote; to deliver; to cause; to convey

[12] 柔;       róu ;        soft; flexible; supple; yielding; rho

[13] 兒; 儿; ér;           son; r non–syllabic diminutive suffix; retroflex final

[14] 嬰; 婴; yīng;        infant; baby

Lines 5 – 12

5	滌 除 玄 覽	In cleaning[1] away[2] the worldly[3] view[4]
6	能 無 疵 乎	Can one be without imperfections[5]?
7	愛  國 治 民	In loving[6] the people[7] and ruling[8] the nation[9]
8	能 無 為 乎	Can one be without manipulation[10]?
9	天 門 開 闔	In the heavenly[11] gate’s[12] opening[13] and closing[14]
10	能 為 雌 乎	Can one hold to the feminine[15] principle?
11	明 白 四 達	In understanding[16] clearly[17] all[18] directions[19]
12	能 無 知 乎	Can one be without intellectuality[20]?

Lines 13 – 17

13	生 之 畜 之	Bearing[21] it[22], rearing[23] it
14	生 而 不 有	Bearing without[24] [25] possession[26]
15	為 而 不 恃	Achieving without arrogance[27]
16	長 而 不 宰	Raising[28] without domination[29]
17	是 謂 玄 德	This is[30] called[31] the mystic virtue[32]

---

[1] 滌 滌;  dí;             to wash; to cleanse

[2] 除 ;       chú;         to get rid of; to remove; to exclude; to eliminate; to wipe out; to divide; except; not including

[3] 玄 ;       xuán;       black; mysterious

[4] 覽 览;    lǎn;          to look at; to view; to read

[5] 疵;        cī;           blemish; flaw; defect

[6] 愛 爱;    ài;           to love; to be fond of; to like; affection; to be inclined (to do something); to tend to (happen)

[7] 民;        mín;        the people; nationality; citizen; (Chinese surname)

[8] 治;        zhì;          to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); to treat (a disease); to wipe out (a pest); to punish; to research

[9] 國 国;   guó;         country; nation; state; national; (Chinese surname)

[10] 為 为; wéi;         as (in the capacity of); to take something as; to act as; to serve as; to behave as; to become; to be; to do; by (in the passive voice)

[11] 天;       tiān;         day; sky; heaven

[12] 門 门; mén;        gate; door; gateway; doorway; opening; valve; switch; way to dosomething; knack; family; house;

[13] 開 开; kāi;          to open; to start; to turn on; to boil; to write out

[14] 闔 闔; hé;           door; to close; whole

[15] 雌;       cí;           female

[16] 明;       míng;      bright; opposite: dark 暗; (of meaning) clear; to understand; next; public or open; wise; 

[17] 白;       bái;          white; snowy; pure; bright; empty; blank; plain; clear; to make clear;

[18] 四;       sì;            four; 4

[19] 達 达; dá;           to attain; to reach; to amount to; to communicate; eminent;

[20] 知 ;     zhī;          to know; to be aware

[21] 生;       sheng;     to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; raw; uncooked; student

[22] 之;       zhī;          (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的); him; her; it

[23] 畜;       chù;        livestock; domesticated animal; domestic animal

[24] 而;       ér;           and; as well as; and so; but (not); yet(not); (indicates causal relation); (indicates change of state); (indicates contrast)

[25] 不;       bù;          (negative prefix); not; no

[26] 有;       yǒu;        to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be

[27] 恃;       shì;          to rely on; mother (formal)

[28] 長 长; cháng ;    length; long; forever; always; constantly; forte

[29] 宰;       zǎi;          to slaughter livestock; to govern or rule; to cheat customers; imperial official in dynastic China

[30] 是;       shì;          is; are; am; yes; to be

[31] 謂 谓; wèi;         to speak; to say; to name; to designate; meaning; sense; (Chinese surname)

[32] 德;       dé;           virtue; goodness; morality; ethics; kindness; favor; character; kind;