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[Yes, more of this. No, still no excuse. No good one, anyway. Ugh.]
This is far from a final draft. Not only am I morally and mortally certain I’m making basic misreadings I don’t even know about yet, the Dao De Jing is so indirect and elliptical that better understanding only comes with further context—later sections and more commentaries. Not to mention, there’s terms I’m pretty sure I need to always translate the same way, to bring out their echoes, and until (if ever) I see all uses in context I won’t know (if ever) the best choice.
One example being right there in the title: that second word, 德 dé. I’ve been rendering it as “virtue” in the sense of “having power/efficacy” rather than “being virtuous.” A basic concept of the DDJ is that people who live in harmony with and utilize the Way have dé—or more specifically, by virtue of being close to the Way they influence people, this influence being their dé. This underlies every statement about how the best ruler acts least, because by having dé he doesn’t need to give orders. “Virtue” is a common translation, but it’s feeling increasingly inadequate, and “power,” another common translation, feels misleading because of its connotations. For now, I’m adding “potency” as an alternate reading of the title but still using “virtue” in the text, fully expecting my thoughts will keep evolving as I get further in. Like, yanno, when (if) I get to and/or through the half of the book that’s supposedly all about dé.
Still minimal comments. This is an important and ancient-ass text, and for both reasons there’s just so freaking much analysis and commentary and interpretation that I can’t cope. Just, nope. Digesting the text is already too much.
Classic of the Way and [of Virtue/its Potency], chapters 10-19
( When your mortal and immortal souls hold the One [Way], / Might they indeed never separate? )
And that, again, is more than enough. There will, yes, be more: I already have enough rough-drafted for another installment, more fool me. But give me a couple weeks.
Index of Chinese translations
---L.
Subject quote from Clean, Taylor Swift.
This is far from a final draft. Not only am I morally and mortally certain I’m making basic misreadings I don’t even know about yet, the Dao De Jing is so indirect and elliptical that better understanding only comes with further context—later sections and more commentaries. Not to mention, there’s terms I’m pretty sure I need to always translate the same way, to bring out their echoes, and until (if ever) I see all uses in context I won’t know (if ever) the best choice.
One example being right there in the title: that second word, 德 dé. I’ve been rendering it as “virtue” in the sense of “having power/efficacy” rather than “being virtuous.” A basic concept of the DDJ is that people who live in harmony with and utilize the Way have dé—or more specifically, by virtue of being close to the Way they influence people, this influence being their dé. This underlies every statement about how the best ruler acts least, because by having dé he doesn’t need to give orders. “Virtue” is a common translation, but it’s feeling increasingly inadequate, and “power,” another common translation, feels misleading because of its connotations. For now, I’m adding “potency” as an alternate reading of the title but still using “virtue” in the text, fully expecting my thoughts will keep evolving as I get further in. Like, yanno, when (if) I get to and/or through the half of the book that’s supposedly all about dé.
Still minimal comments. This is an important and ancient-ass text, and for both reasons there’s just so freaking much analysis and commentary and interpretation that I can’t cope. Just, nope. Digesting the text is already too much.
Classic of the Way and [of Virtue/its Potency], chapters 10-19
( When your mortal and immortal souls hold the One [Way], / Might they indeed never separate? )
And that, again, is more than enough. There will, yes, be more: I already have enough rough-drafted for another installment, more fool me. But give me a couple weeks.
Index of Chinese translations
---L.
Subject quote from Clean, Taylor Swift.