kasi nanpa 39 ready
lipu Pona — kasi nanpa 39
| 昔之得一者 | These in the past have attained wholeness: | |
| 天得一以清 | Heaven attains wholeness with its clarity; | |
| 地得一以宁 | The Earth attains wholeness with its firmness; | |
| 神得一以灵 | The Spirit attains wholeness with its transcendence; | |
| 谷得一以盈 | The Valley attain wholeness when filled; | |
| 万物得一以生 | The Myriad Things attain wholeness in life; | |
| 侯王得一以 | The Ruler attains wholeness in the correct governance of the people. | |
| 其致之 | In effecting this: | |
| 天无以清 | If Heaven lacked clarity it would be divided; | |
| 地无以宁 | If the Earth lacked firmness it would fly away; | |
| 神无以灵 | If the spirit lacked transcendence it would be exhausted; | |
| 谷无以盈 | If the valley lacked fullness it would be depleted; | |
| 万物无以生 | If the myriad things lacked life they would vanish. | |
| 侯王无以贵 | If the ruler lacks nobility and loftiness he will be tripped up. | |
| 故 | Hence | |
| 贵以贱为本 | Nobility has lowliness as its root | |
| 高以下为基 | The High has the Low as its base. | |
| 是以侯王自称孤 | Thus the kings call themselves “the orphan, the lowly, the unworthy.” | |
| 此非以贱为本耶 | Is this not taking lowliness as the fundamental? Isn’t it? | |
| 故 | In this way you can bring about great effect without burden. | |
| 不欲琭琭如玉 | Not desiring the rarity of gems | |
| 珞珞如石 | Or the manyness of grains of sand. |