1. there was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before heaven and earth. how still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere and in no danger (of being exhausted)! it may be regarded as the mother of all things.

2. i do not know its name, and i give it the designation of the tao (the way or course). making an effort (further) to give it a name i call it the great.

3. great, it passes on (in constant flow). passing on, it becomes remote. having become remote, it returns. therefore the tao is great; heaven is great; earth is great; and the (sage) king is also great. in the universe there are four that are great, and the (sage) king is one of them.

4. man takes his law from the earth; the earth takes its law from heaven; heaven takes its law from the tao. the law of the tao is its being what it is.

有物混成，先天地生。

寂兮寥兮，独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天下母。

吾不知其名，字之曰道，强为之名，曰大。

大曰逝，逝曰远，远曰反。

故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。

域中有四大，而人居其一焉。

人法地，地法天，无法道，道法自然。

【译文】

有一存在浑融而成，先于天地分化的现实世界而存在。它无音无形，廓然无依地自在，没有根本性的迁改；循环反复地运行，永不败坏。可以称之为天下万物共同依归的母本。我不知道它的确切名号叫什么，给它加上一个标号说是"道"，勉强给它一个描述说它是无不包涵的整体存在。这个整体存在绵延运行，运行之中它远化展开，远化展开之后又循环反复。所以，道是整体性存在，天是整体性存在，地是整体性存在，人也是整体性存在。宇宙中有四个层次的整体性存在，而人是其中之一。人效法地，地效法天，天效法道，道则以随遇自在作为法则。