天下皆知美之為美，斯惡已。皆知善之為善，斯不善已。有無相生，難易相成，長短相形，高下相傾，音聲相和，前後相隨。是以聖人處無為之事，行不言之教，萬物作焉而不辭，生而不有，為而不恃，功成而弗居。夫唯弗居，是以不去。

Tiānxià jiē zhī měi zhī wéi měi, sī è yǐ. Jiē zhī shàn zhī wéi shàn, sī bù shàn yǐ. Yǒuwú xiāngshēng, nán yì xiāngchéng, cháng duǎn xiāngxíng, gāo xià xiāngqīng, yīnshēng xiānghé, qiánhòu xiāngsuí. Shìyǐ shèng rén chù wúwéi zhī shì, xíng bù yán zhī jiào, wànwù zuò yān ér bù cí, shēng ér bù yǒu, wéi ér bù shì, gōng chéng ér fú jū. Fú wéi fú jū, shì yǐ bù qù.

When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other. Therefore the Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn't possess, acts but doesn't expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.