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Section 25

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有物混成，
Yǒu wù hùn chéng,
 There is something formless and complete,
先天地生。
Xiān tiāndì shēng.
 Born before heaven and earth.
寂兮寥兮，
Jì xī liáo xī,
 Silent, vast,
独立而不改，
Dúlì ér bù gǎi,
 Standing alone, unchanging.
周行而不殆，
Zhōuxíng ér bù dài,
 Moving perpetually without end,
可以为天地母。
Kěyǐ wèi tiāndì mǔ.
 It can be the mother of heaven and earth.
吾不知其名，
Wú bù zhī qí míng,
 I do not know its name,
强字之曰道，
Qiǎng zì zhī yuē dào,
 I call it Dao.
强为之名曰大。
Qiǎng wéi zhī míng yuē dà.
 If forced to name it, I call it great.
大曰逝，
Dà yuē shì,
 Great means flowing,
逝曰远，
Shì yuē yuǎn,
 Flowing means going far,
远曰反。
Yuǎn yuē fǎn.
 Going far means returning.
故道大，
Gù dào dà,
 Thus Dao is great,
天大，
Tiān dà,
 Heaven is great,
地大，
Dì dà,
 Earth is great,
人亦大。
Rén yì dà.
 And man is great.
域中有四大，
Yù zhōng yǒu sì dà,
 In the universe, there are four greats,
而人居其一焉。
Ér rén jū qí yī yān.
 And man is one of them.
人法地，
Rén fǎ dì,
 Man follows the earth,
地法天，
Dì fǎ tiān,
 Earth follows heaven,
天法道，
Tiān fǎ dào,
 Heaven follows Dao,
道法自然。
Dào fǎ zìrán.
 Dao follows its own nature.