一章
道，可道也，非恆道也。名，可名也，非恆名也。 「無」，名天地之始；「有」，名萬物之母。 故，常「無」，欲以觀其妙；常「有」，欲以觀其徼。 此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。玄之又玄，眾妙之門。
1. The Tao that can be described is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name.
(Conceived of as) having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all things.
Always without desire we must be found, If its deep mystery we would sound;
But if desire always within us be, Its outer fringe is all that we shall see.
Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.
道是可以论说的，但那不是宇宙生成之前恒常的道；名也是可以表述的，那也不是天地未有之前恒常的名。
无，可称为天地的发端；有，可称为万物的本源。
故以无极感知道的深奥；以太极观照道的玄远。
无和有，都是出自于道的不同名相，都具有深远的意涵。玄妙又深远，是理解道之所有奥妙的门径。
原著：老子；Tr. James Legge; 精解：龍裔君
