第五十一章   尊道奉德

道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。 是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。
道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命而常自然。 故道生之，德畜之。長之育之，亭之毒之，養(yǎng)之覆之。生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰。是謂玄德。

Honoring the Tao

Tao gives them birth, Teh (character) fosters them. Matter givesthem physical form. The circumstances of the moment complete them. Thereforeall things of the universe worship Tao and exalt Teh.

Tao is worshipped and Teh is exalted Without anyone's order butis so of its own accord. Therefore Tao gives birth to all beings, Teh fostersthem, Makes them grow, maintains them, Gives them a harbor, a place to dwell inpeace, protects them, takes them back to itself。

 creating withoutpossessing, acting without expecting, guiding without interfering.

These arecalled the Mystic virtues of the Tao.（The）

 [譯文]

宇宙萬物皆是道所化生，由德而形成萬物的個性，由物質(zhì)顯現(xiàn)而成形，由不同的勢態(tài)環(huán)境成就萬物。宇宙間的萬物都是依照尊道貴德的自然規(guī)律而形成的。道尊與德貴，是其內(nèi)在順應自然的顯現(xiàn)，并非受任何外力的強制而成。道化生萬物，而德育養(yǎng)萬物，道德任萬物成長和繁育，任其安然和成熟，任其興旺和再生。  

道生萬物卻不據(jù)為己有，養(yǎng)育萬物卻不自居功高，成就萬物卻不為其主宰，這就是道無為自然，奇妙無比的先天大德。