Chapter 15 — Showing virtue顯德
1Like crossing a stream in winter
古之善為士者，微妙玄通，深不可識。夫唯不可識，故強為之容。豫焉若冬涉川，
Those of old who were good at being gentlemen were subtle and wondrous, darkly open, too deep to be known. Just because they cannot be known, one can only force a likeness of them. Hesitant, like crossing a stream in winter,
note 6
冬之涉川，豫然若欲度、若不欲度，其情不可得見之貌也。
Crossing a stream in winter, one hesitates, seeming to want to cross and seeming not to want to cross: it is the look of someone whose mind cannot be made out.
謂得道之君也。
This speaks of a ruler who has gained the Dao.
玄，天也。言其志節玄妙，精與天通也。
Xuan (玄) is heaven. It means that his aims and his integrity are dark and subtle, so that his vital spirit reaches through to heaven.
道德深遠，不可識知，內視若盲，反聽若聾，莫知所長。
His Dao and virtue are deep and far off and cannot be known: look inward and it is as if blind, listen back and it is as if deaf, so no one knows wherein he excels.
謂下句也。
This refers to the lines below.
舉事輒加重慎與。與兮若冬涉川，心難之也。
At every undertaking he is doubly careful. "Hesitant, like crossing a stream in winter" means that in his heart he finds it hard.
2Like fearing the neighbors on all four sides
猶兮若畏四鄰，
wavering, like fearing the neighbors on all four sides,
note 2
四鄰合攻中央之主，猶然不知所趣向者也。上德之人，其端兆不可覩，德趣不可見，亦猶此也。
The neighbors on all four sides join forces to attack the ruler at the center, and he wavers, not knowing which way to turn. A person of high virtue shows no sign one can look at, and where his virtue is heading cannot be seen; it is just like this.
其進退猶猶如拘制，若人犯法，畏四鄰知之也。
His advancing and withdrawing waver as if he were bound, like someone who has broken the law and fears that the neighbors on all four sides will find out.
3Like ice about to melt
儼兮其若容，渙兮若冰之將釋，敦兮其若樸，曠兮其若谷，混兮其若濁。
grave, like a guest; loosening, like ice about to melt; thick, like an uncarved log; open, like a valley; mixed, like muddy water.
note 6
凡此諸若，皆言其容象不可得而形名也。
All these "like" sayings mean that his bearing cannot be given a shape and a name.
如客畏主人，儼然無所造作也。
Grave as a guest in awe of his host, he contrives nothing.
渙者，解散。釋者，消亡。除情去欲，日以空虛。
Huan (渙) is loosening and scattering; shi (釋) is dwindling away to nothing. He empties his mind and sets aside what he wants, growing emptier by the day.
敦者，質厚。朴者，形未分。內守精神，外無文采也。
Dun (敦) is a thick, substantial grain; pu (朴) is a shape not yet divided. Within he guards his spirit; without he has no ornament.
曠者，寬大。谷者，空虛。不有德功名，無所不包也。
Kuang (曠) is broad and great; gu (谷) is empty. He keeps no virtue, no merit, and no name for himself, so there is nothing he does not hold.
渾者，守本真，濁者，不照然。與眾合同，不自專也。
Hun (渾) is keeping one's original truth; zhuo (濼) is not shining out plainly. He blends in with the crowd and does not go his own way alone.
4Stilling the muddy to make it clear
孰能濁以靜之徐清？孰能安以久動之徐生？
Who can still the muddy so that it slowly clears? Who can move the settled so long that it slowly comes to life?
note 3
夫晦以理物則得明，濁以靜物則得清，安以動物則得生，此自然之道也。孰能者，言其難也。徐者，詳慎也。
Govern things in the dark and you gain brightness; leave them muddy and still them and you gain clearness; leave them settled and move them and you gain life. This is the Dao that is so of itself. "Who can" says that it is hard. Xu (徐) means slow and careful.
孰，誰也。誰能知水之濁止而靜之，徐徐自清也。
Shu (孰) means who. Who knows that when water has grown muddy, if you stop it and leave it still, it slowly clears of itself?
誰能安靜以久，徐徐以長生也。
Who can keep stillness long and so slowly live long?
5He does not wish to be full
保此道者不欲盈，
One who keeps this Dao does not wish to be full.
note 3
盈必溢也。
What is full is sure to spill over.
保此徐生之道，不欲奢泰盈溢。
He keeps this Dao of slowly coming to life, and does not wish to be filled to extravagance and overflowing.
夫為不盈滿之人，能守蔽不為新成。蔽者，匿光榮也。新成者，貴功名。
One who is not filled to overflowing keeps to covering and does not make anything newly complete. Bi (蘢) is hiding away shining honor; making newly complete is prizing merit and name.
6Not full, so he covers himself over
夫唯不盈，故能蔽不新成。
Only because he is not full can he cover himself over and not strive to make something new.
note 1
蔽，覆蓋也。
Bi (蔽) means to cover and screen over.