Chapter 34 — Letting things come to be任成
1The great Dao overflows to the left and the right
大道氾兮，其可左右。
The great Dao overflows, and it is on the left and on the right.
note 3
言道氾濫，無所不適，可左右上下周旋而用，則無所不至也。
This says that the Dao overflows and there is nowhere it does not fit: turning everywhere, to left and right and above and below, in its use there is nowhere it does not reach.
言道氾氾，若浮若沉，若有若無，視之不見，說之難殊。
This says that the Dao spreads wide and adrift, as if floating, as if sinking, as if present, as if absent: look at it and it cannot be seen, and it is hard to tell apart in words.
道可左可右，無所不宜。
The Dao can be on the left and can be on the right, and there is nowhere it is not fitting.
2It may be named small
萬物恃之而生而不辭，功成不名有。衣養萬物而不為主，常無欲，可名於小；
The ten thousand things rely on it and live, and it does not turn them away. It completes its work and does not claim it as its own. It clothes and feeds the ten thousand things and does not act as their master. Always without wanting, it may be named small.
note 6
萬物皆由道而生，既生而不知所由，故天下常無欲之時，萬物各得其所，若道無施於物，故名於小矣。
The ten thousand things all come to life through the Dao, yet once alive they do not know what they came from. Hence when all under heaven is always without wanting, the ten thousand things each gain their own place, and it is as though the Dao had bestowed nothing on them. So it was named small.
恃，待也。萬物皆待道而生。
Shi (恃) means to wait upon. The ten thousand things all wait upon the Dao to come to life.
道不辭謝而逆止也。
The Dao does not decline them, nor does it stand against them and stop them.
有道不名其有功也。
One who holds the Dao does not name the merit as his own.
道雖愛養萬物，不如人主有所收取。
Though the Dao loves and nurtures the ten thousand things, it is not like a ruler who takes and gathers them in.
道匿德藏名，怕然無為，似若微小也。
The Dao hides its virtue and conceals its name, placid and doing nothing, so it seems small and slight.
3It may be named great
萬物歸焉而不為主，可名為大。
The ten thousand things return to it and it does not act as their master, so it may be named great.
note 4
萬物皆歸之以生，而力使不知其所由，此不為小，故復可名於大矣。
The ten thousand things all return to this and come to life, yet it takes pains to keep them from knowing what they came from. This is not small, so it may again be named great.
萬物皆歸道受氣，道非如人主有所禁止也。
The ten thousand things all return to the Dao and receive their breath from it, yet the Dao has nothing it forbids or blocks, as a ruler does.
萬物橫來橫去，使名自在，故可名於大也。
It lets the ten thousand things come as they please and go as they please, each holding its name of itself; therefore it can be named great.
聖人法道匿德藏名，不為滿大。
The sage takes the Dao as his model, hiding his virtue and concealing his name, and does not seek to be full and great.
4It never calls itself great
以其終不自為大，故能成其大。
Because it never calls itself great, it can complete its greatness.
note 2
為大於其細，圖難於其易。
Do great things while they are still small, and plan hard things while they are still easy.
聖人以身師導，不言而化，萬事修治，故能成其大。
The sage makes himself the teacher and leads by his own person, transforming others without speaking, so that all affairs are put in order. Therefore he can complete his greatness.