Chapter 51 — Nurturing virtue養德
1The Dao gives birth and virtue nurtures
道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。
The Dao gives birth to them, virtue nurtures them, things give them shape, and circumstance completes them.
note 5
物生而後畜，畜而後形，形而後成，何由而生？道也；何得而畜？德也；何由而形？物也；何使而成，勢也。唯因也，故能無物而不形；唯勢也，故能無物而不成。凡物之所以生，功之所以成，皆有所由，有所由焉，則莫不由乎道也。故推而極之，亦至道也。隨其所因，故各有稱焉。
A thing is born, and after that nurtured; nurtured, and after that given shape; shaped, and after that completed. By what is it born? By the Dao. By what is it nurtured? By virtue. By what is it shaped? By things. What makes it complete? Circumstance. It is only by following that there is no thing which is not shaped, and only by circumstance that there is no thing which is not completed. Now the reason a thing is born and the reason a work is completed, all of it has something it comes from, and where there is something it comes from, there is nothing that does not come from the Dao. So reason it out to the end and it too arrives at the Dao. According to what each follows, each has its own name.
道生萬物。
The Dao gives birth to the ten thousand things.
德，一也。一主布氣而蓄養。
Virtue is the One. The One spreads qi (氣) and takes charge of the work of storing up and nurturing.
一為萬物設形像也。
The One gives the ten thousand things their shape and form.
一為萬物作寒暑之勢以成之。
The One makes for the ten thousand things the circumstance of cold and heat, and by it completes them.
2Honoring the Dao and valuing virtue
是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。
So among the ten thousand things there is none that does not honor the Dao and value virtue.
note 2
道者，物之所由也。德者，物之所得也。由之乃得，故曰不得不失，尊之則害，不得不貴也。
The Dao is what things come from, and virtue is what things get. Only by coming from it do they get, and so it is said that they cannot but get it; not to honor it is harmful, and so they cannot but value it.
道德所為，無不盡驚動，而尊敬之。
There is nothing that is not startled into motion by what the Dao and virtue do, and so all honor and revere them.
3Always so of themselves, with no one commanding
道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命而常自然。
The honor of the Dao and the value of virtue are commanded by no one. They are always so of themselves.
note 2
命並作爵。
Where the text reads command (命), it is also written rank (爵).
道一不命召萬物，而常自然應之如影響。
The Dao and the One do not command or summon the ten thousand things, and yet they always answer of themselves, like a shadow or an echo.
4It covers them and shelters them
故道生之，德畜之。長之育之，亭之毒之，蓋之覆之。
So the Dao gives birth to them and virtue nurtures them. It makes them grow and raises them, it settles them and ripens them, it covers them and shelters them.
note 2
謂成其實，各得其庇蔭，不傷其體矣。
This means to complete their fruit, so that each gets its own shade and its body is not hurt.
道之於萬物，非但生而已，乃復長養、成孰、覆育，全其性命。人君治國治身，亦當如是也。
The Dao does not merely give birth to the ten thousand things: it also makes them grow and nurtures them, completes and ripens them, and covers and rears them, so that their nature (性) and their life are kept whole. A ruler governing his state and governing his body should be just like this.
5It gives birth and does not possess
生而不有，為而不恃，
It gives birth and does not possess, it acts and does not depend,
note 3
為而不有。
It acts and does not possess.
道生萬物，不有所取以為利也。
The Dao gives birth to the ten thousand things, yet takes nothing of them to make its own gain.
道所施為，不恃望其報也。
The Dao bestows and acts, yet does not hope for a return and depend on it.
6This is called the dark virtue
長而不宰。是謂玄德。
it raises them and does not rule over them. This is called the dark virtue.
note 3
有德而不知其主也，出乎幽冥，是以謂之玄德也。
There is virtue, yet its master cannot be known, for it comes out of the dark and unseen. This is why it is called the dark virtue.
道長養萬物，不宰割以為利也。
The Dao raises and nurtures the ten thousand things, yet does not cut and carve them up to make its own gain.
道之所行恩德，玄闇不可得見。
The kindness the Dao bestows is dark and dim, and cannot be seen.