My Translation
|
Heaven is forever;
the Earth is enduring
|
天長
地久
|
|
Heaven and Earth:
by what means
can they be
forever and enduring?
|
天地
所以
能
長且久者
|
|
Because
they are not
living for themselves
|
以
其不
自生
|
|
Hence
they can
live forever
|
故
能
長生
|
|
The sage
puts himself last,
thereby
putting himself first
|
是以
聖人
後其身
而身先
|
|
He is outside his self
yet his self survives
|
外其身
而身存
|
|
Is it not because
he is selfless
|
非以
其無私耶
|
|
That he is able to
accomplish his interests?
|
故能
成其私
|
Original Chinese
|
Traditional
|
Simplified
|
Pronunciation
|
|
|
|
|
|
天長地久。
|
天长地久。
|
Tiān cháng dì jiǔ.
|
|
天地所以能長且久者，
|
天地所以能长且久者，
|
Tiān dì suǒ yǐ néng zhǎng qiě jiǔ zhě,
|
|
以其不自生，
|
以其不自生，
|
Yǐ qí bù zì shēng,
|
|
故能長生。
|
故能长生。
|
Gù néng cháng shēng.
|
|
是以聖人後其身而身先；
|
是以圣人后其身而身先；
|
Shì yǐ shèng rén hòu qí shēn ér shēn xiān;
|
|
外其身而身存。
|
外其身而身存。
|
Wài qí shēn ér shēn cún.
|
|
非以其無私耶？
|
非以其无私耶？
|
Fēi yǐ qí wú sī yé?
|
|
故能成其私。
|
故能成其私。
|
Gù néng chéng qí sī.
|
Literal Translation
|
天長地久。
|
Heaven long earth long-time
[enduring while the world lasts (idiom) / eternal]
|
|
天地所以能長且久者，
|
Heaven earth place thereby can/able long/forever/constantly and/moreover long-time this [place thereby = therefore, as a result]
|
|
以其不自生，
|
By-means-of its not self living
|
|
故能長生。
|
Hence able-to long life
|
|
是以聖人後其身而身先；
|
Indeed therefore sage man after his self and self first [indeed therefore = therefore, thus, so]
|
|
外其身而身存。
|
Outside his self and self exists/survives
|
|
非以其無私耶？
|
Must by-means-of his not personal !
[not personal = selfless, unselfish]
|
|
故能成其私。
|
Reason able-to accomplish his private
|