原文
公有领域曲則全，
枉則直，
窪則盈，
敝則新，
少則得，多則惑。
是以聖人抱一為天下式。
不自見故明，不自是故彰，不自伐故有功，不自矜故長。夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。古之所謂曲則全者，豈虛言哉！誠全而歸之。
王弼注
待校读不自見其明則全也。
不自是則其是彰也。
不自伐則其功有也。
不自矜則其德長也。
自然之道亦猶樹也，轉多轉遠其根，轉少轉得其本。多則遠其真，故曰惑也；少則得其本，故曰得也。
一，少之極也。式，猶則之也。
河上公章句
待校读曲己從眾，不自專，則全其身也。
枉，屈己而伸人，久久自得直也。
地窪下，水流之；人謙下，德歸之。
自受弊薄，後己先人，天下敬之，久久自新也。
自受取少則得多也，天道祐謙，神明託虛。
財多者，惑於所守，學多者，惑於所聞。
抱，守也。式，法也。聖人守一，乃知萬事，故能為天下法式也。
聖人不以其目視千里之外也，乃因天下之目以視，故能明達也。
聖人不自以為是而非人，故能彰顯於世。
伐，取也。聖人德化流行，不自取其美，故有功於天下。
矜，大也。聖人不自貴大，故能久不危。
此言天下賢與不肖，無能與不爭者爭也。
傳古言，曲從則全身，此言非虛妄也。
誠，實也。能行曲從者，實其肌體，歸之於父母，無有傷害也。
Legge 1891
Public domainThe partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new. He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray. Therefore the sage holds in his embrace the one thing (of humility), and manifests it to all the world. He is free from self-display, and therefore he shines; from self-assertion, and therefore he is distinguished; from self-boasting, and therefore his merit is acknowledged; from self-complacency, and therefore he acquires superiority. It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him. That saying of the ancients that 'the partial becomes complete' was not vainly spoken:--all real completion is comprehended under it.