原文
公有领域道常無名，樸雖小，天下莫能臣也。侯王若能守之，萬物將自賓。
天地相合，以降甘露，民莫之令而自均。
始制有名，名亦既有，夫亦將知止，知止所以不殆。
譬道之在天下，猶川谷之於江海。
王弼注
待校读道，無形不繫，常不可名，以無名為常。故曰「道常無名」也。樸之為物，以無為心也，亦無名，故將得道，莫若守樸，夫智者可以能臣也，勇者可以武使也，巧者可以事役也，力者可以重任也，樸之為物，憒然不偏，近於無有，故曰「莫能臣也」。抱樸無為，不以物累其真，不以欲害其神，則物自賓而道自得也。
言天地相合，則甘露不求而自降；我守其真性無為，則民不令而自均也。
始制，謂樸散始為官長之時也。始制官長，不可不立名分，以定尊卑，故始制有名也，過此以往，將爭錐刀之末，故曰「名亦既有」，夫亦將知止也，遂任名以號物，則失治之母也，故知止所以不殆也。
川谷之求江與海，非江海召之，不召不求而自歸者，世行道於天下者，不令而自均，不求而自得，故曰「猶川谷之與江海」也。
河上公章句
待校读道能陰能陽，能弛能張，能存能亡，故無常名也。
道樸雖小，微妙無形，天下不敢有臣使道者也。
侯王若能守道無為，萬物將自賓，服從於德也。
侯王動作能與天相應和，天即降下甘露善瑞也。
天降甘露善瑞，則萬物莫有教令之者，皆自均調若一也。
始，道也。有名，萬物也。道無名能制於有名，無形，能制於有形也。
既，盡也。有名之物，盡有情欲，叛道離德，故身毀辱也。
人能法道行德，天亦將自知之。
天知之，則神靈祐助，不復危怠。
譬言道之在天下，與人相應和，如川谷與江海相流通也。
Legge 1891
Public domainThe Tao, considered as unchanging, has no name. Though in its primordial simplicity it may be small, the whole world dares not deal with (one embodying) it as a minister. If a feudal prince or the king could guard and hold it, all would spontaneously submit themselves to him. Heaven and Earth (under its guidance) unite together and send down the sweet dew, which, without the directions of men, reaches equally everywhere as of its own accord. As soon as it proceeds to action, it has a name. When it once has that name, (men) can know to rest in it. When they know to rest in it, they can be free from all risk of failure and error. The relation of the Tao to all the world is like that of the great rivers and seas to the streams from the valleys.