原文
公有领域含德之厚，比於赤子。蜂蠆虺蛇不螫，猛獸不據，攫鳥不搏。
骨弱筋柔而握固。
未知牝牡之合而全作，
精之至也。終日號而不嗄，
和之至也。知和曰常，
知常曰明。
益生曰祥。
心使氣曰強。
物壯則老，謂之不道，不道早已。
王弼注
待校读赤子無求無欲，不犯眾物，故毒蟲之物無犯之人也。含德之厚者，不犯於物，故無物以損其全也。
以柔弱之故，故握能周固。
作，長也。無物以損其身，故能全長也。言含德之厚者，無物可以損其德、渝其真，柔弱不爭而不摧折，皆若此也。
無爭欲之心，故終日出聲而不嗄也。
物以和為常，故知和則得常也。
不皦不昧，不溫不涼，此常也。無形不可得而見，曰明也。
生不可益，益之則夭也。
心宜無有，使氣則強。
河上公章句
待校读謂含懷道德之厚也。
神明保佑含德之人，若父母之於赤子也。
蜂蠇蛇虺不螫。
赤子不害於物，物亦不害之。故太平之世，人無貴賤，仁心，有刺之物，還返其本，有毒之蟲，不傷於人。
赤子筋骨柔弱而持物堅固，以其意心不移也。
赤子未知男女會合而陰陽作怒者，由精氣多之所致也。
赤子從朝至暮啼號聲不變易者，和氣多之所至也。
人能和氣柔弱有益於人者，則為知道之常也。
人能知道之常行，則日以明達於玄妙也。
祥，長也。言益生欲自生，日以長大。
心當專一和柔而神氣實內，故形柔。而反使妄有所為，和氣去於中，故形體日以剛強也。
萬物壯極則枯老也。
枯老則不得道矣。
不得道者早死。
Legge 1891
Public domainHe who has in himself abundantly the attributes (of the Tao) is
like an infant. Poisonous insects will not sting him; fierce beasts
will not seize him; birds of prey will not strike him.
(The infant's) bones are weak and its sinews soft, but yet its
grasp is firm. It knows not yet the union of male and female, and yet
its virile member may be excited;--showing the perfection of its
physical essence. All day long it will cry without its throat
becoming hoarse;--showing the harmony (in its constitution).
To him by whom this harmony is known,
(The secret of) the unchanging (Tao) is shown,
And in the knowledge wisdom finds its throne.
All life-increasing arts to evil turn;
Where the mind makes the vital breath to burn,
(False) is the strength, (and o'er it we should mourn.)
When things have become strong, they (then) become old, which may
be said to be contrary to the Tao. Whatever is contrary to the Tao
soon ends.