I started by reading Michael LaFargue version, and it is pretty good delivering a basic understanding of the text. I can understand acient Chinese text pretty well, and the original, somehow still feels different from all these translations, but I guess this does not matter that much to a taoist.
She had the humility to admit she knew little about ancient Chinese and the courage to go ahead and venture a translation anyway, striving to touch something deeper than language.
Her success is extremely laudable for this reason.
It's great that you've found something you like, but if you are interested in staying close to the text, a translation by a person that deeply understands Classical Chinese literature and philosophy is worth a read.
The way is empty,
used, but not used up.
Deep, yes! ancestral
to the ten thousand things.
Blunting edge,
loosing bond,
dimming light,
the way is the dust of the way.
Quiet
yes, and likely to endure.
Whose child? Born
before the gods.
9: Being Quiet
Brim-fill the bowl,
it'll spill over.
Keep sharpening the blade,
you'll soon blunt it.
Nobody can protect
a house full of gold and jade.
Wealth, status, pride
are their own ruin.
To do good, work well, and lie low
is the way of the blessing.
For 4, some of the concepts don't even appear in the original (quiet?)
For 9, it feels like there's a lot of overstepping and blank-filling.
