THE SONG OF A GOOD
PERSON
(A poem of natural wisdom)
Preface
Heaven, earth, Tao, Te:
natural entities
The nature of Tao, the
cause of Te, transforms into the universe
The world, through the
ages, vast and numerous
The root cause of Tao and
Te regulate norms
A foolish person, obscure
to Tao, heart is at a loss
A good person, enlightened in
Tao, wisdom is revealed
A foolish person, disobey Te,
words and deeds are absurd
A good person practises Te,
heart and body are settled
A good person’s Tao and Te,
upright energy soars
A good person displays
grand beauty; the multitude admires
A good person exalts
virtues, conduct approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
Chapter 1
A good person’s culture
adheres to the course of Tao, Te
A good person’s rightful
conduct allows all things to take their natural course
A good person stimulates themselves,
alive, not ceasing
A good person, with large
virtue, supports humans and things and multiplies
A good person, establishing
virtue and good conduct, exalts faith
A good person cultivates people;
ideals are strong
A good person, knowing themselves,
takes a proper stance
A good person does what is
right; cultivation is complete
A good person enlightens
truth, conduct approaching goodness
A good person pursues
beauty, knowing a sense of shameness
A good person is selfless,
great love is extensive
A good person sacrifices;
values are manifest
A good person, learning, awakening,
has no end
A good person,
enlightened in Tao, searches for naturalness
A good person, extensively
studying all learning, creates novel careers
A good person, better at
reflecting, attaches chief importance to practice
A good person who is in a
low situation does not forget about the nation
A good person, who is with
all right-heartedness and reverence, is a fine and good friend
A good person, who is
reverently attentive to the work, upholds duties
A good person, who is
engaged with laborious tasks, is ashamed of indolence
A good person, with
science, takes off ignorance
A good person, with
environmental conservation, protects natural lives
A good person exalts
virtues, deeds approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
Chapter 2
A good person’s culture adheres
to the course of Tao, Te
A good person’s rightful
conduct allow all things to take their natural course
A good person’s heart of arresting
is the same as still water
A good person’s spirit is
clear and bright, heart realm is plain
A good person leaves off
foolishness; wisdom intelligence is high
A good person extinguishes
foolishness, wise heart displays
A good person’s mind is like
an empty valley
A good person is natural,
no false pretence
A good person is pure; one’s
nature and virtue are excellent
A good person is pure
simplicity, returns to Tao’s origin
A good person’s quiet,
distant from distain, luxury
A good person makes a life
easy to understand
A good person has purity
and stillness, heart realm is quiet
A good person, does nothing,
wisdom intelligence is dazzling
A good person is soft;
backbone is stiff
A good person, without
competing, overcomes hard and strong
A good person embodies the
Tao, kindness and severity alternate
A good person applies
virtues; benevolence and righteousness are seen
A good person exalts
virtues, deeds approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
Chapter 3
A good person’s culture adheres
to the course of Tao, Te
A good person’s rightful
conduct allow all things to take their natural course
A good person believes in
right principles, a wise heart glows
A good person retains constant
excellence, words and deeds manifest
A good person, loving and
kind, promotes harmony
A good person, righteous, assists
the young and the fragile
A good person, with propriety
and reverence, honours others
A good person, keeping their
words, does not cheat
A good person, a citizen,
assists the state’s affairs
A good person, an officer,
reverences the heavenly citizens
A good person, a scholar,
respects the principle of good manners
A good person, a teacher, presents
the most commanding virtues
A good person, a father: a
heart of loving-kindness
A good person, a child: filial,
humble
A good person, a wife:
virtuous, worthy
A good person, a husband,
upholds truthfulness, duties
A good person, a brother,
friendly love, fraternity
A good person, a friend,
sincerity is the first business
A good person, a pure
character, promotes conduct of disinterestedness
A good person, aware of shame,
glories virtue of excellence
A good person, watching
over self, abstains from wicked deeds
A good person obeys rules,
solemn and majestic
A good person exalts
virtues, deeds approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
Chapter 4
A good person’s culture adheres
to the course of Tao, Te
A good person’s rightful
conduct allow all things to take their natural course
A good person, large-hearted,
does not allow ridicules
A good person, open-minded,
is not resentful of people of worth
A good person, forgiving,
does not complain or hate
A good person, enduring
disgrace, remains virtues against resentment
A good person, with reverence
and respect, is not skillful at quips and jokes
A good person, giving up
their own way, is complies first to the rules of propriety
A good person,
accommodating, does not flaunt their strenghts
A good person, following
the life line, does not hold their own thoughts
A good person, far from
desires, extinguishes vain attempts
A good person is satisfying,
harmonious, not chaos
A good person hold doubts, not
ready to believe
A good person has wisdom intelligence,
as the root of conduct
A good person acts in
uprightness, does not speculate
A good person speaks
cautiously, does not talk in an improper way
A good person is
harmonious, conforms, does not dispute
A good person makes
friends; a careful judgement and choice
A good person preserves
lives; distant from death and slaughter
A good person obeys the law,
does not commit crimes
A good person’s great love touches
heaven and earth
A good person abhors evil, guards
good and upright
A good person exalts virtues, deeds
approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
A good person’s culture
adheres to the course of Tao, Te
A good person’s rightful
conduct allow all things to take their natural course
A good person nourishes
lives, with a harmonious body-heart
A good person is distant
from wine, beauty, wealth, temperament
A good person’s life
answers the heaven and earth
A good person’s work and
rest follows the revolving of the sun
A good person’s awaking,
sleeping, sitting has its peculiar form
A good person’s eating and
drinking has its natural limits
A good person’s play and
entertainment does not lose ethics
A good person’s life, a
mind of leisure and ease
A good person, diligent and
economical, does not waste
A good person, becoming
rich, guards bottom lines
A good person, holding
honesty, does not repudiate a debt
A good person, obeying
rules, follows in awe of the law
A good person does not hold
the thought of taking advantage
A good person yields gain
to others, gives convenience
A good person advises
harmony; speaks orderly reasons
A good person abstains from
vulgarity; seek beautiful thoughts
A good person exalts
virtues; deeds approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
A good person’s culture
adheres to the course of Tao, Te
A good person’s rightful
conduct allow all things to take their natural course
A good person often
cherishes the thought to benefit the world
A good person dwells on
high position, wills of the people on their minds
A good person confers
kindness, not asking for compensation
A good person exalts
virtues, degrades illusive fame
A good person is candid, no
hidden damage
A good person gives thanks,
not neglect
A good person is
self-confident, far from abasing themselves
A good person succeeds, no
absurd desires
A good person is
indifferent; success and gain are of little importance
A good person, in the face
of difficulties, is roused by boldness and daring
A good person has a quiet
conscience; conduct is upright
A good person is hopeful;
knowing, understanding, accepting
A good person, being a
person, brings positive energy
A good person lives in this
world, gives excellence
A good person has no need
to be called ‘old’ and ‘young’
A good person who lives
long sustains a line of Tao
A good person who is young,
Te is pure and abundant
A good person’s is accompanied
by Tao, Te throughout their life
A good person obscures the Tao; a thought is bewildered
A good person enlightened
in Tao; returns to uprightness and
kind
A good person disobeys Te; knowing shamefulness
A good person unites with Te, an glorifies by example
A good person’s pillar of
good service erects itself
A good person’s harmony,
the nature of goodness is complete
A good person exalts
virtues, conduct approaching goodness
A good person’s song to
praise is transmitted to the world
Chapter 7
A good person, good
manners, good atmosphere
A good person, good
thoughts, good deeds and words
Good person, good hearts,
good characters
Good person, good stories,
good transmissions
A good person of
contentment obtain felicitousness
Good persons enjoys safe
and sound throughout their lives
Good persons coming in
multitudes, a country is strong and prosperous
Good persons’ righteousness energy;
a nation glorified
The revival of the nation,
the dream of world
A good persons embodies spirits;
contains their passions
A dynamic world, all things
are fulfilled
The vast and flowing
passion-nature brightens heaven and earth
People living in this
world, Tao and Te teach
Tao, Te build dreams, firm belief
The system of the Tao abides long in thousands of years
The singing of the praising
chant to good persons has no end
By Shanlin-Tzu
