Tao Te Ching·Chapter 10: the concentration of your vital energy

道德经 · 第十章

Tao Te Ching · Chapter 10

戴營魄抱一，能毋離乎?
In carrying about your more spiritual and more physical aspects and embracing their oneness,
Are you able to keep them from separating?

摶炁至柔，能嬰兒乎?
In concentrating your ‌vital energy(炁)‌ and making it pliant,
Are you able to become the newborn babe?

滌除玄鑑，能毋有疵乎?
In scrubbing and cleansing your profound mirror,
Are you able to rid it of all imperfections?

愛民活國，能毋以知乎?
In loving the common people and breathing life into the state,
Are you able to do it without recourse to wisdom?

天門啓闔，能為雌乎?
With nature’s gates swinging open and closed,
Are you able to remain the female?

明白四達，能毋以知乎?
With your insight penetrating the four quarters,
Are you able to do it without recourse to wisdom?

生之、畜之，生而弗有，長而弗宰也。
It gives life to things and nurtures them.
Giving life without managing them
And raising them without lording it over them一

是謂玄德。
This is called the profoundest efficacy(德).