Il libro del Tao

Di Lao Tzu

Tao-teh-ching
Cura e traduzione di Girolamo Mancuso

«Ľopera più bella e più profonda in lingua cinese», «uno dei più importanti testi di tutta l’antichità»: così è stato definito questo libro, singolare pedaggio che un doganiere avrebbe chiesto a un vecchio saggio che stava per lasciare la Cina per andare verso ovest. Pur essendo considerato, nella sua specificità, “intraducibile”, il Tao-teh-ching è tuttavia il testo cinese antico più tradotto in Occidente, proprio perché ogni traduttore ha considerato insoddisfacente il lavoro dei precedenti. La concisione, l’oscurità e l’ambiguità, che non possono essere conservate in nessuna lingua occidentale, ne costituiscono anche la ricchezza e il fascino permanente.

«Ciò che è spezzato diventerà intero.
Ciò che è curvo diventerà diritto.
Ciò che è vuoto diventerà pieno.
Ciò che è consumato diventerà nuovo.
Chi ha poco otterrà.
Chi ha molto verrà ingannato.»


Lao-Tzu

secondo la tradizione, era un filosofo contemporaneo di Confucio (ma più anziano), nato nel villaggio di Quran. Il suo cognome era Li; il nome Er; l’appellativo Boyang; il nome postumo Dan. Fu storiografo negli archivi reali di Chou. Quando si accinse a lasciare la sua terra, al confine un doganiere gli chiese di scrivere un libro per lui. E Lao-tzu compose un volume in due parti, sul significato della vita e sulla virtù: era Il libro del Tao. Di Lao-tzu non si seppe più nulla.

• Lingua: Italiano
• Editore: Newton Compton Editori
• Data di uscita: 16 dic 2013
• ISBN: 9788854129436

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu is the reputed founder of Taoism, but there is little evidence that he actually existed. He is said to have been a contemporary of Confucius and to have served as curator of the dynastic archives until retiring to the mythical K’un-lun mountains.

Anteprima del libro

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275

Immagini: © iStockphoto/Mark Chen

Prima edizione ebook: marzo 2011

©1995, 2011 Newton Compton editori s.r.l.

Roma, Casella postale 6214

ISBN 978-88-541-2943-6

www.newtoncompton.com

Lao-tzu

Il libro del Tao

Tao-teh-ching

Cura e traduzione di Girolamo Mancuso

Edizione integrale

OMINO-2.png

Newton Compton editori

Introduzione

Ma non lodiamo soltanto il saggio

il cui nome spicca sul libro,

ché al saggio la saggezza va prima strappata.

Perciò sia anche ringraziato il doganiere

che glielo chiese come pedaggio.

B. BRECHT, Leggenda sull’origine del libro

Taoteking dettato da Laotse sulla via

dell’emigrazione

Sima Chian nelle Memorie storiche così riferisce:

Lao-tzu nacque nel villaggio di Quran, distretto di Li, provincia di Hu, nel reame di Chu. Il suo cognome era Li; il nome, Er; l’appellativo, Boyang; il nome postumo, Dan. Fu storiografo negli archivi reali di Zhou.

Confucio andò a Zhou per interrogare Lao-tzu sull’etichetta. Lao-tzu disse: «Gli uomini di cui parli sono morti e sepolti; sono rimaste solo le loro parole. Se un nobile trova il suo momento di fortuna, gira in carrozza; altrimenti incontra degli impedimenti e se ne va a spasso. Io osservo che il mercante saggio nasconde accuratamente i suoi tesori come se fosse povero; il nobile di virtù perfetta assume un’espressione come se fosse stupido. Abbandona la tua arroganza, i tuoi molti desideri, la tua affettazione e la tua esagerata ambizione. Tutto questo non ti è di nessuna utilità. Questo è ciò che ho da dirti, ed è tutto».

Confucio se ne andò. Rivolto ai suoi discepoli, disse: «So che gli uccelli sanno volare, so che i pesci sanno nuotare, so che i quadrupedi sanno camminare. Per quelli che camminano, si possono fare delle reti; per quelli che nuotano, si possono fare delle lenze; per quelli che volano, si possono fare delle frecce. Per quanto riguarda il drago, non posso sapere se cavalca il vento e le nubi mentre sale verso il cielo. Oggi ho visto Lao-tzu.

È forse simile al drago?».

Lao-tzu visse a lungo in Zhou. Quando vide la decadenza di Zhou, partì e giunse al confine. Il doganiere Yinxi disse: «Dato che stai per andartene, ti chiedo di scrivere un libro per me». Allora Lao-tzu compose un libro in due parti, di oltre cinquemila parole, nel quale si parla del significato della via e della sua virtù. Poi partì. Nessuno sa dove sia andato a finire.

Singolare pedaggio che un doganiere avrebbe chiesto a un vecchio saggio che stava per lasciare la Cina per andare verso occidente, questo libro è stato definito «l’opera più bella e più profonda in lingua cinese» (Needham) e «uno dei più importanti testi di tutta l’antichità» (Castellani). Pur essendo «intraducibile», è anche il testo cinese antico più tradotto in Occidente. Ed è stato tradotto e ritradotto proprio perché intraducibile o, come dice Fung Yu-lan, perché «ogni traduttore ha giudicato insoddisfacenti le altre traduzioni». E queste sono tanto diverse l’una dall’altra che «a volte riesce quasi impossibile credere che esse siano basate sullo stesso testo» (Creel). La concisione, l’oscurità e l’ambiguità del testo, che non possono essere conservate in nessuna lingua occidentale, e che quindi lo rendono «propriamente intraducibile», ne costituiscono anche la ricchezza e il fascino permanente. Fung Yu-lan aggiunge che «per ben fatta che sia, la traduzione finisce sempre con l’essere più povera dell’originale: per coglierne tutta la ricchezza, bisognerebbe leggere tutte le traduzioni già fatte e quelle ancora da fare».

Anche la traduzione più «povera» conserva sempre, tuttavia, almeno una parte dell’ambiguità (o pluralità di significati), e quindi del fascino, del testo originale – e trasferisce al lettore la possibilità-necessità di interpretare il testo tradotto. E quindi anche di travisarlo, perché, se l’ambiguità del testo lo rende aperto a interpretazioni diverse, è chiaro che non tutte le interpretazioni linguisticamente possibili sono anche ermeneuticamente corrette – e questo vale per il lettore come per il traduttore.

Traduzione e tradizione

Accanto ai problemi inerenti all’interpretazione delle singole frasi e delle singole parole, esiste un problema più generale, che riguarda il testo nella sua globalità, e che condiziona in certa misura anche l’interpretazione dei singoli passi. A tale riguardo, esistono due scuole interpretative: quella «tradizionale» e quella «critica» o «moderna». La prima rappresenta una lunga tradizione sviluppatasi a partire dal iii secolo d.C., con il commento di Wang Bi. La seconda cerca faticosamente di riscoprire il senso originario (partendo da una ricostruzione filologica del testo, che elimini i numerosi errori testuali accumulatisi nel tempo). La differenza è evidente fin dalle prime righe:

Il Tao di cui si può parlare

non è l’eterno Tao

il nome che può essere nominato

non è l’eterno nome

(trad. Siao Sci-yi)

La Via veramente Via non è una Via costante.

I Termini veramente Termini non sono termini costanti.

(trad. Duyvendak)

Al di là del fatto che tao sia tradotto con «via» o lasciato in cinese, queste due versioni non sono soltanto diverse: dicono esattamente l’opposto. Secondo la prima, il «vero» tao è eterno, immutabile e ineffabile. Per l’altra, il «vero» tao non è immutabile (se sia eterno e ineffabile, resta da vedere). La questione non è di poco conto.

Spiegare come una stessa frase possa ammettere interpretazioni tanto diverse, richiederebbe un discorso troppo tecnico. Al di là delle questioni puramente filologiche, esiste però un problema più propriamente filosofico: se infatti la filologia può spiegare come lo stesso testo possa essere tradotto tanto diversamente, essa non può rendere conto del perché alcuni scelgano di tradurre in un modo piuttosto che in un altro. Questo «perché» ha le sue radici in una diversa impostazione critico-filosofica, ed è soprattutto questo «perché» a interessare, oltre al traduttore, anche il lettore, e a fornirgli le coordinate storico-culturali indispensabili per interpretare in modo corretto il testo tradotto.

Prima di affrontare tale questione, è però necessario fare un passo indietro e ritornare alla «leggenda sull’origine del libro Taoteking».

Il Libro del Vecchio Maestro

Secondo la tradizione, l’autore del testo sarebbe Lao-tzu, un filosofo contemporaneo (ma più anziano) di Confucio, che sarebbe quindi vissuto nel vi secolo a.C. Questa tradizione sembra avallata dal passo delle Memorie storiche citato all’inizio. Su questa attribuzione però, a dire il vero, lo stesso Sima Chian (145-86 a.C.) avanza dei dubbi: «Secondo alcuni (l’autore del libro) sarebbe invece un certo Lao Laizi

Recensioni su Il libro del Tao

[kristymk18-1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

"People certainly have been confused for a long time."The introduction and endnotes went a long way helping me read this. I can see why it takes a lifetime to decipher this.

[raqqash-1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

A classic for life.

[waelrammo · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Just amazing.

[michael.bradham · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Guidance I needed.

[lisamaria_c · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

The Tao Te Ching or Daodejing is a classic Chinese text that traditionally is said to go back to the 6th Century BCE, and written by Lao Tzu, a figure whose historicity is in dispute. According to the Wikipedia, texts of it have been excavated that go back to the 4th Century BCE. Some introductions to editions claim Lao Tzu was a teacher of Confucius, but other authorities I've checked think Taoism was a reaction to Confucianism, and that the text dates later than Confucius, to the time of the "five warring states." If you have a fat book on your hands, it must be filled with commentary, notes or illustrations, because the entire work is extremely short, consisting of 81 brief verses. In the edition I own translated by D.C. Lau, the Introduction is half as long than the text. This is the entirely of Chapter 6, in the Derek Lin translation, which can be found online: The valley spirit, undying Is called the Mystic Female The gate of the Mystic Female Is called the root of Heaven and Earth It flows continuously, barely perceptible Utilize it; it is never exhaustedAs that demonstrates, the meaning isn't always clear, at least to this Westerner, even if you have some familiarity with Taoism from other sources. There's a lot of paradox, opposites juxtaposed, and as the introduction to my owned edition states, the text is often "succinct to the point of obscurity." And as a philosophy, well, these aren't connected arguments. They're more the collected wisdom sayings of a common philosophical movement and not meant to be breezed through cover to cover. Yet even from my first read I found this enjoyable to read, and filled with pithy little words of wisdom: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." (Chapter 64) And especially on a repeat read I can see why some in the libertarian movement embrace it. Note Chapter 57 (Derek Lin) Govern a country with upright integrity Deploy the military with surprise tactics Take the world with non-interference How do I know this is so? With the following: When there are many restrictions in the world The people become more impoverished When people have many sharp weapons The country becomes more chaotic When people have many clever tricks More strange things occur The more laws are posted The more robbers and thieves there are Therefore the sage says: I take unattached action, and the people transform themselves I prefer quiet, and the people right themselves I do not interfere, and the people enrich themselves I have no desires, and the people simplify themselvesThis is reflected in several other verses and I've seen this described as the "Wu=Wei" principle, which has influenced both libertarians such as Murray Rothbard and the Cato Institute's David Boaz and Left-anarchists such as Ursula LeGuin, who wrote a translation I recently saw in the neighborhood bookstore. There's a whole shelf full of different translations of this book, a marker of the worldwide and deep historical influence of the book--which has links to both Confucianism and Buddhism--that makes this worth reading and trying to understand. I'd compare different translations to find one that's congenial, since different translators render very different readings. Wayist Org and TaoTeChingMe.com have pages online comparing various translations.

[spbooks_1 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

First time I've read the Tao Te Ching. Simple but profound advice for living. Simple to understand translation and the annotations and explanations are clear and helpful.

[lucasdwi · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Overall Ames and Hall translate the Dao well and provide some useful commentary. I skipped most of the commentary because it was a bit simple and didn't always provide insightful information. However, as a beginning translation, Ames and Hall provide an easy to read and well written introductory text on the Eastern philosophy of the Dao.

[varwenea · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

This book version: First, it is beautiful with inspiring/matching Chinese artwork including a texture look. Secondly, love that this version has English text with the Chinese text for each chapter every two pages, with the Chinese in the correct vertical from right to left with extra bonus points that the Chinese is done in calligraphy style. Thirdly, a very long introduction proved to be very educational and fitting. Now, the ding – the translation is too casual, using modern language that I personally don’t like, at one point using words like “me, me, me” in reference to selfishness. Hmm, I can read a little bit of Chinese, and I can promise you that’s not what the original text reads! The quotes below should give more flavors of this.Tao Te Ching (TTC), when read with my modern metropolis city girl mind, instructs “The Way”, “The Virtue”, and the “The Coda” as a reminder to the simplicity of life, easily forgotten as we plow forward with our day-to-day to-do list. Contrary to Chapter 41 where “Those who think that the Way is easy will find it extremely hard”, I think the Way is hard and still find it extremely hard! TTC also depressed me a bit (true statement). If life is supposed to be following the way of ‘nothing’, then I sure have been working my ass off for no good reason. If wisdom and knowledge is to be condemned and vilified, then part of my identity is evil. The unspoken expectation, then and now, was simply always be ‘more’, quite not the ‘Tao’. Of course, I’m not taking TTC literally. The complexities of living do not readily allow for it. (Try and explain TTC to the IRS.) Instead, I take from it a few nuggets that are meaningful. Here’s an abbreviated list:Introduction: 1) “Wu-Wei doesn’t mean just sitting about doing nothing. It means ‘being’, it means being receptive, and it means going beyond our egos in what we do and how we do what we do.” 2) “I see the essence of the Tao as poetic, with all that implies, and all we still have to learn – to really be here, and to let go.”Ch1 (Start of Tao): “Following the nothingness of the Tao, and you can be like it, not needing anything, seeing the wonder and the root of everything.” --- Meaning that nothing is something.Ch 2: 1) “Neither future nor past can exist alone.” --- Acceptance and remembrance of who you were and who you have become. 2) “Life is made – and no one owns it.”Ch 20: Seek and want nothing. “What do the people want? Money and things. And yet I find I have nothing, and I don’t care. I am as unambitious as any fool.”Ch 28: Learn to yield, learn to bend, learn to think anew. “Understand the thrust of the yang – but be more like the yin in your being… Be like a stream… Be newborn – be free of yourself…” Ch 38 (Start of Te): Reminded me of leadership, a truly good leader. “A Man of Te rules by Wu-Wei, doing nothing for himself or of himself… A man who rules with compassion, acts through it – and no one even realizes.”Ch 44: “If you’re not always wanting, you can be at peace. And if you’re not always trying to be someone, you can be who you really are.”Ch 67: “I have three priceless treasures: Compassion, Thrift, Humility… These days people scorn compassion. They try to be tough. They spend all they have, and yet want to be generous. They despise humility, and want to be the best.”

[brightman-4 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Good visuals for contemplation

[meditationesmartini · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

 I was totally surprised to find out that this is actually a political treatise but less surprised to learn that quiescence is strength.

[gabarito-3 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I've read 3 translations and this one is by far my favorite.

[bkinetic_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Laozi's set of 81 brief chapters sets forth the philosophy of Taoism. The author cautions the reader that words alone cannot faithfully describe his subject, the Tao or the way of the universe, which in our time has led some to dismiss this perspective due to its ambiguity. Enigmas and apparent contradictions appear frequently, which compelled me to pause to contemplate what Laozi was trying to convey. The necessity of pausing and reflecting makes reading this material fulfilling, especially when I felt I moved closer to understanding.I found the three jewels of Taoism appealing: Compassion, frugality (also translated as restraint and moderation), and humility (or not seeking to be first). Laozi is also persuasive in advocating selective gradual change rather than confrontation.This book is not for the been-there-done-that crowd, who see the ideal life as a experience of episodes of serial consumption. Instead the truths here are intended to be revealed though a combination of experience and contemplation. Some have wisely recommended memorizing some of the chapters, allowing the enigmas and puzzles to remain with us and perhaps to be solved later on with the help of experiential and contextual diversity. The edition I read was translated by Thomas H. Miles and his students. It served my purpose well, though at times I would have appreciated some additional commentary to supplement the helpful existing guidance. Miles' translation also has some useful introductory material in which key terms are defined, insofar as that is possible within Taoism. I intend to read other translations to get a better idea of the range of interpretations.

[wildbill_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Written by Laozi shortly before the Analects of Confucius this classic Chinese text has been more frequently translated than any book except the Bible. It is one of the foundations of East Asian thought that is still read today. The Tao Te Ching provides a combination of spirituality, common sense advice and a little nonsense to remind us that we live in world that cannot be known. Much of the text is open to a wide variety of interpretations. The beginning is a famous quote that provides a good example:The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.The name that can be named is not the eternal name.There is an important thought conveyed in those two lines that loses its' meaning if you try to reduce it to an objective fact.On the other hand the following lines are simple good advice about how to live your life.In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.In speech, be true.In ruling, be just.In business, be competent.In action, watch the timing.One of the author's favorite devices is the use of contradictions to express an idea.When the Tao is present in the universe,The horses haul manure.When the Tao is absent from the universe,War horses are bred outside the city.The Tao Te Ching is eighty-one verses and each time I read it I discover something new. For me that is the hallmark of a truly great book. The edition I have is filled with full page pictures and has the original Chinese on the opposite page from the translation.

[duck2ducks · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Pretty good, but the few poems I had encountered before reading this in its entirety proved to be the best of the bunch. Some are inspiring and beautifully written, while others are plainer - but that's to be expected of a work composed by a multitude of hands over many years. Really great ideas and values to reflect upon and try to keep in mind though, which is where this book earns most of its praise.

[illprose · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Translating great works of spiritual literature has never been an easy task, or one without its controversy. Whether it is the Bible, which, in its preeminent King James Version is still riddled with inaccuracies, or the Koran, a text which is too holy to even have any such thing as an authoritative translation, one thing is certain: Religious texts are always a point of conflict among scholars, priests, and laymen.That said, Stephen Mitchell does an excellent job of providing a version of the Tao Te Ching for the layman.I say 'version' instead of 'translation' because Mitchell actually knows no Chinese. He does have the experience of a poet, being a translator of Rilke's work as well as other spiritual texts such as the Hinduist Baghavad Gita. And despite his lack of being a true translator, he is a practitioner of the Tao, and is familiar with Zen in a way that translators usually aren't. What makes this version of the Tao Te Ching different from others may be its poetic language. Mitchell's interpretation is a calm one, marked by simple, concise words that do not obscure the meaning of the text in any way. In the hands of a bad translator, the Tao would seem like the musings of an Eastern sophist, but in the hands of Mitchell, the Tao is easier to understand (to the extent it can be understood in words).Mitchell writes:Do you have the patience to waittill your mud settles and the water is clear?Can you remain unmovingtill the right action arises by itself?The prose reflects a stillness that is most appropriate to the Tao; it — in Mitchell's words — “makes the hidden present.”The Tao Te Ching can be read in many ways. To some, it is about the basic principles of the universe, the exploration of a idea neither secular nor religious. To others, it is a guide for rulers. Although primarily considered a spiritual reference, the Tao Te Ching can be used by statesman or other leaders. There are many passages in which an attractive governmental philosophy is espoused, one that is consistent with the Tao, which is neither tyrannically oppressive nor liberally excessive; it “hold[s] on to the center,” true to Taoist thought.The wisdom of Lao-tzu, his short masterpiece the Tao Te Ching, is covered by Mitchell in a modern, accessible way. It could be recommended to everyone but scholars looking for word-to-word translations. Mitchell puts a contemporary spin on the work without being irreverent, taking it into the twenty-first century gracefully. This old classic contains advice sorely needed in our time, and this new version shatters the myth that it can't be understood by the West. It can, and now more than ever.

[michael5rimmer · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I've read the Tao Te Ching many times and still come away uncertain as to its meaning, but each time I get little glimmers that I didn't see before. It's probably because I'm trying to understand it that I don't.

[gbsallery · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Not a patch on Machiavelli, yet written from the same point of view: as advice for a would-be leader. The Tao Te Ching speaks from a point of view which I find very hostile, that of providing wisdom for an aspiring leader of a hegemonistic and ambiguous state. The advice includes tips on keeping your peasants stupid and happy, and much mystical mumbo-jumbo which doesn't stand up to ten seconds' solid thinking. Mysteriously popular.

[adeptmagic · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

beautiful writing for anyone, not just those interested in oriental philosophy

[www3snigel3nu · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

A very thorough and yet comprehensive translation and interpretation of Daodejing. Complete with a chapter discussing the text and its implications.

[co_coyote · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

One of the classics. This translation by Jane English is one of my favorites. Plus, the pictures are wonderful. Great memories of winter camping are conjured up, for some reason.

[jjmcgaffey · Valutazione: 1 su 5 stelle]

Philosophic fluff. Most of the good lines quoted something - from Shakespeare to Star Wars (not quotes exactly - evoke, more like). The glosses were interesting (why did Mitchell say it that way?) and amusing ("One gives birth to Two: Oy!"

[martyr13 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

The tao te ching is pound for pound the greatest spiritual work ever written. 81 short pages written thousands of years ago still pack a serious punch, and are scarily relevant. This translation is not my favorite, so I rated it 4 stars instead of 5.

[shawnd_72 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I liked this version a lot. I am likely paraphrasing other reviewers when I say it is accessible, sensible, stylistic, and modern. Modern meaning it's been sanitized a bit more than most, for example "The Master doesn't seek fulfillment; Not seeking, not expecting; she is present, and can welcome all things. So use of the female and male 'tense'. Also missing some of the more abstract or even abstruse general metaphysical terms found in some translations. A good starter Tao for the first timer.

[colinwu · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Not something to be read cover to cover but as something to pick up occassionally and open randomly - then contemplate (or meditate) on what you've read. Some of the language has obviously been updated.

[poetontheone · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

A timeless treasure trove of ancient wisdom. Le Guin's version is fluid, digestible, and enjoyable - adding a pleasant accessibility while still remaining faithful to the text.

[pattern0chaser · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

Daoist classic of oriental wisdom. Not easy to appreciate without help....

[pansociety · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

The basic text of Taoism, filled with wisdom of the awareness of the Universe of the ancient Chinese.

[kawgirl · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

You will not find a better, more accessible translation of the Tao te Ching than this one. Mitchell's translation is a must read.

[jolyon_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Still the best, overall. Have had this for 30 years and it never palls.

[eileansiar · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

"There was something undefined and complete, coming into extistence before Heaven and Earth. ... I do not know its name, and I give it the designation of the Tao (the way or course)." Thus wrote this ancient seer. And much more. A succinct guide to guide to the inner workings of 'life, the universe and all that,' - a hitchikers guide to the essential nature of creation. It's not what you think - instead, just get your striving ego out of the way, and let the Way flow into your life.