第25章 · 原文
现代白话译文
有一个东西混然而成，在天地形成之前就已经产生。它寂静啊空虚啊，独立存在而不改变，循环运行而不停止，可以作为天地的母亲。我不知道它的名字，给它取字叫道，勉强给它取名叫大。大叫做离去，离去叫做遥远，遥远叫做返回。所以道大，天大，地大，人也大。宇宙中有四大，而人占据其中之一。人效法地，地效法天，天效法道，道效法自然。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
混然不可得而知．而万物由之以成．故曰混成也．不知其谁之子．故先天地生．寂寥无形体也．无物匹之．故曰独立也．返化终始．不失其常．故曰改也．周行无所不至而不危殆．能生全大形也．故可以为天下母也．名以定形．混成无形．不可得而定．故曰不知其名也．夫名以定形．字以称可．言道取于无物而不由也．是混成之中．可言之称最大也．吾所以字之曰道者．取其可言之称最大也．责其字定之所由．则繋于大．夫有繋则必有分．有分则失其极矣．故曰强为之名曰大．逝行也．不守一大体而已．周行无所不至．故曰逝也．远极也．周行无所不穷极．不偏于一逝．故曰远也．不随于所适．其体独立．故曰反也．天地之性人为贵．而王是人之主也．虽不职大亦复为大．与三匹故曰王亦大也．四大道天地王也．凡者有称有名．则日其极也．言道则有所由．有所由然后谓之为道．然则道是称中之大也．不若无称之大也．无称不可得而名．故曰域也．道天地王皆在乎无称之内．故曰域中有四大者也．处人主之大也．法谓法则也．人不违地．乃得全安．法地也．地不违天．乃得全载．法天也．天不违道．乃得全覆．法道也．道不违自然．乃得其性法自然也．法自然者．在方而法方．在圆而法圆．于自然无所违也．自然者无称之言穷极之辞也．用智不及无知．而形魄不及精象．精象不及无形．有仪不及无仪．故转相法也．道法自然．天故资焉．天法于道．地故则焉．地法于天．人故象焉．王所以为主．其主之者一也.
河上公注（汉）
有物混成者，谓道也。道混同万物，无所不包也。先天地生者，道在天地之前生也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
形象有間，道無間。道不擇有，亦不擇無，與之俱往。往而不息於往，故為逝，為遠，與之俱往矣。住而不悖其來，與之俱來，則逝遠之即反也。道既已如斯矣，法道者亦乘乘然而與之往來。而與之往來者，守常而天下自復，蓋不憂其數而不給矣。「栽營魄，抱一而不離」，用此物也。近取之身，為艮背而不為機目；遠取之天地，為大制而不為剸割；故可以為天下王。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此承前言世俗之士，各以己見己是為得。曾不知大道之妙，非見聞可及。故此特示大道以曉之也。有物者，此指道之全體，本來無名，故但云有一物耳。渾渾淪淪，無有絲毫縫隙，故曰混成。未有天地，先有此物，故曰先天地生。且無聲不可聞，無色不可見，故曰寂寥。超然於萬物之上，而體常不變，故曰獨立而不改。且流行四時，而終古不窮，故曰周行而不殆。殆，窮盡也。天地萬物，皆從此中生，故曰可以為天下母。老子謂此物至妙至神，但不知是何物，故曰吾不知其名，特字之曰道。且又強名之曰大道耳。向下釋其大字。老子謂我說此大字，不是大小之大。乃是絕無邊表之大。往而窮之，無有盡處。故云大曰逝。向下又釋逝字。逝者遠而無所至極也。故云逝曰遠。遠則不可聞見，無聲無色，非耳目之所到。故云遠曰反。反，謂反一絕跡。道之極處，名亦不立，此道之所以為大也。然此大道，能生天生地，神鬼神王。是則不獨道大，而天地亦大。不獨天地大，而王亦大。故域中所稱大者有四，而王居其一焉。世人但知王大，而不知聖人取法於天地。此則天地又大於王。世人但知天地大，而不知天地自道中生，取法於道。此則道又大於天地也。雖然，道固為大，而猶有稱謂名字。至若離名絕字，方為至妙，合乎自然。故曰道法自然。且而大道之妙，如此廣大精微。而世人豈可以一曲之見，自見自是以為得哉。此其所以自見者不明，自是者不彰耳。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
有物混成，先天地生。寂呵寥呵，独立而不改，可以为天地母。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
There is a thing formed from confusion and born before heaven and earth. Silent and void, it stands alone and does not change. It goes around and does not weary. It can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name, so I call it the way. Forced to name it, I call it great. Great means passing, passing means receding, receding means returning. Therefore the way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the king is also great. There are four great things in the world, and the king is one of them. Man models himself on earth, earth on heaven, heaven on the way, and the way on nature.
There is something formed from confusion and born before heaven and earth. Silent and void, it stands alone and does not change. It goes around and does not weary. It can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name, so I call it the way. Forced to name it, I call it great. Great means passing, passing means receding, receding means returning. Therefore the way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, and the king is also great. There are four great things in the world, and the king is one of them. Man models himself on earth, earth on heaven, heaven on the way, and the way on nature.
Something formed in chaos, born before heaven and earth. Silent and void, it stands alone and does not change. It goes around and does not tire. It can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name, I call it the way. Forced to name it, I call it great. Great means passing, passing means faring, faring means returning. Therefore the way is great, heaven is great, earth is great, the king is also great. There are four greats in the world, and the king is one of them. Humans follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the way, the way follows nature.