This translation captures the terse and enigmatic beauty of the ancient original and resists the tendency toward interpretive paraphrase found in many other editions. Along with the complete translation, Lombardo and Addiss provide one or more key lines from the original Chinese for each of the eighty-one sections, together with a transliteration of the Chinese characters and a glossary commenting on the pronunciation and meaning of each Chinese character displayed. This greatly enhances the reader's appreciation of how the Chinese text works and feels and the different ways it can be translated into English.

Translated, with Translators' Preface, Glossary, and Pronunciation Guide, by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo; Introduction by Burton Watson, with Ink Drawings by Stephen Addiss. Written by Lao-Tzu.