“Reading [Le Guin’s] translations is like taking a shared walk down a
familiar trail where we discover rocks and water that we somehow
missed before. . . . undeniably refreshing, capturing a language that is
casual and clear, reflective and pointed, full of the wise humor of the
Way.”
—Parabola
“A student of the Tao for several decades, Le Guin has created an English
text that will speak to modern readers in a fresh and lively way, while
conveying the humor, insight and beauty of the original.”
—Shambhala Sun
“Ursula K. Le Guin’s translation of the Tao Te Ching is a personal and
poetic meditation. Through her own careful study of these ancient
teachings, she brings the Way into contemporary life. Each day, I open this
book at random and receive a contemplative gift. These words are akin to
water in the desert.”
—Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge
“Among the many translations of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, Ursula K. Le
Guin’s new version is a special treasure—a delight. There is something
startlingly fresh and creatively alive here, brought forth by Ms. Le Guin’s
intuitive and personal ingenuity. Her rendering has moved me to return to
the original Chinese text with rejuvenated fervor, rejoicing in the
ineffable sageness that lies in and between Lao Tzu’s lines.”
—Chuangliang Al Huang, founder of the Living Tao Foundation, coauthor
(with Alan Watts) of Tao: The Watercourse Way
ABOUT THE BOOK
No other English translation of this greatest of the Chinese classics can
match Ursula Le Guin’s striking new version. Le Guin, best known for
thought-provoking science fiction novels that have helped to transform the
genre, has studied the Tao Te Ching for more than forty years. She has
consulted the literal translations and worked with Chinese scholars to
develop a version that lets the ancient text speak in a fresh way to modern
people, while remaining faithful to the poetic beauty of the work.
Avoiding scholarly interpretations and esoteric Taoist insights, she has
revealed the Tao Te Ching ’s immediate relevance and power, its depth
and refreshing humor, in a way that shows better than ever before why it
has been so much loved for more than 2,500 years. Included are Le Guin’s
own personal commentary and notes on the text. This new version is sure
to be welcomed by the many readers of the Tao Te Ching as well as those
coming to the text for the first time.
URSULA K. LE GUIN is the winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Gandalf, Kafka,
and National Book Awards. She is the author of many short stories and
more than fifteen novels, including The Left Hand of Darkness and The
Dispossessed. She is also an honored author of children’s books, poetry,
and criticism.
