Below is the chapter from two excellent sources along with the original Chinese text. The first source is from a translation by D.T. Suzuki & Paul Carus in 1913 followed by a translation by Stephen Mitchell in 1988.
Chapter 41
1. When a superior scholar hears of Reason he endeavors to practise it.
2. When an average scholar hears of Reason he will sometimes keep it and sometimes lose it.
3. When an inferior scholar hears of Reason he will greatly ridicule it. Were it not thus ridiculed, it would as Reason be insufficient.
4. Therefore the poet says:
5. "The Reason--enlightened seem dark and black,
The Reason--advanced seem going back,
The Reason--straight-levelled seem rugged and slack.
6. "The high in virtue resemble a vale,
The purely white in shame must quail,
The staunchest virtue seems to fail.
7. "The solidest virtue seems not alert,
The purest chastity seems pervert,
The greatest square will rightness desert.
8. "The largest vessel is not yet complete,
The loudest sound is not speech replete,
The greatest form has no shape concrete."
9. Reason so long as it remains latent is unnamable. Yet Reason alone is good for imparting and completing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao.
Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.
2. When an average scholar hears of Reason he will sometimes keep it and sometimes lose it.
3. When an inferior scholar hears of Reason he will greatly ridicule it. Were it not thus ridiculed, it would as Reason be insufficient.
4. Therefore the poet says:
5. "The Reason--enlightened seem dark and black,
The Reason--advanced seem going back,
The Reason--straight-levelled seem rugged and slack.
6. "The high in virtue resemble a vale,
The purely white in shame must quail,
The staunchest virtue seems to fail.
7. "The solidest virtue seems not alert,
The purest chastity seems pervert,
The greatest square will rightness desert.
8. "The largest vessel is not yet complete,
The loudest sound is not speech replete,
The greatest form has no shape concrete."
9. Reason so long as it remains latent is unnamable. Yet Reason alone is good for imparting and completing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn't laugh,
it wouldn't be the Tao.
Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.
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