Lye down upon burnt black pastures Of blossoming red flowers of fresh cut roses and yellow tulips That last no more than a life's hour I tried to keep laughing with them At myself, and join em' But my throat and mind became dry Only then, I knew my escape would be suicide Don't slit wrists around vampires They'll suck flesh to bone Or leave hair torn and without a comb While organs and muscles become a new empire of stone I was going to commit suicide because of them Because of him Because of her Because of me But now that I can see What I have seen I have realized Life is too grand to ruin Over my whims of them.

'Of ways you may speak, but not the Perennial Way; By names you may name, but not the Perennial Name.' The best-loved of all the classical books of China and the most universally popular, the Daodejing or Classic of the Way and Life-Force is a work that defies definition. It encapsulates the main tenets of Daoism, and upholds a way of being as well as a philosophy and a religion. The dominant image is of the Way, the mysterious path through the whole cosmos modelled on the great Silver River or Milky Way that traverses the heavens. A life-giving stream, the Way gives rise to all things and holds them in her motherly embrace. It enables the individual, and society as a whole, to harmonize the disparate demands of daily life and achieve a more profound level of understanding. This new translation draws on the latest archaeological finds and brings out the word play and poetry of the original. Simple commentary accompanies the text, and the introduction provides further historical and interpretative context. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

"Ursula K. Le Guin, a student of the Tao Te Ching for more than fifty years, offers her own thoughtful rendering of the Taoist scripture. She has consulted the literal translations and worked with the scholar J. P. Seaton to develop a version that lets the ancient text speak in a fresh way to modern people, while remaining faithful to the original Chinese. This rendition reveals the Tao Te Ching's immediate relevance and power, its depth and refreshing humor, illustrating better than ever before why it has been so loved for more than 2,500 years. Included are Le Guin's own personal commentary and notes along with two audio CDs of the text read by the author, with original music composed and performed by Todd Barton."--Publisher's website.

The Tao Te Ching is surely the most terse and economical of the world's great religious texts. In a series of short, profound chapters, it elucidates the idea of the Tao, or the Way--an idea that in its ethical, practical and spiritual dimensions has become essential to the life of China's enormously powerful civilization. In the process of this elucidation, its author Laotzu both clarifies and deepens those central religious mysteries around which our life on earth revolves.

A vivid collection of ancient sayings and commentaries which speaks across the centuries and between cultures and people. Limited edition of 500. Quarter bound in leather, silk gold blocking, silk end papers anti ribbon marker. A beautiful collector's edition.

The Tao Te Ching is one of the more popularly translated texts of all historical Chinese writings. Despite the many efforts that have gone into studying and translating Lao Tzus works, it is still remains very difficult to understand, even to native readers. Therefore, only those who fully comprehend the text can translate it properly. This version opts to give as accurate of a translation in as plain of English as possible. Since our goal is to bring a comprehendible Tao Te Ching to our readers, we decided against conforming to any sort of poetic forms. Although we used the same original text as some of the other translators, there are some notable differences in our interpretations, such as in Chapters One and Twenty. In order to better allow our readers to understand the text, this translation also compares Lao Tzus ideas with other great thinkers, such as Einstein and Napoleon.