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Lao-tzu translations

A collection of all translations of the Lao-tzu (Laozi)

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   Lao-tzu translations: A collection of all translations of the Lao-tzu (Laozi)
You often hear claims as to Lao-tzu (Laozi, Lao-tse) being the most frequently translated text in the world, that there is no other book that has so many different translations. Supposedly, there are 300 some English translations today. Being sceptical, I decided to collect these translations all together and make a list. I tried not to include the same translation twice, in other words, I am trying to gather the translations, not editions. However, sometimes a different edition from the same translator also means a different translation (e.g. James Legge's translations).

Please bear in mind that this is an ongoing effort and I rely very much on your contribution. So if you know of a Lao-tzu translation that is not listed, please let me know and I will add it here.


Translator: John Chalmers
Title: The Speculations on Metaphysics, Polity and Morality of the Old Philosopher Lau Tsze
Published: London: Trubner, 1868


Translator: Watters, Thomas
Title: Lao-Tzu, a study in Chinese philosophy
Published: Hongkong, 1870


Translator: Dr. Paul Carus
Title: Lao-Tze's Tao-Teh-king
Published: Chicago, London: The Open Court Pub. Co. ; K. Paul, Trench, Truebner, 1898.


Translator: Isabella Mears
Title: Tao Te Ching
Published: London: Theosophical Publishing House, 1922


Translator: Walter Gorn Old, M.R.A.S.
Title: Lao Tze: The Tao-Teh-King: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Formerly published under the title "The Book of the Simple Way.")
Published: London: Rider & Co., 1929.


Translator: A.L. Kitselman II.
Title: Dao de jing (The way of peace) of Laozi, 600 B.C.
Published: Palo Alto, CA: The School of Simplicity, c1936


Translator: Eduard Erkes
Title: Ho-shang-kung's commentary on Lao-tse
Published: Ascona, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae, 1950


Translator: J.J.L. Duyvendak
Title: Tao Te Ching: The Book of the Way and its Virtue
Published: London: John Murray, 1954


Translator: R. B. Blakney
Title: The Way of Life: Tao Te Ching: The Classic Translation
Published: London, New York: Penguin Putnam, 1955


Translator: Patrick M. Byrne
Title: Tao Te Ching: The Way of Virtue
Published: Garden City Park, NY: SquareOne Classics, 1963


Translator: Wing-Tsit Chan
Title: The Way of Lao Tzu
Published: New York: Macillan, 1963


Translator: D. C. Lau
Title: Lao Tzu: Tao Te King
Published: London, New York: Penguin Books, 1963


Translator: Tang, Zi-chang
Title: Wisdom of Dao
Published: San Rafael, CA.: T. C. Press, 1969


Translator: Feng Gia Fu and Jane English
Title: Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Published: New York: Vintage, 1972


Translator: Rhett Y. W. Young, Roger T. Ames
Title: Lao Zi : text, notes, and comments (by Chen Kuying; translated and adapted by Rhett Y. W. Young, Roger T. Ames)
Published: San Francisco: Chinese Materials Center, 1977


Translator: Ariane Rump in collaboration with Wing-tsit Chan
Title: Commentary on the Lao Tzu (by Wang Pi)
Published: Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1979


Translator: Ni Hua-Ching
Title: Complete works of Lao Tzu: Tao teh ching & Hua hu ching
Published: Malibu, CA: Shrine of the Eternal Breath of Tao, c1979.


Translator: Tam C. Gibbs
Title: Lao-tzu, my words are very easy to understand : lectures on the Tao Teh Ching (by Manran Zheng ; translated from the Chinese by Tam C. Gibbs.
Published: Richmond, CA: North Atlantic Books, c1981


Translator: Robert G. Henricks
Title: Laozi: Dedao jing: a new translation based on the recently discovered Mawangdui texts
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 1989.


Translator: Ellen Chen
Title: The Tao Te Ching
Published: New York: Paragon House, 1989


Translator: unknown
Title: A Taoist classic, the book of Lao Zi
Published: Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1993


Translator: Stephen Addis and Stanley Lombardo
Title: Lao-Tzu Tao Te Ching
Published: Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Co., 1993


Translator: Jerry O. Dalton
Title: Tao Te Ching: A New Approach
Published: New York, Avon, 1993


Translator: He Guanghu, Gao Shining et al.
Title: The Book of Lao Zi
Published: Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1993


Translator: Gu Zhengkun
Title: Lao Zi: The Book of Tao and Teh
Published: Beijing: Peking University Press, 1995


Translator: Liu Shicong (Yang Shu'an)
Title: Lao Zi
Published: Beijing, China: Chinese Literature Press, 1997.


Translator: Ursula K. Le Guin with the collaboration of J. P. Seaton
Title: Tao te ching : a book about the way and the power of the way
Published: Boston: Shambala, 1997.


Translator: Arthur Wailey
Title: Tao Te Ching
Published: Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions, 1997


Translator: Richard John Lynn
Title: The classic of the way and virtue : a new translation of the Tao-te ching of Laozi as interpreted by Wang Bi
Published: New York: Columbia University Press, c1999


Translator: Stephen Mitchell
Title: Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey
Published: London: Frances Lincoln, 1999


Translator: Robert G. Henricks
Title: Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching: A Translation of the Startling New Documents Found at Guodian
Published: New York: Columbia University Press, 2000


Translator: Ha Poong Kim
Title: Reading Lao Tzu: A Companion to the Tao Te Ching with a New Translation
Published: Philadelphia, PA: Xlibris, 2003


Translator: Daniel R. Condron
Title: The Tao Te Ching Interpreted and Explained
Published: Windyville, MO: SOM Publishing, 2003


Translator: Wagner, Rudolf G.
Title: A Chinese reading of the Daodejing: Wang Bi's commentary on the Laozi with critical text and translation
Published: Albany: State University of New York Press, c2003


Translator: Roger T. Ames
Title: Daodejing : making this life significant : a philosophical translation
Published: Beijing: Xueyuan chubanshe, 2004.


The Lao-tzu in Legge's translation
Pathless path, nameless name - Translating Laozi
Ancient Chinese bronzes -- Meaning and Explanation
Seals in Ancient Chinese Magic
The Face of the Beast - The Taotie
A visitor in ancient China
The Chinese alphabet
The Diamond Sutra
On human nature
The Chinese zodiac
The Paper Lion
The study of ancient characters in China
The Assyrian Origin of Devil Worshippers

   Lao-tzu translations: A collection of all translations of the Lao-tzu (Laozi)

Lao-tzu translations: A collection of all translations of the Lao-tzu (Laozi)