Tao Te Ching - Chapter 2 - character-to-character translation

天下 (All under heaven) 皆 (all) 知 (know) 美 (beauty) 之 (particle: 's) 為 (as) 美 (beautiful)，斯 (then) 惡 (ugly) 已 (arises)①；皆 (all) 知 (know) 善 (goodness) 之 (particle: 's) 為 (as) 善 (good)，斯 (then) 不善 (bad) 矣 (particle: assertive)。

All that is under heaven considers beauty to be beautiful, ugly arises. All consider goodness to be good, bad arises.

Translator’s Note: The world we perceive as reality, known as the cosmos, is derived from Tao by Yin and Yang, being the prerequisite for each other. Without ugliness, there is no beauty; without darkness, there is no light; without negative, there is no positive; and so forth. This is the very foundation of our cosmos.

有 (Existence) 無 (nonexistence) 之 (particle: 's) 相 (each other) 生 (give birth) 也 (particle)，難 (difficulty) 易 (ease) 之 (particle: 's) 相 (each other) 成 (complete) 也 (particle)，長 (longness) 短 (shortness) 之 (particle: 's) 相 (each other) 刑 (measure) 也 (particle)，高 (highness) 下 (lowness) 之 (particle: 's) 相 (each other) 盈 (fulfill) 也 (particle)，音 (music) 聲 (sound) 之 (particle: 's) 相 (each other) 和 (accord) 也 (particle)，先 (before) 後 (after) 之 (particle: 's) 相 (each other) 隨 (follow)，恆 (unchanged) 也 (particle: assertive)。

Existence and nonexistence give birth to each other; difficulty and ease complete each other; longness and shortness measure each other; highness and lowness fulfill each other; music and sound accord each other; (these are the) unchanged.

是以 (Thus) 聖人 (sage) 居 (carries) 無為 (no act) 之 (possessive particle) 事 (act)②，行 (teaches) 不言 (no word) 之 (possessive particle) 教 (教)，萬物 (ten thousand things) 作 (move) 而 (but) 弗 (remains unmoved) 始 (not) 也 (particle)，為 (acts) 而 (but) 弗 (without) 志 (will) 也 (particle)，成功 (achievements) 而 (but) 弗 (assumes no credit) 居 (for) 也 (particle)。 夫 (And) 唯 (because) 弗 (nothing) 居 (assumed)，是以 (there is) 弗 (nothing) 去 (to lose)。

Thus, a sage carries herself by the act of no act, teaches by the word of no word, ten thousand things move but (remains) unmoved, acts without (her own) will, assumes no credit for achievements. And because there is nothing assumed, there is nothing to lose.

Translator’s Note: The point of studying Tao is to act to it, so how should we conduct ourselves knowing the truth of Yin and Yang? A general guideline provided here is to position ourselves on the middle path, for it is the path of Tao, and avoid either side in any context. Please note that it is impossible for any being to perfectly align with Tao, because like the universe we are born into, we are a product of the imbalance, for a perfectly balanced world means a total void, which exists only before The Big Bang, assuming it was truly how and when our universe was born. Therefore, the understanding of Tao serves merely as our north star to navigate the sea of earthly affairs and achieve true happiness and well-being in this transient human life.