A Lovely Translation

I was originally introduced to Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching in a world history class, and without fully understanding what I was reading, I nevertheless found it to be one of the most relaxing texts I had ever read. When I went to a bookstore to buy a copy, however, I found a dizying array of translations and no clear way to pick one over another. Finally, I decided I would flip through and read a few pages of each until I found a translation that gave me the same sense of peace as I felt when first reading a translation in class. This method led me to buy a translation by Brian Browne Walker.

Walker's translation is simple, poetic, and utterly beautiful. I have no idea how accurate the translation is, since I do not know Chinese. What I do know is, the words and concepts of the Tao Te Ching are words of deep worth. It's easy to see how one could embrace the philosophy espoused by the Tao Te Ching.