Knowing the unknowingness, is wise; not knowing the knowingness, is si
知病 · Zhī Bìng
Classical Chinese Text
知不知，尚矣；不知知，病也。圣人不病，以其病病。夫唯病病，是以不病。
Translation & Meaning
Knowing the unknowingness, is wise; not knowing the knowingness, is sickness. A sage has no sickness, because she treats the sickness like sickness. For knowing the sickness, (she) therefore has no sickness.
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 尚 (shàng): classical character (shàng)
- 矣 (yǐ): [modal particle of realization]
- 病 (bìng): classical character (bìng)
- 也 (yě): [modal particle of assertion]
- 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
- 人 (rén): person / human
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
- 唯 (wéi): only / precisely because
- 是 (shì): this / therefore