Chinese Classics Daily

About the Texts

The Tao Te Ching (道德經), attributed to Laozi, is the founding text of Daoism: 81 brief chapters on the Way that cannot be named. The Analects (論語) record the sayings of Confucius and his disciples across 20 books, the central text of Confucianism.

We use James Legge's translations (Analects 1861, Tao Te Ching 1891). Legge was a Scottish sinologist whose versions remain the most widely read English renderings. Published over a century ago, with the translator dead since 1897, they are public domain worldwide. The Chinese text is the received edition scholars have read for centuries: the Wang Bi text for the Tao Te Ching, the standard text for the Analects.

Bilingual means what it says: every day shows the Classical Chinese original next to Legge's English. The audiobook reads the English; the Chinese is there to read slowly, compare character by character, or learn from. No account, no paywall, no abridgment.

Questions

Are these really public domain?

Yes. The originals were composed in the 4th-5th century BCE. Legge's translations (1861/1891) are public domain worldwide: published before 1930, translator deceased 1897.

Do I need to know Chinese?

No. Read the English alone and you get the full daily passage. The Chinese is there for readers who want the original, are studying the language, or simply like seeing the characters Legge was working from.

Why 101 days?

81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching, then 20 books of the Analects. Each day is one self-contained passage, roughly 5-15 minutes of audio. Finish both foundational texts in a little over three months.

Can I use these in a classroom?

Yes. Everything is public domain: read aloud, print, assign, quote freely. A daily passage works well as a five-minute opening for philosophy, history, or world literature classes.