What is the best translation of Tao Te Ching?

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For most readers, the D. C. Lau translation (1963) of Tao Te Ching is the best place to start: D.C. Lau's Penguin translation is the standard — accurate, concise, and scholarly without being cold. For a first reading that won't mislead you, this is the one I'd start with. It's less lush than Mitchell or Le Guin, but it's the closest of the popular editions to what the Chinese actually says. This is where I'd start. For most popular, consider Stephen Mitchell (1988). For most faithful, consider Addiss & Lombardo (1993). For most personal, consider Ursula K. Le Guin (1997). For the free classic, consider James Legge (1891).

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