For the first time in the history of Russian sinology, an attempt has been made to convey the canon of the Tao Te Ching in its poetic element, meeting the criterion of “textual documentation”. The reader is offered two parallel translations: prosorhythmic and poetic, performed respectively by A. E. Lukyanov and V. P. Abramenko. In the research part, based on the genesis of Tao culture, the author’s (A. E. Lukyanov) concept of the ontology of Chinese poetry is given - the transformation of archetypal designs of patterns and sound into the poetic word. In the field of view are mythological symbols, the definition of poetry by Li Bo (8th century), the theory of poetry by Si Kuntu (IX - 10th centuries), the poetic creativity of F. I. Tyutchev and A. S. Pushkin. Considerable attention is paid to the formation of the poetic volume of the Tao Te Ching and the specifics of the poetic translation of this work into Russian. The appendix contains facsimiles of the Guodian and Mawandun texts of the “Tao Te Ching” written respectively on bamboo slats and silk. About the translators: Anatoly Evgenievich Lukyanov – head of the Center for the Comparative Study of East Asian Civilizations of the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor. Sinologist, board member of the International Confucian Association and the International Association of Ching Studies (Moscow - Beijing). Researcher of the history of Chinese philosophy, author of nine monographs and translations from ancient Chinese of classical philosophical texts - “Tao Te Ching” (“Canon of Tao and De”), “Lun Yu” (“Conversations and Judgments”), “I Ching” (“Canon of Changes”) "), "Zhong Yun" ("Following the Middle"), "Tong Shu" ("Book of Penetration") by Zhou Dunyi and others. Abramenko Vladimir Petrovich - poet, author of lyrical poetic works, poems about the "I Ching" ("Canon of Changes") ") and "Tao de jing" ("Canon of Dao and De"), author of poetic translations of the songs "Shi jing" ("Canon of Songs"), miniatures of the Song philosopher Zhou Dunyi, a complete poetic translation of the Taoist treatise "Tao de jing" and poetic transcriptions of the Confucian treatise “Lun Yu” (“Conversations and Judgments”). Candidate of Technical Sciences, member of the board of the Taiji Research Society (Moscow - Hong Kong)