Consistent　character　will　not　falter
  （But）　return　home　again　as　unlimited
  Know　the　honored
  （But）　keep　the　humble
  Serve　as　a　valley　to　the　world
  Serving　as　valley　to　the　world
  Consistent　character　will　then　be　enough
  A　return　journey　home　to　original　nature
  Original　nature；　cut　up；　is　then　made　into　artifacts
  Wise　ones；　using　such　things；
  Are　then　made　into　senior　officials
  And　so　the　greatest　governing　does　the　least　dividing
  29
  When　taken　by　desire　to　take　hold　of　nature
  and　reconstruct　things
  We　notice　that　this　（will）　never　reach　closure
  The　world　is　a　spirit　vessel
  Not　suited　to　reconstruction　at　all
  Those　who　interfere　spoil　things
  Those　who　grab　lose　things
  And　so　the　beings　sometimes　go　ahead；　sometimes　follow
  Sometimes　snort；　sometimes　puff
  Sometimes　are　fit；　sometimes　are　feeble
  Sometimes　hold　up；　sometimes　break　down
  This　is　why　wise　ones　avoid　the　extremes
  Avoid　the　superfluous
  Avoid　the　extravagant
  30
  Those　who　use　the　way　to　help　with　human　government
  Do　not　use　arms　（or）　force　on　the　world
  Such　efforts　tend　to　recoil
  （In）　a　place　where　an　army　has　camped
  Thorns　and　brambles　grow　now
  A　great　army抯　aftermath　is　sure　to　bring　bad　harvests
  Those　who　are　competent　succeed　and　then　stop
  Not　daring　（or）　thinking　to　take　by　force
  Succeed　but　do　not　glorify
  Succeed　but　with　no　aggression
  Succeed　but　with　no　arrogance
  Succeed　even　not　having　gained　the　end
  Succeed　but　do　not　dominate
  A　being　grown　mighty　will　then　grow　frail
  This　may　be　called　搊ff　the　path？br》　Off　the　path　is　soon　finished
  31
  Even　the　finest　weapons　are　tools　of　ill　omen
  Things　somehow　wrong　to　hold
  So　those　who　have　the　way　do　not　linger
  A　noble　one；　when　home；　honors　the　left
  When　working　with　weapons；　honors　the　right
  Weapons　are　tools　of　ill　omen
  They　are　not　a　noble　one抯　tools
  Failing　to　gain　satisfaction　and　still　using　them
  Calm　indifference　is　best　adopted
  Even　in　triumph　there　is　no　beauty
  And　those　who　are　attracted　to　this
  are　in　fact　delighting　in　the　slaughter　of　others
  Now　those　who　delight　in　the　slaughter　of　others
  Are　then　ill　suited　for　use
  in　achieving　any　goal　in　the　world　at　all
  （In）　auspicious　affairs　the　left　side　is　honored
  （In）　adverse　affairs　the　right　side　is　honored
  An　army抯　lieutenant　commander　stays　to　the　left
  The　army抯　commander　in　chief　stays　to　the　right
  A　description　of　the　funeral　rites　held　at　the　end
  Where　the　slaughter　of　others　amounts　to　a　multitude
  Have　compassion　&　lament　&　weep　for　them
  （When）　the　battle　is　won
  consider　the　funeral　rites　being　held　here
  32
  The　way　is　continuous；　without　description
  The　original　nature　may　be　ordinary
  But　none　in　the　world　presumes　to　master　it　all
  If　leaders　&　sovereigns　were　able　to　grasp　this
  The　myriad　beings　would　then　submit　naturally
  （As）　heaven　and　earth　join　together
  Thus　to　let　fall　the　sweet　dew
  Nobody　has　commanded　this；
  yet　the　harmony　is　natural
  Begin　with　rules　&　definitions　appear
  And　still　more　definitions　are　already　assumed
  Now；　more　than　ever；　prepare　to　learn　restraint
  Learning　restraint　is　apt　to　be　useful　in　avoiding　trouble
  Imagine　the　place　of　the　path　in　nature
  To　be　like　the　streams　and　valleys
  reaching　for　rivers　and　ocean
  33
  To　know　others　means　intelligence
  To　know　oneself　means　clarity
  To　overcome　others　is　to　have　strength
  To　overcome　oneself　is　to　be　powerful
  To　know　satisfaction　means　wealth
  （To　be）　energetic　in　movement　means　to　have　purpose
  To　not　forget　one抯　own　place　means　enduring
  To　die　and　yet　not　perish　means　longevity
  34
  How　the　great　way　（is　a）　flood！
  It　is　apt　to　go　（both）　left　&　right
  The　myriad　beings　trust　this　for　life；
  yet　there　are　no　explanations
  The　work　is　completed；　in　spite　of　distinctions　&　claims
  The　myriad　beings　are　clothed　&　cared　for
  yet　there　is　no　assumption　of　leadership
  Ever　dispassionate；　（it）　invites　a　reputation　for　commonness
  （But）　the　myriad　beings　return　here；
  and　still　there　is　no　acting　as　master
  Inviting　a　reputation　for　greatness
  Because　it　never　regards　itself　as　great
  So　it　is　able　to　establish　its　greatness
  35
  Grasp　the　big　picture
  （All）　under　heaven　make　progress
  Make　progress　while　doing　no　harm
  Security　and　peace　abound
  （For）　music　along　with　fine　food
  The　passing　stranger　will　linger
  （But）　the　way；　as　expressed　in　words
  How　insipid！　It　has　no　flavor
  Look　at　it；　there　is　nothing　to　satisfy　the　sight
  Listen　for　it；　there　is　nothing　to　satisfy　the　hearing
  （But）　use　it；　is　not　about　to　be　used　up
  36
  When　desiring　to　contract　a　thing
  First　be　sure　to　expand　it
  When　desiring　to　weaken　a　thing
  First　be　sure　to　empower　it
  When　desiring　to　abolish　a　thing
  First　be　sure　to　promote　it
  When　desiring　to　despoil　a　thing
  First　be　sure　to　endow　it
  This　may　be　called　搒ubtle　discernment？br》　The　adaptable　&　gentle　overcome　the　firm　&　strong
  Fish　should　not　be　removed　from　the　depths
  The　sharpest　instruments　of　the　state
  Should　not　be　for　showing　to　others
  37
  The　way　always　takes　no　action
  Yet　nothing　remains　undone
  If　leaders　&　sovereigns　were　able　to　grasp　this
  The　myriad　beings　would　evolve　by　themselves
  Evolve　and　then　want　to　flourish
  We　can　then　temper　this
  with　the　original　nature　of　namelessness
  （With）　the　original　nature　of　namelessness
  Then　these　too　would　be　without　ambition
  Being　free　of　ambition　is　the　way　to　stillness
  Nature　will　then　arrange　itself
  38
  The　highest　virtue　is　not　virtuous
  This　is　how　to　hold　virtue
  The　inferior　virtue　will　not　let　go　of　virtue
  This　is　why　virtue　is　lacking
  The　highest　virtue　takes　no　action　and　has　no　motive　to　act
  The　inferior　virtue　acts　on　things　and　then　has　motives　to　act
  The　highest　benevolence　acts　on　things
  but　has　no　motive　for　action
  The　highest　righteousness　acts　on　things
  and　also　has　motives　for　action
  The　highest　propriety　acts　on　things
  and　when　nobody　responds　to　it
  Then　rolls　up　the　sleeves　and　throws　things
  And　so；　lose　the　way　and　then　comes　virtue
  Lose　virtue　and　then　comes　benevolence
  Lose　benevolence　and　then　comes　righteousness
  Lose　righteousness　and　then　comes　propriety
  Now　propriety　is　（but）　the　sham　of　loyalty　&　trust
  And　the　beginning　of　confusion
  Being　ahead　in　knowledge　（is　but）　the　flower　of　the　way
  And　the　beginning　of　delusion
  This　is　why　those　who　are　most　mature
  Keep　to　the　substance
  （And）　do　not　dwell　on　the　sham
  Keep　to　the　fruitful
  （And）　do　not　dwell　on　the　flower
  And　so　dismiss　That　to　choose　This
  39
  These　things；　from　the　beginning；　have　grasped　wholeness：
  Heaven　attained　the　whole；　becoming　resolved
  Earth　attained　the　whole；　becoming　steady
  Spirit　attained　the　whole；　becoming　subtle
  The　valley　attained　the　whole；　becoming　replenished
  The　myriad　beings　attained　the　whole；　coming　to　life
  Leaders　&　sovereigns　attained　the　whole
  as　the　way　to　attend　to　（all）　under　heaven
  These　things　found　it
  Heaven；　with　no　way　to　resolution；
  would　threaten　to　split　apart
  Earth；　with　no　way　to　steadiness；
  would　threaten　to　open　up
  Spirit；　with　no　way　to　subtlety
  would　probably　perish
  The　valleys；　with　no　way　to　replenishment；
  would　likely　dry　up
  The　myriad　beings；　with　no　way　to　life；
  would　likely　be　extinguished
  Leaders　and　sovereigns；
  with　no　way　to　dignity　&　prominence
  would　likely　be　toppled
  In　this　way　dignity　regards　the　common　as　root
  Prominence　regards　the　humble　as　basis
  This　is　why　leaders　&　sovereigns　refer　to　themselves
  as　orphaned　&　friendless；　without　worth
  Does　this　not　regard　the　common　as　root？
  Not　so？
  Just　as　obtaining　tallies　of　chariots
  will　not　be　（real）　chariots
  Do　not　long　to　dazzle　&　jingle　like　jade
  Clunk　&　clatter　like　rocks
  40
  Reversal　is　the　movement　of　the　way
  Yielding　is　the　method　of　the　way
  The　myriad　beings　in　nature　arose　out　of　being
  Being　arose　out　of　nothing
  41
  Superior　students；　hearing　of　the　way；
  Are　diligent　and　practice　it
  Average　students；　hearing　of　the　way；
  Sometimes　attend　&　sometimes　forget
  Inferior　students；　hearing　of　the　way；
  Laugh　greatly　about　it
  Without　the　laughter　there　would　be　no　grounds
  to　regard　this　as　the　way
  And　so　the　established　proverbs　hold　that：
  Brightness；　to　the　way；　is　as　good　as　darkness
  Advance；　to　the　way；　is　as　good　as　retreat
  Evenness；　to　the　way；　is　as　good　as　roughness
  The　summit　of　character　is　as　good　as　a　valley
  The　greate