59. Restraint
Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish. /
Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish. /
When you use the Way to conquer the world, /
A nation is like a hierarchy, a marketplace, and a maiden. /
The Way is the fate of men, /
Practice no-action; /
What lies still is easy to grasp; /
He who acts, spoils; /
The ancients did not seek to rule people with knowledge, /
The river carves out the valley by flowing beneath it. /
All the world says, /
Compassion is the finest weapon and best defence. /
There is a saying among soldiers: /
My words are easy to understand /
Who recognizes his limitations is healthy; /
When people have nothing more to lose, /
Who is brave and bold will perish; /
If people were not afraid of death, /
When rulers take grain so that they may feast, /
A newborn is soft and tender, /
Is the action of nature not unlike drawing a bow? /