Chapter 30 第三十章

第三十章

　　以道佐人主者，不以兵強天下，其事好還：師之所居，荊棘生焉。大軍之后，必有凶年。善有果而已，不以取強。果而勿矜，果而勿伐，果而勿驕，果而不得已，果而勿強。物壯則老，是謂不道，不道早已。

30. Violence
Powerful men are well advised not to use violence,
For violence has a habit of returning;
Thorns and weeds grow wherever an army goes,
And lean years follow a great war.

A general is well advised
To achieve nothing more than his orders:
Not to take advantage of his victory.
Nor to glory, boast or pride himself;
To do what is dictated by necessity,
But not by choice.

For even the strongest force will weaken with time,
And then its violence will return, and kill it.

Retrived From Here

Chapter 29 第二十九章

第二十九章

　　將欲取天下而為之，吾見其不得已。天下神器，不可為也。為者敗之，執者失之。物，或行或隨，或噓或吹，或強或羸，或挫或隳。是以聖人去甚，去奢，去泰。

29. Ambition
Those who wish to change the world
According with their desire
Cannot succeed.

The world is shaped by the Way;
It cannot be shaped by the self.
Trying to change it, you damage it;
Trying to possess it, you lose it.

So some will lead, while others follow.
Some will be warm, others cold
Some will be strong, others weak.
Some will get where they are going
While others fall by the side of the road.

So the sage will be neither wasteful nor violent.

Retrived From Here

Chapter 28 第二十八章

第二十八章

　　知其雄，守其雌，為天下溪。為天下溪，常德不離。常德不離，復歸于嬰兒。知其榮，守其辱，為天下谷。為天下谷，常德乃足。常德乃足，復歸于朴。知其白，守其黑，為天下式。為天下式，常德不忒。常德不忒，復歸于無極。朴散則為器，聖人用之，則為官長。故大制無割。

28. Becoming
Using the male, being female,
Being the entrance of the world,
You embrace harmony
And become as a newborn.

Using strength, being weak,
Being the root of the world,
You complete harmony
And become as unshaped wood.

Using the light, being dark,
Being the world,
You perfect harmony
And return to the Way.

Retrived From Here