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Curved—then whole; |
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Crooked—then straight; |
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Hollow—then full; |
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Worn—then new; |
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Few—then gain; |
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Many—then confusion. |
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Therefore the sage embraces the One as a pattern for all under heaven. |
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Not seeing oneself, |
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therefore clear; |
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not considering oneself right, |
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therefore manifest; |
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not boasting of oneself, |
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therefore has merit; |
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not priding oneself, |
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therefore enduring. |
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Precisely because one does not contend, |
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none under heaven can contend with them. |
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What the ancients called "curved—then whole," |
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is it merely empty talk? |
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Indeed, it brings wholeness and return. |