| Original | English Translation |
|---|---|
| To govern people and serve heaven, nothing is better than sparingness. | |
| Only through sparingness | |
| is one said to yield early; | |
| yielding early is called a deep accumulation of virtue; | |
| with a deep accumulation of virtue, all can be overcome; | |
| when all can be overcome, the limit is unknown; | |
| the limit unknown, | |
| one can possess a state; | |
| the mother of possessing a state | |
| allows for endurance; | |
| this is called deep roots and a firm base, | |
| the way of long life and lasting vision. |
govern; rule; manage; cure; treat; water-control
person; human; people; others; mankind
matter; affair; thing; event; task; to serve
sky; heaven; nature; fate; day
do not; no one; nothing; none
if; supposing; like; as if; similar to
frugal; stingy; to economize; parsimonious
man; husband; adult male; [particle] now; indeed; as for
only; sole; alone; yes; indeed
right; correct; this; to be
call; say; mean; refer to
early; morning; premature; long ago
clothing; wear; obey; submit; take (medicine)
it, him, her, them; of; 's; go to; reach
heavy; weight; repeat; again; serious; important
accumulate; pile up; sum; mass; volume
virtue; moral character; inner power; virtuous
rule; law; then; as for; consequently
not; without; nothing; lacking; void
not; no; un-; non=
overcome; conquer; be able to; subdue; restrain
know; recognize; understand; knowledge; wisdom
his; her; its; their; that; the one who; such
pole; extremity; utmost; to reach the limit; extreme
can; may; possible; permissible; acceptable; to approve
by means of; use; because; so as to; in order to
have; possess; exist; there is/are; present
state; country; kingdom; national
mother; female animal; source; principal; maternal
long; grow; leader; elder
long time; long-lasting; for a long while; enduring
deep; profound; late (time); remote; to deepen
root; source; basis; fundamental
firm; solid; stable; stubborn; to strengthen; fixed
root; base; foundation; bottommost part
birth; life; grow; produce; raw; inexperienced
see; look at; gaze; regard; consider; inspect
road; path; way; method; principle; to speak; to lead