Dao De Jing, chapter 23

Using few words yourself is like this:
A^[23-1] windstorm not lasting the morning
Or sudden rain not lasting the day.
What causes these things? Heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth cannot make them longer,
So indeed what more can men do?
Thus [as for] one who obediently follows the Way,
With those of the Way [he] joins in the Way,
With those of Potency [he] joins in Potency,
With those who fail [he] joins in failure.
Those joined in the Way also delight in achieving the Way;
Those joined in Potency also delight in achieving Potency;
Those joined in failure also delight in achieving failure.
When trust is insufficient, they don’t trust [him].<sup>[23-2]

[23-1]</sup> Other texts omit this word, which more literally is “an instance of”
^[23-2] Instead of the last four lines, other texts have “Those joined in Potency, the Way also acquires them; / Those joined in failure, the Way also fails them.”

希言自然，
故飘风不终朝，
骤雨不终日。
孰为此者？天地。
天地尚不能久，
而况于人乎？
故从事于道者，
道者，同于道；
德者，同于德；
失者，同于失。
同于道者，道亦乐得之；
同于德者，德亦乐得之；
同于失者，失亦乐得之。
信不足，焉有不信焉。

Testing out using whether “(the) Potency” works better than “the Virtue.” Maybe? Dunno. Keeping a pin stuck in that issue for now. The “failure” discussed is often understood as meaning “failing to partake of the Way and its Potency,” but there are other possibilities, such as talking too much—compare chapter 5. Note this first instance of dealing with both the Way and its Potency as full entities, if ones in an implicit hierarchy.

The last line is an exact repeat of ch17.5. I think in this iteration who isn’t trusted refers to those who fail and so possibly better understood as “them,” but the line feels sus (very my tail iz pastede on yay).

---L.