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Dao De Jing, chapter 26
Weight is the root of lightness,
Quiet is the ruler of turbulence.
Because of this, a sage[26-1] ends a day’s journey not far from his weighty supply-carts.
When there is only a display of honors,
Staying at ease surpasses[26-2] that.
How can the lord of ten-thousand chariots take himself lightly in the realm?
If he is light he loses the root,
If he is turbulent he loses his rule.
[26-1] Other texts have “ruler”
[26-2] Other texts have “then shows”
重为轻根，
静为躁君。
是以圣人终日行不离辎重。
虽有荣观，
燕处超然。
奈何万乘之主，而以身轻天下？
轻则失本，躁则失君。
Another example of using parallelisms to create a paradox. Some awkward phrasings are the result of replicating the original’s wordplay (and failing to make it smooth).
At this point, it’s pretty clear it’s inappropriate to translate 天下, “(all) under heaven,” the same way every time: sometimes, in context, it refers to “the whole world,” and sometimes, in places like here dealing with rulers, it has to be “the realm.”
---L.
Quiet is the ruler of turbulence.
Because of this, a sage[26-1] ends a day’s journey not far from his weighty supply-carts.
When there is only a display of honors,
Staying at ease surpasses[26-2] that.
How can the lord of ten-thousand chariots take himself lightly in the realm?
If he is light he loses the root,
If he is turbulent he loses his rule.
[26-1] Other texts have “ruler”
[26-2] Other texts have “then shows”
重为轻根，
静为躁君。
是以圣人终日行不离辎重。
虽有荣观，
燕处超然。
奈何万乘之主，而以身轻天下？
轻则失本，躁则失君。
Another example of using parallelisms to create a paradox. Some awkward phrasings are the result of replicating the original’s wordplay (and failing to make it smooth).
At this point, it’s pretty clear it’s inappropriate to translate 天下, “(all) under heaven,” the same way every time: sometimes, in context, it refers to “the whole world,” and sometimes, in places like here dealing with rulers, it has to be “the realm.”
---L.