Guarding the Tao, Government, Knowing Limits, Restraint, Longevity, Building,
Storing,
Follow Reason, Frugality,
守道
"In governing people
No one compares efforts of the heavens to restraint.
In the end only restraint is appropriately called quickly resolving
What is called quickly resolving has heavy accumulation of ideal.
Following heavy accumulation of ideal
Comes absence of lacking conquering
Following absence of lacking conquering
No one knows limits
When no one knows limits
Presence of a nation can happen.
In the presence of the mother of a nation
Growth and longevity may happen.
Appropriately called
Deep roots, firm stalks, growth, life, longevity, looking at tao."
- Translated by
David Lindauer,
Chapter 59
"In caring for others and serving heaven,
There is nothing like using restraint.
Restraint begins with giving up one's own ideas.
This depends on Virtue gathered in the past.
If there is a good store of Virtue, then nothing is impossible.
If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.
If a man knows no limits, then he is fit to be a ruler.
The mother principle of ruling holds good for a long time.
This is called having deep roots and a firm foundation,
The Tao of long life and eternal vision."
- Translated by
Jane English,
Chapter 59
By Alexander Simkins. 
By Derek Lin.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
By Benjamin Hoff.
By Ming-Dao Deng.
Translated by Thomas Cleary.
"For ruling men or serving God,
There's nothing else like stores saved up."
By "stores saved up" is meant forehandedness,
Accumulate Virtue, such that nothing
Can resist it and its limit
None can guess: such infinite resource
Allows the jurisdiction of the king;
Whose kingdom then will long endure
If it provides the Mother an abode.
Indeed it is the deeply rooted base,
The firm foundation of the Way
To immortality of self and name."
- Translated by
Raymond Blakney,
Chapter 59
"In governing the country and serving Heaven
There is nothing like frugality.
Only by being frugal can you recover quickly.
When you recover quickly you accumulate virtue.
Having accumulated virtue,
There is nothing you can't overcome.
When there is nothing you can't overcome
Who knows the limits of your capabilities?
These limits being unfathomable
You can possess the country.
The Mother who possesses the country can be long-living.
This is called "planting the roots deeply and firmly.""
- Translated by
Charles Muller,
Chapter 59
By Hu Xuzehi
Annotated translation by Victor Mair 
By Ha Poong Kim
By Hans-Georg Moeller 
By Roger T. Ames and David T. Hall
By Wes Burgess
By Arthur Waley
"While ruling the people
And serving heaven
Build up a store.
If you've built up a store
You can adhere to Tao early.
If you've adhered to Tao early
You can amass virtue.
When you've amassed virtue
There is nothing you cannot do.
When there is nothing you cannot do
Your capacity has no bounds.
Having boundless capacity
You're ready to rule the realm.
Leaning on the mother of the realm
You can last through all time.
You've been firmly established.
You have a strong support.
This is the Tao of long life.
This is the Tao of farsightedness."
- Translated by
Agnieszka Solska,
Chapter 59
"To govern the human and serve the divine, nothing
compares to frugality.
Only frugality brings early recovery; only recovery means buildup of power.
Build up virtue, and you master all.
When you master all, no one knows your limit.
When no one knows your limit, you can maintain a nation.
When you maintain the matrix of a nation, you can last long.
This is called making the root deep and the basis firm,
the Way of long life and eternal vision."
- Translated by
Thomas Cleary,
Chapter 59
Tao Te Ching
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Translated by Livia Kohn
Dao De Jing: The Book of the Way
"In leading people and serving heaven
it is best to be frugal.
Being frugal is to be prepared from the start.
Being prepared from the start is to build up power.
By building up power nothing is impossible.
If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.
Those without limits are capable of leading a country.
Those with maternal leadership can long endure.
This is to be deeply rooted in a firm foundation,
the way of long life and eternal vision."
- Translated by
Sanderson Beck,
Chapter 59
"To rule men and serve heaven, there is nothing like
thrift.
Now,
Only through thrift can one be prepared;
Being prepared means having a heavy store of integrity;
With a heavy store of integrity, he can overcome everything.
Able to overcome everything, no one knows his limits;
If no one knows his limits, he can have the kingdom;
Having the mother of the kingdom, he can long endure.
This is called "sinking roots firm and deep, the Way of long life and lasting
vision.""
- Translated by
Victor Mair,
Chapter 59
Translation and elucidation by Hua Ching Ni
Translated by Brian Walker
Translated by Arthur Waley
Translated by Lionel and and Herbert Giles
By Eva Wong
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Lao Tzu: Te-Tao Ching - A New Translation Based on the Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui
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Revealing the Tao Te Ching: In Depth Commentaries on an Ancient Classic.
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Tao Te
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The Tao
and Method: A Reasoned Approach to the Tao Te Ching. By Michael
Lafargue. New York, SUNY Press, 1994. 660 pages.
The
Whole Heart of Tao: The Complete Teachings from the Oral Tradition of Lao-Tzu.
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The Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) circa 500 BCE