Chapter 9 — Keeping level運夷

持，謂不失德也。既不失其德又盈之，勢必傾危。故不如其已者，謂乃更不如無德無功者也。

To hold (持) is not to lose one's virtue. If one has already not lost that virtue and then tries to fill it to the brim as well, the momentum must tip over into danger. So to say that it is worse than stopping says that one becomes worse off than those who have neither virtue nor work to their name.

盈，滿也。已，止也。持滿必傾，不如止也。

To fill is to be full. To stop is to halt. Hold what is full and it is sure to tip over, so it is worse than halting.

揣，治也。先揣之，後必棄捐。

To beat and smooth something is to put it in order. Shape it first, and later it is sure to be cast aside.

既揣末令尖，又銳之令利，勢必摧衂，故不可長保也。

If the tip has already been ground to a point and is then honed sharper still until it is keen, the momentum must break it. And so it cannot be kept long.

不若其已。

It is worse than stopping.

嗜慾傷神，財多累身。

To relish and crave harms the spirit (神), and when goods are many the body is bound by them.

不可長保也。

It cannot be kept long.

夫富當賑貧，貴當憐賤，而反驕恣，必被禍患也。

Now one who is rich ought to relieve the poor, and one who is noble ought to pity the lowly; if instead they are proud and do as they please, they are sure to meet disaster and grief.

言人所為，功成事立，名蹟稱遂，不退身避位，則遇於害，此乃天之常道也。譬如日中則移，月滿則虧，物盛則衰，樂極則哀。

This says that in what a person does, when the work is accomplished and the task stands and name and trace are fully shown, not to withdraw oneself and step aside from one's place is to meet harm; and this is the constant way of heaven. It is like the sun, which moves on once it reaches mid-sky; the moon, which wanes once it is full; a thing, which declines once it flourishes; and joy, which turns to grief once it runs out.

四時更運，功成則移。

The four seasons take their turns and come round, and when the work is done they move on.