Chapter 59 — Keeping to the Dao守道
1Nothing is like sparing
治人事天，莫若嗇。
In governing people and serving heaven, nothing is like sparing.
note 5
莫若，猶莫過也。嗇，農夫，農人之治田務，去其殊類，歸於齊一也。全其自然，不急其荒病，除其所以荒病，上承天命，下綏百姓，莫過於此。
Nothing is like (莫若) is the same as saying nothing surpasses it. Sparing (嗇) is the farmer: the farmer's work in tending his field is to do away with the other kinds and bring all back to one evenness. He keeps whole what is so of itself, does not rush at its running wild and sickening, and does away with what makes it run wild and sicken. In upholding heaven's decree above and soothing the people below, nothing surpasses this.
謂人君治理人民。
This speaks of the ruler governing and setting his people right.
事，用也。當用天道，順四時。
Serving (事) is using. One should use the Dao of heaven and follow the four seasons.
嗇，愛惜也。治國者當愛民財，不為奢泰。治身者當愛精氣，不為放逸。
Sparing is to cherish and hold back. One who governs a state should cherish the people's goods and not be extravagant. One who governs the body should cherish the vital essence (精氣) and not let himself run loose.
早，先也。服，得也。夫獨愛民財，愛精氣，則能先得天道也。
Early (早) is first. Following (服) is gaining. Only when one cherishes the people's goods and cherishes the vital essence can one gain the Dao of heaven first.
2This is called following early
夫唯嗇，是謂早服；
Sparing alone is called following early,
note 1
早服，常也。
Following early is the constant.
3This is called piling up virtue
早服謂之重積德；
and following early is called piling up virtue again and again.
note 2
唯重積德，不欲銳速，然後乃能使早服其常，故曰早服謂之重積德者也。
Only after piling up virtue again and again and not wishing to be sharp and quick can one be made to follow its constancy early. That is why it says that following early is called piling up virtue again and again.
先得天道，是謂重積德於己也。
Gaining the Dao of heaven first — this is what is called piling up virtue again and again in oneself.
4No one knows where it ends
重積德則無不克，無不克則莫知其極；
Pile up virtue again and again, and there is nothing you cannot overcome. When there is nothing you cannot overcome, no one knows where it ends.
note 3
道無窮也。
The Dao has no end.
剋，勝也。重積德於己，則無不勝。
Overcoming (剋) is winning. Pile up virtue again and again in oneself, and there is nothing you cannot overcome.
無不剋勝，則莫有知己德之窮極也。
When there is nothing one cannot overcome, no one knows the end where one's virtue runs out.
5You can hold a state
莫知其極，可以有國；
When no one knows where it ends, you can hold a state,
note 2
以有窮而莅國，非能有國也。
To come to a state with what has an end is not to be able to hold the state.
莫知己德者有極，則可以有社稷，為民致福。
When no one knows that one's virtue has an end, one can hold the altars of soil and grain (社稷) and bring blessing to the people.
6It can last long
有國之母，可以長久；
and when there is the mother of holding a state, it can last long.
note 2
國之所以安謂之母，重積德是唯圖其根，然後營末，乃得其終也。
What makes a state at peace is called the mother. Piling up virtue again and again is only planning for its root; only after that, in adorning the tips, does one gain its completion.
國身同也。母，道也。人能保身中之道，使精氣不勞，五神不苦，則可以長久。
A state and the body are the same. The mother is the Dao. If a person keeps the Dao within the body, so that the vital essence does not tire and the five spirits (五神) are not distressed, he can last long.
7Deep roots and a firm base
是謂深根固柢，長生久視之道。
This is called making the roots deep and the base firm, the Dao of long life and long seeing.
note 2
人能以氣為根，以精為蒂，如樹根不深則拔，蒂不堅則落。言當深藏其氣，固守其精，使無漏洩。
A person should take his breath (氣) as the root and his essence (精) as the base. A tree whose root is not deep is pulled up, and whose base is not firm falls away. This says that one should hide that breath deep and guard that essence firmly, so that it does not leak away.
深根固蒂者，乃長生久視之道。
Making the roots deep and the base firm is precisely the Dao of long life and long seeing.