Verse 31

Weapons are ill-omened things.
Among gentle people the left side is the place of honour when at home,
but in war the right side is the place of honour.

Weapons are not proper instruments for gentle people;
they use them only when they have no other choice.

Peace and quiet are what they value.
They do not glory in victory.
to glorify it is to delight in the slaughter of people.

Those who delight in the slaughter of people will
never thrive among all that dwell under heaven.

The army that has killed people should be received with sorrow.
Conquerors should be received with the rites of mourning.

Verse 32

The Tao is forever nameless.
Though the Uncarved Block is small,
it is not inferior to anything under heaven.

If leaders could keep hold of it,
the ten thousand things would submit to them freely.
Heaven and earth would unite and sweet dew would fall.

The people would live in harmony without any law or decree.
Only when the Block is carved are there names.

As soon as there are names it is time to stop.
Knowing when to stop prevents trouble.

All under heaven will return to the Tao
as brooks and streams flow home to the sea.

Verse 33

Knowing others is to be clever.
Knowing yourself is to be enlightened.

Overcoming others requires force.
Overcoming yourself requires strength.

To know that you have enough is to be rich.
Push through and you may get your way,

but return home and you will endure.
Live out your days and you have had a long life.

Verse 34

The great Tao covers everything like a flood.
It flows to the left and to the right.

The ten thousand things depend upon it
and it denies none of them.

It accomplishes its task yet claims no reward.
It clothes and feeds the ten thousand things

yet it does not attempt to control them.
Therefore, it may be called “the little.”

The ten thousand things return to it,
even though it does not control them.

Therefore, it may be called “the great.”
So it is that the True Person does not wish to be great
and therefore becomes truly great.