Chapter 30 Dyer
One who would guide a leader of men in the uses of life will warn him against the use of arms for conquest.
Weapons often turn upon the wielder where armies settle.
Nature offers nothing but briars and thorns.
After a great battle has been fought the land is cursed.
The crops fail, the Earth lies stripped of its motherhood.
After you have attained your purpose you must not parade your success.
You must not boast of your ability.
You must not feel proud.
You must rather regret that you had not been able to prevent the war.
You must never think of conquering others by force.
Whatever strains with force will soon decay.
It's not attuned to the Way.
Not being attuned to the Way its end comes all too soon.
Chapter 30 Henricks
1. Those who assist their rulers with the Way,
2. Don't use weapons to commit violence in the world.
3. Such deeds easily rebound.
4. In places where armies are stationed, thorns and brambles will grow.
5. The good [general] achieves his result and that's all;
6. He does not use the occasion to seize strength from it.
7. He achieves his result but does not become arrogant;
8. He achieves his result but does not praise his deeds;
9. He achieves his result and yet does not brag.
10. He achieves his result, yet he abides with the result because he has no choice.
11. This is called achieving one's result [without] using force.
12. When things reach their primes, they get old;
13. We called this "not the Way."
14. What is not the Way will come to an early end.
Chapter 30 Lau
One who assists the ruler of men by means of the way does not intimidate the empire by a show of arms.
This is something which is liable to rebound.
Where troops have encamped
There will brambles grow;
In the wake of a mighty army
Bad harvests follow without fail.
One who is good aims only at bringing his campaign to a conclusion and dare not thereby intimidate.
Bring it to a conclusion but do not brag;
Bring it to a conclusion but do not be arrogant;
Bring it to a conclusion but only when there is no choice;
Bring it to a conclusion but do not intimidate.
A creature in its prime doing harm to the old
Is known as going against the way.
That which goes against the way will come to an early end.
Chapter 30 Wu
He who knows how to guide a ruler in the path of Tao
Does not try to override the world with force of arms.
It is in the nature of a military weapon to turn against its wielder.
Wherever armies are stationed; thorny bushes grow.
After a great war, bad years invariably follow.
What you want is to protect efficiently your own state,
But not to aim at self-aggrandisement.
After you have attained your purpose,
You must not parade your success,
You must not boast of your ability,
You must not feel proud,
You must rather regret that you had not been able to prevent the war.
You must never think of conquering others by force.
For to be over-developed is to hasten decay,
And this is against Tao,
And what is against Tao will soon cease to be.