Chapter 77 Dyer
The way of Heaven is like drawing a bow.
The high is lowered the low is raised.
When it is surplus it reduces.
When it is deficient it increases.
The dao of mankind is the opposite.
It reduces the deficiency in order to add to the surplus.
It strips the needy to serve those who have too much.
Only the one who has the Dao offers his surplus to others.
What man has more than enough and gives it to the world?
Only the man of the Dao.
The master can keep giving because there's no end to his wealth.
He acts without expectation, succeeds without taking credit, and does not think that he is better than anyone else.
Chapter 77 Henricks
1. The Way of Heaven is like the flexing of a bow.
2. The high it presses down; the low it raises up.
3. From those with a surplus it takes away; to those without enough it adds on.
4. Therefore the way of Heaven—
5. Is to reduce the excessive and increase the insufficient;
6. The Way of Man—
7. Is to reduce the insufficient and offer more to the excessive.
8. Now, who is able to have a surplus and use it to offer to Heaven?
9. Clearly, it's only the one who possesses the Way.
10. Therefore the Sage—
11. Take actions but does not possess them;
12. Accomplishes his tasks but does not dwell on them.
13. Like this, is his desire not to make a display of his worthiness.
Chapter 77 Lau
Is not the way of heaven like the stretching of a bow?
The high it presses down,
The low it lifts up;
The excessive it takes from,
The deficient it gives to.
It is the way of heaven to take from what has in excess in order to make good what is deficient.
The way of man is otherwise: it takes from those who are in want in order to offer this to those who already have more than enough.
Who is there that can take what he himself has in excess and offer this to the empire?
Only he who has the way.
Therefore the sage benefits them yet exacts no gratitude,
Accomplishes his task yet lays claim to no merit.
Is this not because he does not wish to be considered a better man than others?
Chapter 77 Wu
Perhaps the Way of Heaven may be likened to the
stretching of a composite bow! The upper part is
depressed, while the lower is raised. If the bow-string is
too long, it is cut short: if too short, it is added to.
The Way of Heaven diminishes the more-than-
enough to supply the less-than-enough. The way of
man is different: it takes from the less-than-enough to
swell the more-than-enough. Who except a man of
the Tao can put his superabundant riches to the
service of the world?
Therefore, the Sage does his work without setting
any store by it, accomplishes his task without dwelling
upon it. He does not want his merits to be seen.