Way gave birth to one,
and one gave birth to two.
Two gave birth to three,
and three gave birth to the ten thousand things.
Then the ten thousand things shouldered yin and embraced yang,
blending ch’i to establish harmony.
People all hate scraping by
orphaned, destitute, ill-fated,
but true dukes and emperors call themselves just that.
Some things gain by loss,
and some lose by gain.
I only teach
what the people teach:
Tyranny and force never come to a natural end.
I’ve taken the people as my schoolmaster.