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Daoism -> Zhuangzi -> Outer Chapters -> Letting Be, and Exercising Forbearance -> 1

聞在宥天下，I have heard of letting the world be, and exercising forbearance;
不聞治天下也。 I have not heard of governing the world.
在之也者，恐天下之淫其性也；Letting be is from the fear that men, (when interfered with), will carry their nature beyond its normal condition;
宥之也者，恐天下之遷其德也。exercising forbearance is from the fear that men, (when not so dealt with), will alter the characteristics of their nature.
天下不淫其性， When all men do not carry their nature beyond its normal condition,
不遷其德， nor alter its characteristics,
有治天下者哉！ the good government of the world is secured.
昔堯之治天下也，Formerly, Yao's government of the world
使天下欣欣焉人樂其性，made men look joyful; but when they have this joy in their nature,
是不恬也； there is a want of its (proper) placidity.
桀之治天下也， The government of the world by Jie,
使天下瘁瘁焉人苦其性，(on the contrary), made men look distressed; but when their nature shows the symptoms of distress,
是不愉也。 there is a want of its (proper) contentment.
夫不恬不愉，The want of placidity and the want of contentment
非德也。 are contrary to the character (of the nature);
非德也而可長久者，天下無之。and where this obtains, it is impossible that any man or state should anywhere abide long.
人大喜邪， Are men exceedingly joyful?
毗於陽。 The Yang or element of expansion in them is too much developed.
大怒邪， Are they exceedingly irritated?
毗於陰。 The Yin or opposite element is too much developed.
陰陽並毗， When those elements thus predominate in men,
四時不至， (it is as if) the four seasons were not to come (at their proper times),
寒暑之和不成， and the harmony of cold and heat were not to be maintained
其反傷人之形乎！- would there not result injury to the bodies of men?
使人喜怒失位， Men's joy and dissatisfaction are made to arise where they ought not to do so;
居處無常， their movements are all uncertain;
思慮不自得， they lose the mastery of their thoughts;
中道不成章，they stop short midway, and do not finish what they have begun.
於是乎天下始喬詰、卓鷙，In this state of things the world begins to have lofty aims, and jealous dislikes, ambitious courses, and fierce animosities,
而後有盜跖、曾、史之行。and then we have actions like those of the robber Zhi, or of Zeng (Shen) and Shi (Qiu).
故舉天下以賞其善者不足， If now the whole world were taken to reward the good it would not suffice,
舉天下以罰其惡者不給， nor would it be possible with it to punish the bad.
故天下之大不足以賞罰。Thus the world, great as it is, not sufficing for rewards and punishments,
自三代以下者， from the time of the three dynasties downwards,
匈匈焉終以賞罰為事，there has been nothing but bustle and excitement. Always occupied with rewards and punishments,
彼何暇安其性命之情哉！ what leisure have men had to rest in the instincts of the nature with which they are endowed?
而且說明邪，Moreover, delight in the power of vision
是淫於色也； leads to excess in the pursuit of (ornamental) colours;
說聰邪， delight in the power of hearing,
是淫於聲也； to excess in seeking (the pleasures of) sound;
說仁邪，delight in benevolence
是亂於德也； tends to disorder that virtue (as proper to the nature);
說義邪，delight in righteousness
是悖於理也； sets the man in opposition to what is right in reason;
說禮邪，delight in (the practice of) ceremonies
是相於技也； is helpful to artful forms;
說樂邪，delight in music
是相於淫也； leads to voluptuous airs;
說聖邪，delight in sageness
是相於藝也； is helpful to ingenious contrivances;
說知邪，delight in knowledge
是相於疵也。 contributes to fault-finding.
天下將安其性命之情， If all men were to rest in the instincts of their nature,
之八者，存可也；亡可也； to keep or to extinguish these eight delights might be a matter of indifference;
天下將不安其性命之情， but if they will not rest in those instincts,
之八者，乃始臠卷、獊囊而亂天下也。then those eight delights begin to be imperfectly and unevenly developed or violently suppressed, and the world is thrown into disorder.
而天下乃始尊之惜之，甚矣天下之惑也！But when men begin to honour them, and to long for them, how great is the deception practised on the world!
豈直過也而去之邪！And not only, when (a performance of them) is once over, do they not have done with them,
乃齊戒以言之， but they prepare themselves (as) with fasting to describe them,
跪坐以進之， they seem to kneel reverentially when they bring them forward,
鼓歌以儛之， and they go through them with the excitements of music and singing;
吾若是何哉！ and then what can be done (to remedy the evil of them)?
故君子不得已而臨邪天下，Therefore the superior man, who feels himself constrained to engage in the administration of the world
莫若無為。 will find it his best way to do nothing.
無為也，而後安其性命之情。In (that policy of) doing nothing, he can rest in the instincts of the nature with which he is endowed.
故貴以身於為天下， Hence he who will administer (the government of) the world honouring it as he honours his own person,
則可以託天下； may have that government committed to him,
愛以身於為天下， and he who will administer it loving it as he loves his own person,
則可以寄天下。 may have it entrusted to him.
故君子苟能無解其五藏，Therefore, if the superior man will keep (the faculties lodged in) his five viscera unemployed,
無擢其聰明， and not display his powers of seeing and hearing,
尸居而龍見，while he is motionless as a representative of the dead, his dragon-like presence will be seen;
淵默而雷聲，while he is profoundly silent, the thunder (of his words) will resound;
神動而天隨，while his movements are (unseen) like those of a spirit, all heavenly influences will follow them;
從容無為而萬物炊累焉。while he is (thus) unconcerned and does nothing, his genial influence will attract and gather all things round him:
吾又何暇治天下哉！ what leisure has he to do anything more for the government of the world?

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