There is a saying among soldiers:

It is easier to lose a yard than take an inch.

In this manner one may deploy troops without marshalling them,

Bring weapons to bear without exposing them,

Engage the foe without invading them,

And exhaust their strength without fighting them.

There is no worse disaster than misunderstanding your enemy;

To do so endangers all of my treasures;

So when two well matched forces oppose eachother,

The general who maintains compassion will win.

My words are easy to understand

And my actions are easy to perform

Yet no other can understand or perform them.

My words have meaning; my actions have reason;

Yet these cannot be known and I cannot be known.

We are each unique, and therefore valuable;

Though the sage wears coarse clothes, his heart is jade.

Who recognizes his limitations is healthy;

Who ignores his limitations is sick.

The sage recognizes this sickness as a limitation.

And so becomes immune.

When people have nothing more to lose,

Then revolution will result.

Do not take away their lands,

And do not destroy their livelihoods;

If your burden is not heavy then they will not shirk it.

The sage maintains himself but exacts no tribute,

Values himself but requires no honours;