The world says my Tao is vast,
but looks like nothing special.
That’s the wonder of it—
because it’s not like the rest,
its greatness remains unseen.

I carry three treasures close to heart:
Gentleness,
Simplicity,
Humility.

With gentleness, I can be truly strong.
With simplicity, I can give freely.
With humility, I rise without pushing forward.

But now the world rejects these—
bold without kindness,
extravagant without need,
rushing to be first,
they race toward ruin.

Yet gentleness endures.
Even in battle,
it triumphs without harm.
Heaven shields the soft-hearted—
not with force,
but through their yielding.