Chapter 26 of the Tao Te Ching

Chinese Text

重zhòng为wéi轻qīng根gēn，静jìng为wéi躁zào君jūn。
是shì以yǐ君jūn子zǐ终zhōng日rì行xíng，不bù离lí辎zī重zhòng，虽suī有yǒu荣róng观guān，燕yàn处chǔ超chāo然rán。
何hé如rú万wàn乘shèng之zhī主zhǔ，以yǐ身shēn轻qīng天tiān下xià？
轻qīng则zé失shī臣chén，躁zào则zé失shī君jūn。

Translation

The grave is the root of the light; calm is the master of motion.
Hence comes that the Sage walks the whole day (in the Tao) and does not stray from tranquility and gravity.
Although he possesses magnificent palaces, he remains calm and avoids them.
Alas! the masters of ten thousand chariots conduct themselves lightly in the empire!
By light conduct, one loses his ministers; by the fervor of passions, one loses his throne.

Notes

Commentators do not agree on the meaning of 重 zhòng and 轻 qīng. Some (E, B) translate the first as 'grave' and the second as 'light', figuratively; others (A, 苏辙 Sū Zhé), as 'heavy' and 'light'. E: 老子 Lǎozǐ not only wants to show the difference that exists between the principal and the accessory, between what is noble and what is vile; he especially wants to show the difference that exists between the causes of peace and danger, of salvation and death. B: 老子 Lǎozǐ wants man to master his passions with the help of calm and gravity. He who is grave inwardly is exempt from the lightness of passions; he who has a calm heart is not subject to the outbursts of anger. 韩非 Hán Fēi says: He who knows how to contain himself is grave, he who keeps his balance is at rest. The grave man can subdue the light man, the man who is at rest can subdue the impetuous man.

Aliter 苏辙 Sū Zhé: What is light cannot carry what is heavy, the small cannot subjugate the great, he who does not walk commands him who walks, what is immobile stops what is in motion; that is why 重为轻根 zhòng wéi qīng gēn, 静为躁君 jìng wéi zào jūn. A: The flowers of plants and trees scatter because they are light, their roots last a long time because they are heavy.

H thinks, against the opinion of all other interpreters, that the word 重 zhòng designates our person, 身 shēn, and that the word 轻 qīng designates the objects that are outside us. E, which I prefer to follow here, considers gravity and calm (in conduct) as the principal, 本 běn, as things to be esteemed, 贵 guì, and lightness, disordered movements, as the accessory, 末 mò, as things deserving contempt, 贱 jiàn. In whatever situation the wise man finds himself, he never sins by lightness or by fervor.

That is to say: What is calm masters what is impetuous. A: If the prince of men is not calm, he loses his imposing authority; if he does not govern his body with calm, his body is exposed to dangers. The dragon can transform because it is calm (sic); the tiger perishes early because it gives in to its impetuosity.

A: The word 辎重 zīzhòng (vulgo cart of baggage) means here 静 jìng "calm".

A: The Sage always walks in the Way (道 Dào) and does not stray from calm and gravity (是以君子终日行，不离辎重 shì yǐ jūnzǐ zhōng rì xíng, bù lí zīzhòng).

H: 燕处 yàn chǔ, that is to say 恬淡 tiándàn "be calm". A explains the expression 超然 chāorán by "He flees far away and does not dwell there".

A: The words 如何 rúhé are an expression of pain, born of the hatred that 老子 Lǎozǐ bore for the princes of his time.

H: The words "万乘之主 wàn shèng zhī zhǔ" designate the emperor.

I am following the construction and the sense of E, who adds 于 yú "in" before the words 天下 tiānxià "empire". Ibidem: If the master of men conducts himself lightly in the empire (that is to say, A: gives in to luxury, to voluptuousness), calamities and misfortunes will not fail to fall upon him (以身轻天下 yǐ shēn qīng tiānxià).

E: If the master of men acts with lightness and negligence, those of his ministers who know this, grieve to see that he is unworthy of their assistance and advice, and they form the plan to leave him. Then he can no longer keep his ministers (轻则失臣 qīng zé shī chén).

E: If he lets himself be carried away and agitated without rest by a multitude of desires, the inferiors abandon his cause (or revolt against him), and then he is exposed to serious dangers and even to death. Thus he cannot keep possession of his states (躁则失君 zào zé shī jūn).