59	道德經:	治人事天莫若嗇。 夫唯嗇，是謂早服；早服謂之重積德；重積德則無不克；無不克則莫知其極；莫知其極，可以有國；有國之母，可以長久；是謂深根固柢，長生久視之道。
	Dao De Jing:	(Guarding the Dao) For regulating the human (in our constitution) and rendering the (proper) service to the heavenly, there is nothing like moderation. It is only by this moderation that there is effected an early return (to man's normal state). That early return is what I call the repeated accumulation of the attributes (of the Dao). With that repeated accumulation of those attributes, there comes the subjugation (of every obstacle to such return). Of this subjugation we know not what shall be the limit; and when one knows not what the limit shall be, he may be the ruler of a state. He who possesses the mother of the state may continue long. His case is like that (of the plant) of which we say that its roots are deep and its flower stalks firm: - this is the way to secure that its enduring life shall long be seen.

"In governing people

No one compares efforts of the heavens to restraint.

In the end, only restraint is appropriately called quickly resolving

What is called quickly resolving has heavy accumulation of ideal.

Following the heavy accumulation of ideal

Comes absence of lacking conquering

Following the absence of lacking conquering

No one knows limits

When no one knows limits

Presence of a nation can happen.

In the presence of the mother of a nation

Growth and longevity may happen.

Appropriately called

Deep roots, firm stalks, growth, life, longevity, looking at tao."

-  Translated by David Lindauer, Chapter 59 

"For regulating the human in our constitution and rendering the proper service to the heavenly,

there is nothing like moderation.

It is only by this moderation that there is effected an early return to man's normal state.

That early return is what I call the repeated accumulation of the attributes of the Tao.

With that repeated accumulation of those attributes,

there comes the subjugation we know not what shall be the limit;

and when one knows not what the limit shall be, he may be the ruler of a state.

He who possesses the mother of the state may continue long.

His case is like that of the plant of which we say that its roots are deep and its flower stalks firm;

this is the way to secure that its enduring life shall long be seen."

-  Translated by Unbekannten, Chapter 59   

"To rule people and serve heaven, nothing is better than compliant.

To be compliant is to readily return to Tao.

To readily return to Tao is to hoard its virtue.

To hoard, its virtue is to have nothing undone.

To have nothing undone is to have limitless strength.

To have limitless strength is to be fit to become a ruler.

The Mother of the ruling is forever.

This is called the Tao of having deep and firm roots,

the long and eternal life."

-  Translated by Eiichi Shimomissé, 1998, Chapter 59 

"In governing a people and in serving Heaven, there is nothing like frugality.

To be frugal is to return early.

To return early is to accumulate an abundance of Virtue.

Accumulating an abundance of Virtue, everything can be overcome.

Overcoming everything, the unknown height is reached.

He who has reached an unknown height can reign a state.

He who reigns a state from its root can last long.

This is the Way of the deep root and the firm foot, of the of long life and not-getting-old."

-  Translated by Tien Cong Tran, Chapter 59

"Rule the people and serve Heaven yet hold nothing dearer than the Mother harvest

Let every thought and every breath be the fruit of your offering

Do it now

Let her power run thick in your blood

There will be no obstacle you cannot overcome

No limit you cannot surpass

No empire you cannot rule

Ah, but in all your glory never lose sight of the Mother

Without her, your empire will crumble your power will waste away

For the Mother brings the harvest

She alone causes all things to endure

We call this deep roots and a solid trunk

The way of long life and lasting insight"

-  Translated by Jonathan Star, 2001, Chapter 59 

"In governing people and serving heaven, there is nothing better than moderation.

To be moderate is to follow Tao without straying.

To follow Tao without straying is to become filled with good energy.

To be filled with good energy is to overcome all things.

To overcome all things is to know that all things are possible.

She who knows that all things are possible is fit to govern people.

Because she is one with the mother, her roots go deep,

her foundation stands firm, her life lasts long, her vision endures."

-  Translated by Brian Browne Walker, 1996, Chapter 59 

"In caring for others and serving heaven,

There is nothing like using restraint.

Restraint begins with giving up one's own ideas.

This depends on the Virtue gathered in the past.

If there is a good store of Virtue, then nothing is impossible.

If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.

If a man knows no limits, then he is fit to be a ruler.

The mother principle of ruling holds good for a long time.

This is called having deep roots and a firm foundation,

The Tao of long life and eternal vision."

-  Translated by Jane English, Chapter 59 

"When it comes to governing the people and serving Heaven there's no one like a farmer."
Just being a farmer - this means getting dressed early. Getting dressed early means increasing one's store of Te. If increasing one's store of Te, then nothing is impossible. If nothing is impossible, then no telling the limit. If no telling the limit, then one can possess the state.
One who possesses the Mother of the state can last a long time.
This means having deep roots and strong foundations, the Way of 'lasting life, good eyesight into old age'.

-  Translated by LaFargue, Chapter 59 

五十九章 長生久視之道

治人事天莫若嗇。夫唯嗇，是謂蚤服。

蚤服謂之重積德。重積德則無不克，無不克則莫知其極。莫知其極，可以有國。有國之母，可以長久。

是謂根深固柢，長生久視之道。

治人事天莫若嗇。

嗇：愛惜、節儉之意，即儉之德。治人：治身。事天：培育真樸。

嗇是治人事天最主要的措施。修養自我、培育真樸莫過於遵守儉德。

夫唯嗇，是謂蚤服。

蚤：跳蚤。服：服從。蚤服：使跳蚤馴服於德，而從於道。

跳蚤具有活潑、躁動的特性。節儉愛惜，因而可蚤服於德，而從於道。

蚤服謂之重積德。重積德則無不克，無不克則莫知其極。莫知其極，可以有國。有國之母，可以長久。

重：一再累積，不斷地累積。

蚤服於道，因而可以一再地累積其德。累積其德則無不克服外誘，不受外誘所制，自能克己。能克己者，則外無物可以損其力，內無物可以移其德，故天下無不克也。

重積德者（以德作為治理國家的根本），那（百姓和敵人）就不知道他的本領，究竟到何種「極限」了。所以他就有了安邦立國的本事，可以治理國家，並且長治久安。

是謂根深固柢，長生久視之道。

固柢：根基隱固。長生久視：生養長久也。

所以說，這就是以德為治國之本，國基穩固，並且長治久安。這也是長久生養，健康長壽和心靈長久自由之道也。

本章闡述了養生之道的一個重要原則即“嗇”，是培蓄能量、進入真樸的必要條件。本章以及八、十五、二十七、二十八、三十三、四十一、四十五、四十八、五十、六十一章都是強調了“有”的作用。有無相生，也正是基於這一哲學思想，老子才能為人類指明“長生久視”之道。老子的樸乃精氣所化，是“物形之”，正是“有無相生”的對立統一思想。因此也為人類指出一條光明的人生大道。

為政者治國理民，事祖祭天，當以節儉愛惜為本。「嗇」，儉德也，為政者有儉嗇之德，才能蚤服於道，而從服於德。面對財富而不窮奢極侈，就是“蚤服”，就是不斷地積德。不斷地積德就可以克服外誘，能夠克服外誘則才能克己，能克己者則天下無不克。無不克則可以管理國家，以「重積德」作為管理國家的根本，政權可以長久，國基隱固，這是長治久安之道也。