beck

Avoid Excess
Those who stand on tiptoe are not steady.
Those who strain their strides cannot long keep up the pace.
Those who display themselves do not illuminate.
Those who justify themselves are not distinguished.
Those who make claims are not given credit.
Those who seek glory are not leaders.
According to the Way these are like extra food and waste,
which all creatures detest.
Therefore followers of the Way avoid them.

blakney

The Persons of the Way are humble ...

On tiptoe your stance is unsteady;
Long strides make your progress unsure;
Show off and you get no attention;
Your boasting will mean you have failed;
Asserting yourself brings no credit;
Be proud and you will never lead.

To persons of the Way, these traits
Can only bring distrust; they seem
Like extra food for parasites.
So those who choose the Way,
Will never give them place.

byrn

Who stands on tiptoe, doesn't stand steady;
He who takes the longest strides, doesn't walk.."
He who does his own looking sees little, and he who shows or reveals himself is hardly luminous
He who justifies and defines himself isn't subsequently distinct.
He who boasts of what he will do succeeds in nothing;
Who brags doesn't endure for long. Who is proud of his work, achieves nothing well lasting.
Such people are like remnants of food and tumours of action from the dao point of view. Good braggarts could be dregs. So it's said
"Pass round superfluous dishes to those that have already had enough,
Such things of disgust all are likely to detest and reject in disgust."
So the man of dao spurns them. The man that has dao doesn't stay to bray and show off.

feng

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides cannot maintain the pace.
He who makes a show is not enlightened.
He who is self-righteous is not respected.
He who boasts achieves nothing.
He who brags will not endure.
According to followers of the Tao, "These are extra food and unnecessary luggage."
They do not bring happiness.
therefore followers of the Tao avoid them.

ganson

Whoever stands on tiptoe
is unsteady.
Whoever walks with long strides
cannot long keep up the pace.
Whoever makes a show of himself
cannot shine.
Whoever is self-righteous
cannot gain the respect of the people.
Whoever is self-centered
cannot become loved by others.
Whoever seeks glory
cannot become a true leader.

According to the Tao
these attitudes are excessive, unnecessary.
Even in earthly matters they are to be avoided.
Therefore the follower of Tao avoids them.

gnl

Indulgence
Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady;
Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen;
Justify yourself and you will not be respected;
Promote yourself and you will not be believed;
Pride yourself and you will not endure.

These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent,
And so they attract disfavour;
Harmony avoids them.

hansen

Important distinctions
Those who tiptoe do not stand.
Those who stride do not walk.
Those who see for themselves are not discerning.
Those who affirm for themselves are not insightful.
Those who attack it themselves do not achieve.
Those who esteem themselves do not become elders.
When these are in guides, we say:
'Excess provision; redundant action.'
Some natural kinds avoid them.
Hence those who have guides don't place them.

legge

He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who stretches
his legs does not walk (easily). (So), he who displays himself does
not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished; he who
vaunts himself does not find his merit acknowledged; he who is self-
conceited has no superiority allowed to him. Such conditions, viewed
from the standpoint of the Tao, are like remnants of food, or a tumour
on the body, which all dislike. Hence those who pursue (the course)
of the Tao do not adopt and allow them.

mccarroll

The person on tiptoe is not steady.
The person with legs astride cannot walk.

Those who look only at thernselves see little.
Those who justify themselves are not distinguished.
Those who brag have no merit.
The work of prideful people will not endure.

From the standpoint of the Tao,
these things are
"excessive food and tumors of the body."
As they bring sickness,
followers of the Tao do not linger around them.

mcdonald

Those who stand on tiptoes
do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead
don't get very far.
Those who try to outshine others
dim their own light.
Those who call themselves righteous
can't know how wrong they are.
Those who boast of their accomplishments
diminish the things they have done.

Compared to the Tao, these actions are unworthy.
If we are to follow the Tao,
we must not do these things.

merel

Tumors

If you stand on tiptoe you can not stand steady;
If you stride too long you can not stride well;
If you display yourself you can not be clearly seen;
If you justify yourself you can not be respected;
If you promote yourself you can not be believed;
If you pride yourself you can not excel.
These behaviours are dregs and tumors,
Disgusting things avoided by love.

merel2

Indulgence
Straighten yourself and you will not stand steady;
Display yourself and you will not be clearly seen;
Justify yourself and you will not be respected;
Promote yourself and you will not be believed;
Pride yourself and you will not endure.
These behaviours are wasteful, indulgent,
And so they attract disfavour;
Harmony avoids them.

mitchell

He who stands on tiptoe
doesn't stand form.
He who rushes ahead
doesn't go far.
He who tries to shine
dims his own light.
He who defines himself
can't know who he really is.
He who has power over others
can't empower himself.
He who clings to his work
will create nothing that endures.

If you want to accord with the Tao,
just do your job, then let go.

muller

Standing on tiptoe, you are unsteady.
Straddle-legged, you cannot go.
If you show yourself, you will not be seen.
If you affirm yourself, you will not shine.
If you boast, you will have no merit.
If you promote yourself, you will have no success.

Those who abide in the Tao call these

Leftover food and wasted action
And all things dislike them.

Therefore the person of the Tao does not act like this.

rosenthal

EXCESS
He who stretches
beyond his natural reach,
does not stand firmly
upon the ground;
just as he
who travels at a speed
beyond his means,
cannot maintain his pace.

He who boasts
is not enlightened,
and he who is self-righteous
does not gain respect
from those who are meritous;
thus, he gains nothing,
and will fall into disrepute.

Since striving,
boasting and self-righteousness,
are all unnecessary traits,
the sage considers them excesses,
and has no need of them.