Verse 41: Responses to the Way

上士聞道勤而行之。
The superior person hears of the Way, and works diligently to walk with It.
中士聞道若存若亡。
The normal person hears of the Way, and thinks it may or may not be true.
下士聞道大笑之。
The inferior person hears of the Way, and laughs mockingly at it.
不笑不足以為道。
Without such mocking, It would not be the Way.
故建言有之。
So the basic sayings include:
明道若昧。
The bright Way seems dark.
進道若退。
The advancing Way seems to be a retreat
夷道若纇。
The vigorous Way seems to be restrained.
上德若谷。
High Virtue seems to be like a valley
大白若辱。
Big Purity seems tarnished
廣德若不足。
Overflowing Virtue seems insufficient
建德若偷。
Constructive Virtue seems to be stolen
質真若渝。
The Natural Truth seems to change.
大方無隅。
The Big Square has no corners.
大器晚成。
The Big Vessel is late to emerge
大音希聲。
The Big Sound makes little noise
大象無形。
The Big Shape has no form
道隱無名。
The Way is hidden and nameless
夫唯道善貸且成。
Only the Way excels in developing and completing.

Verse 40: Having and Lacking

反者道之動。
Inversion is the movement of the Way
弱者道之用。
Weakness is the application of the Way
天下萬物生於有，
The 10,000 things of the world are born from "having",
有生於無。
"having" is born from "lacking".

Comments
"lacking" can also be understood as the void, nothing.

Verse 39: One and rulers

昔之得一者。
In the past, those who had One:
天得一以清。
The sky had One and was clear.
地得一以寧。
The earth had One and was settled.
神得一以靈。
The spirits had One and were responsive.
谷得一以盈。
The valley had One and was filled.
萬物得一以生。
The 10,000 things had One and were born.
侯王得一以為天下貞。
The rulers had One and were examples to the world.
其致之。
So these were caused.
天無以清將恐裂。
The sky ,without That which clears it, will horrendously split
地無以寧將恐廢。
The earth, without That which calms it, will horrendously decay
神無以靈將恐歇。
The spirits ,without That which makes them responsive, will horrendously expire
谷無以盈將恐竭。
The valley, without That which fills it, will horrendously run dry
萬物無以生將恐滅。
The 10,000 things, without That which births it, will be horrendously extinguished
侯王無以貞將恐蹶。
The rulers, without That which makes them an example, will be trampled upon.
故貴以賤為本，
Hence the refined is based on the unrefined.
高以下為基。
the high is built upon the low.
是以侯王自稱孤、寡、不穀。
So the rulers claim themselves to be powerless, small and unworthy
此非以賤為本邪﹖
Is such an action, by not being based on the unrefined, evil?
非乎。
We need not even ask.
至譽無譽。
The greatest honor is no honor.
不欲琭琭如玉
Not wanting to shine like jade
珞珞如石。
or sparking like jewels.

Verse 38: Way, Virtue, Mercy, Righteousness, Ritual

上德不德是以有德。
Superior virtue is unaware of "virtue", and therefore has virtue.
下德不失德是以無德。
Inferior virtue worries about loss of virtue, and therefore has no virtue.
上德無為而無以為。
Superior virtue does non-action not for the sake of doing so.
下德無為而有以為。
Inferior virtue does non-action for the sake of doing so.
上仁為之而無以為。
Superior mercy acts thus not for the sake of doing so.
上義為之而有以為。
Superior righteousness acts thus for the sake of doing so.
上禮為之而莫之以應，
Superior rituals act thus but no one responds
則攘臂而扔之。
Leading to these things being forced upon people.
故失道而後德。
Hence, a decline in the Way leads to the rise of virtue.
失德而後仁。
A decline in virtue leads to a rise in mercy.
失仁而後義。
A decline in mercy leads to a rise in righteousness.
失義而後禮。
A decline in righteousness leads to a rise in rituals.
夫禮者忠信之薄而亂之首。
People of rituals faithfully believe in the shallow, starting chaos.
前識者，道之華而愚之始。
Forecasters speak fancifully, initiating stupidity.
是以大丈夫，
So the truely Big people
處其厚，不居其薄。
Live with substance and avoid the shallow
處其實，不居其華。
Live with the concrete and avoid the fanciful.
故去彼取此。
Hence, leaving that is taking this.

Verse 37: Active Inaction

道常無為，而無不為。
The Constant Way behaves in non-action, yet leaves nothing undone.
侯王若能守之，萬物將自化。
If rulers could defend it, the 10,000 things will tranform themselves.
化而欲作，
If these things then desire to act,
吾將鎮之以無名之樸。
I then suppress them with the unnamed Simplicity.
無名之樸，夫亦將無欲。
The unnamed Simplicity makes man lacking in desire.
不欲以靜，天下將自定。
Lacking in desire, one becomes tranquil and the world determines itself.

Verse 36: Cycle of Yin and Yang

將欲歙之，必固張之。
What desires reduction must have been expanded.
將欲弱之，必固強之。
What desires weakness must have been strengthened.
將欲廢之，必固興之。
What desires decay must have flourished.
將欲取之，必固與之。
What desires being taken must have been given.
是謂微明。
This is called subtle enlightenment.
柔弱勝剛強。
The soft and weak overcomes the hard and strong.
魚不可脫於淵，
Since fish cannot be removed from the ocean,
國之利器不可以示人
A nation's weapons cannot be shown to men.

Comments
Laozi spends the first part mentioned natural cycles, how all forms of activity/positivity (yang) revert back to their opposite (yin). The beauty of the language is that one's positive actions ironically lead to negative outcomes. By displaying yang energy, one exhausts it and reverts to yin. This is especially important in all forms of warfare.