Seriousness serves as the basis for gentle living,
Stillness, itself, serves as a hot-tempered ruler.

Because of this,
a serious ruler’s son,
finishing the day,
knows it will get him nowhere
to leave his heavy military supplies.

Although there are honored lands to behold,
he stays behind,
and can’t be bothered.

How can one make use
of the same services
which the public avail themselves of,
and set a good example, gentle under Heaven?

Being too gentle will lose a man his peers’ respect.
Being too hot-tempered or impatient will lose a man his title.