The Way of Heaven It is like a stretched bow A high one is pulled down A low one is raised up An excessive one is lessened A deficient one is added to The Way of Heaven To lessen excesses And add to deficiencies The way of men Then is not such It takes from the deficient To offer to the excessive Who can take the excess And offer it to the World? Only those who have the Way Therefore the Sage Does but does not demand Succeeds but does not dote He does not desire to show his worth