The Lightness of the Tao's Enemy

Thus declares the military maxim:

"Never initiate aggression, but master strategic defense;
Never make a reckless advance, but embrace tactical retreat."

This is the art of:
Marching without formation,
Striking without visible motion,
Engaging without fixed opponents,
Wielding weapons as if holding emptiness.

No calamity surpasses underestimating the foe,
For arrogance risks abandoning the Three Treasures (Compassion, Frugality, Humility).
Thus, when opposing forces stand equal,
Victory belongs to those who embody compassionate restraint and strategic humility.

Notes:
1. "Initiate aggression / strategic defense" for 主动/以守为攻: Uses Daoist terminology to highlight the philosophy of "responding rather than provoking" (hou fa zhi ren 后发制人).
2. Parallel structure ("Marching... Striking... Engaging... Wielding"): Preserves the original rhetorical cadence while conveying Laozi’s dialectical paradox of "being through non-being" (yi wu wei you 以无为有).
3. "Three Treasures": Capitalized as a proper noun to maintain coherence with prior translations of Chapter 67, where 三宝 (san bao) was established as the cardinal principles of Daoist philosophy.
4. "Compassionate restraint" for 哀者胜: Interprets 哀 (ai, lit. "grief") as strategic prudence rooted in compassion, aligning with the Daoist axiom "Compassion breeds true courage" (ci gu neng yong 慈故能勇).
5. Hybrid register: Balances archaic maxim-like phrasing ("Thus declares...") with modern analytical terms ("strategic defense") to bridge ancient wisdom and contemporary military theory.

Key Terminology Consistency:
- 道 = Dao (capitalized, italicized in academic contexts)
- 慈 = Compassion (core Daoist virtue)
- 宝 = Treasures/cardinal principles (context-dependent capitalization)
- 自然 = Natural Order (of Dao)