Maintaining Harmony in the Tao

One with profound virtue resembles a pure newborn infant:
Venomous insects do not sting him,
Fierce beasts do not maul him,
Birds of prey do not strike him.
Though his bones are tender and muscles supple,
His tiny fists clutch firmly;
Though unaware of sexual union,
His vital essence manifests naturally 
Such is the perfection of primordial energy.
He may cry all day without growing hoarse 
Such is the ultimate harmony.

To understand this harmony is to comprehend the eternal Dao.
One who comprehends the Dao attains true wisdom.
Excessive pursuit of longevity invites calamity;
Forcing energy through willpower breeds rigidity.
When things reach their prime, decay follows 
This defiance of nature's course is called "deviating from the Dao".
What deviates from the Dao perishes prematurely.

(This passage from Chapter 55 of the Tao Te Ching uses the innocence of infants to illustrate the Daoist philosophies of "embracing softness" and "abiding in harmony". It emphasizes the importance of following nature's flow and preserving one's authentic essence. Through contrasting the infant's natural spontaneity with human contrivance, it reveals that forceful striving for strength hastens decline, while maintaining gentle harmony ensures enduring existence.)

Notes:
1. Specialized terms like "精气" are rendered as "primordial energy/vital essence" to preserve Daoist philosophical connotations.
2. The paradoxical descriptions of infants (weak yet strong, unknowing yet complete) are retained to mirror the original text's dialectical wisdom.
3. Key concepts like "道" (Dao), "和" (harmony), and "失道" (deviating from Dao) maintain capitalization for philosophical emphasis.
4. The parenthetical commentary provides cultural context while distinguishing it from the primary translation through formatting.