Line by Line - Verse 32, Lines 3-5

If a feudal prince or the king could guard and hold it, all would spontaneously submit themselves to him. Heaven and Earth (under its guidance) unite together and send down the sweet dew,
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

If kings and lords could harness it,
The ten thousand things would come together
And gentle rain fall.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

If the sovereign can hold on to it
All will follow by themselves
Heaven and Earth, together in harmony
Will rain sweet dew
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

If a leader gets right with Tao,
people will follow him on instinct.
All will be right with the world.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Here is part of what John Lash has to say about these lines:

If nations could achieve harmony with the Tao, human development on this planet would be greatly enhanced. By ridding themselves of greed and the ambition to be "the best," the environment would be protected. By adhering to non-aggression and humility in dealing with others, wars would be no more. By developing a sense of compassion for all life, starvation would disappear. Governments are simply a reflection of their citizens. If the citizens do not adhere to such principles in dealing with each other, how can their governments?

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