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Chapter 78

天下莫柔弱于水

天tiān下xià莫mò柔róu弱ruò于yú水shuǐ，
而ér攻gōng坚jiān强qiáng者zhě，
莫mò之zhī能néng胜shèng，
以yǐ其qí无wú以yǐ易yì之zhī。
弱ruò之zhī胜shèng强qiáng，
柔róu之zhī胜shèng刚gāng，
天tiān下xià莫mò不bù知zhī，
莫mò能néng行xíng。
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén云yún：
受shòu国guó之zhī垢gòu，
是shì谓wèi社shè稷jì主zhǔ；
受shòu国guó不bù祥xiáng，
是shì为wèi天tiān下xià王wáng。
正zhèng言yán若ruò反fǎn。

a> Nothing in the world is more weak and soft than water, yet nothing surpasses it in conquering the hard and strong – there is nothing that can compare.

All know that the weak conquers the strong and the soft conquers the hard. But none are able to act on this.

b> Thus the sage says that he who receives the derision of the state is the lord of the state altars; he who receives the misfortune of the state is the king of the world.

c> Straight words seem to reverse themselves.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.

© 2010, 2016, 2019 Robert Eno. Freely available for personal use and not-for-profit educational settings. For other purposes, apart from fair use, copyright is not waived.