Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 78
Chapter 78 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
天下莫柔弱於水，而攻堅強者莫之能勝，其無以易之。弱之勝強，柔之勝剛，天下莫不知，莫能行。是以聖人云：受國之垢，是謂社稷主；受國不祥，是謂天下王。正言若反。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Nothing under Heaven is softer or weaker than water, yet in attacking the hard and strong nothing can surpass it, for nothing can take its place.That the weak overcomes the strong and the soft overcomes the hard, no one under Heaven fails to know, yet no one can put it into practice.Thus the sage says: One who receives the nation’s disgrace is called lord of the altars of soil and grain;One who receives the nation’s misfortune is called king of all under Heaven.True words seem contrary.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet nothing can surpass it in wearing down the hard and strong; nothing can take its place.The weak overcomes the strong; the soft overcomes the hard. Everyone knows this, yet no one can live by it.So the sage says: Whoever bears the state’s disgrace is called lord of its altars of soil and grain;whoever bears the state’s calamities is called king of all under heaven.Straight words seem backward.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it;--for there is nothing (so effectual) for which it can be changed.
2. Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice.
3.
Therefore a sage has said,'He who accepts his state's reproach,Is hailed therefore its altars' lord;To him who bears men's direful woesThey all the name of King accord.'
4. Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.