Chapter76

第七十六章

人之生也柔弱，其死也坚强。草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。故坚强者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒。是以兵强则灭，木强则折，强大处下，柔弱处上。

When man is born, he is tender and weak; at death, he is hard and stiff. When the things and plants are alive, they are soft and supple; when they are dead, they are brittle and dry. Therefore hardness and stiffness are the companions of death, and softness and gentleness are the companions of life. Therefore when an army is headstrong, it will lose in a battle. When a tree is hard, it will be cut down.The big and strong belong underneath. The gentle and weak belong at the top.