原文
公有领域大國者下流，
天下之交。
天下之牝，
牝常以靜勝牡，以靜為下。
故大國以下小國，
則取小國；
小國以下大國，則取大國。
故或下以取，或下而取。
大國不過欲兼畜人，小國不過欲入事人。夫兩者各得其所欲，大者宜為下。
王弼注
待校读江海居大而處下，則百川流之，大國居大而處下，則天下流之，故曰，大國下流也。
天下所歸會也。
靜而不求，物自歸之也。
以其靜故能為下也。牝，雌也。雄躁動貪欲，雌常以靜，故能勝雄也。以其靜復能為下，故物歸之也。
大國以下，猶云以大國下小國。
小國則附之。
大國納之也。
言唯修卑下，然後乃各得其所。
小國修下自全而已，不能令天下歸之，大國修下則天下歸之。故曰，各得其所欲，則大者宜為下也。
河上公章句
待校读治大國，當如居下流，不逆細微。
大國，天下士民之所交會。
牝者，陰類也。柔謙和而不昌也。
陰道以安靜為謙下。
能謙下之，則常有之。
此言國無大小，能持謙畜人，則無過失也。
下者謂大國以下小國，小國以下大國，更以義相取。
大國不失下，則兼併小國而牧畜之。
使為臣僕。
大國小國各欲得其所，大國又宜為謙下。
Legge 1891
Public domainWhat makes a great state is its being (like) a low-lying, down-
flowing (stream);--it becomes the centre to which tend (all the small
states) under heaven.
(To illustrate from) the case of all females:--the female always
overcomes the male by her stillness. Stillness may be considered (a
sort of) abasement.
Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states,
gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to
a great state, win it over to them. In the one case the abasement
leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to procuring favour.
The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them;
a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other.
Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase
itself.