原文
公有领域人之生也柔弱，其死也堅強。
萬物草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。
故堅強者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒。
是以兵強則不勝，
木強則兵。
強大處下，
柔弱處上。
王弼注
待校读强兵以暴於天下者，物之所惡也，故必不得勝。
物所加也。
木之本也。
枝條是也。
河上公章句
待校读人生含和氣，抱精神，故柔弱也。
人死和氣竭，精神亡，故堅強也。
和氣存也。
和氣去也。
以上二事觀之，知堅強者死，柔弱者生也。
強大之兵輕戰樂殺，毒流怨結，眾弱為一強，故不勝。
本強大則枝葉共生其上。
興物造功，大木處下，小物處上。天道抑強扶弱，自然之效。
Legge 1891
Public domainMan at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and
strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early
growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.
Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of
death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.
Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not
conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms,
(and thereby invites the feller.)
Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that
of what is soft and weak is above.