第七十八章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 78

Nothing is softer than water, yet nothing better overcomes the hard; true words seem contrary.

天tiān下xià莫mò柔róu弱ruò于yú水shuǐ，

Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water,
而ér攻gōng坚jiān强qiáng者zhě，莫mò之zhī能néng胜shèng，

yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing surpasses it,
其qí无wú以yǐ易yì之zhī。

for nothing can take its place.
弱ruò之zhī胜shèng强qiáng，

The weak overcomes the strong,
柔róu之zhī胜shèng刚gāng，

the soft overcomes the hard:
天tiān下xià莫mò不bù知zhī莫mò能néng行xíng。

everyone in the world knows it, yet no one can practice it.
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén云yún：

So the sage says:
“受shòu国guó之zhī垢gòu，是shì谓wèi社shè稷jì主zhǔ；

"One who takes on the filth of the state is called lord of the altars of earth and grain;
受shòu国guó不bù祥xiáng，是shì为wéi天tiān下xià王wáng。”

one who takes on the misfortunes of the state is king of the world."
正zhèng言yán若ruò反fǎn。

True words seem contrary.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 78, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
天下	tiān xià	all under heaven, the world
莫	mò	no one, nothing
柔	róu	soft, supple
弱	ruò	weak, weakness
于	yú	to, at
水	shuǐ	water
而	ér	and yet, but
攻	gōng	to attack
坚	jiān	hard, solid
强	qiáng	strong
者	zhě	one who, that which
之	zhī	it, them (object)
能	néng	can, to be able
胜	shèng	to overcome; victory
其	qí	it, he, they (subject)
无	wú	not have, without, no
以	yǐ	by means of, with
易	yì	to replace
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
刚	gāng	hard, rigid
不	bù	not
知	zhī	to know
行	xíng	to carry out, put into practice
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
圣人	shèng rén	the sage
云	yún	to say
受	shòu	to take on, receive
国	guó	the state
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
垢	gòu	filth, disgrace
是	shì	this
谓	wèi	to call, to be called
社稷	shè jì	the altars of earth and grain
主	zhǔ	ruler, lord
不祥	bù xiáng	of ill omen
为	wéi	to be, to count as
王	wáng	king, kingly
正	zhèng	straight, true
言	yán	words, to speak
若	ruò	if
反	fǎn	return, reversal

Compare: James Legge (1891)

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.

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.

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 woes
They all the name of King accord.'

Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 78

Chapter 78 returns to the image of water. Nothing in the world is softer or weaker, yet nothing surpasses it for attacking the hard and strong, for nothing can take its place. The weak overcomes the strong and the soft overcomes the hard: everyone knows this, yet no one can practice it.

A saying of the sage then applies the lesson to rule. One who takes on the filth of the state is lord of the altars of earth and grain (社稷), that is, of the state itself; one who takes on its misfortunes is king of the world. To lead is to accept what is low and unwanted, as water goes to the places everyone dislikes in chapter 8.

The chapter ends with four characters that could stand for the whole book: 正言若反, true words seem contrary. Many of its sayings take this form, from the soft overcoming the hard to the sage who comes first by putting himself last. Water and softness also appear in chapters 8, 43 and 76, and chapter 70 voices the same frustration that easy words go unpracticed.

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Meaning of chapter 78