| Original | English Translation |
|---|---|
| In life, people are supple and weak; | |
| in death, they are rigid and strong. | |
| All things—plants and trees—are supple and fragile in life; | |
| in death, they are withered and dry. | |
| Therefore, the rigid and strong belong to death; | |
| the supple and weak belong to life. | |
| Thus, when an army is strong, it does not prevail; | |
| when wood is strong, it snaps. | |
| The strong and great dwell below; | |
| the supple and weak dwell above. |
person; human; people; others; mankind
it, him, her, them; of; 's; go to; reach
birth; life; grow; produce; raw; inexperienced
also; too; likewise; [final particle of assertion]
soft; supple; yielding; gentle; to soften
weak; feeble; faint; fragile; to weaken
his; her; its; their; that; the one who; such
die; death; dead; perish; lifeless
hard; firm; steadfast; resolute; durable
strong; powerful; intense; to force; to compel; sturdy
ten thousand; myriad; countless; all; everything
thing; object; matter; creature; substance
grass; straw; herb; rough; crude; draft
tree; wood; timber; wooden
brittle; crisp; fragile; frail
wither; dry up; desiccated; dead (plants)
withered; dry; exhausted; to wither
cause; reason; former; old; therefore
one who; person; that which; the ...-er
walk on foot; pedestrian; follower; solitary; in vain; merely
right; correct; this; to be
by means of; use; because; so as to; in order to
soldier; troops; weapon; military
rule; law; then; as for; consequently
not; no; un-; non=
win; conquer; surpass; superior; victory
together; shared; joint; altogether; to share
big; large; great; adult; major; high-ranking
place; position; dwell; handle; punish
below; down; descend; next; subordinate
above; up; upper; ascend; previous; superior