任信 · 天下莫柔弱于水
Rèn Xìn
Classical Chinese Text
天下莫柔弱于水，而攻坚强者莫之能胜，以其无以易之。弱之胜强，柔之胜刚，天下莫不知，莫能行。是以圣人云："受国之垢，是谓社稷主；受国不祥，是为天下王。"正言若反。
Translation & Meaning
普天之下没有什么东西比水更柔顺软弱了，然而攻克消磨最坚硬刚强之物的力量却没有什么能胜过水，因为没有任何事物能改变水柔韧无形的本性。 柔弱能胜过刚强，谦柔能化解刚硬，这道理天下几乎无人不知，却很少有人能真正躬行。 因此圣人说：“能够承担举国的屈辱与污垢，才配做社稷真正的主人；能够担荷举国的危难与灾殃，才配做天下真正的君王。” 真正合乎大道的至理正言，听起来往往像是与世俗常识相反的。
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
- 莫 (mò): classical character (mò)
- 柔 (róu): classical character (róu)
- 弱 (ruò): weaken / soften / yield
- 于 (yú): to / at / in
- 水 (shuǐ): water / fluid adaptability
- 而 (ér): yet / and / but
- 攻 (gōng): classical character (gōng)
- 坚 (jiān): classical character (jiān)
- 强 (qiáng): strengthen / firm / robust
- 者 (zhě): aspects / those who / things
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 能 (néng): fruitful / capacity / ability
- 胜 (shèng): classical character (shèng)
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
- 易 (yì): easy / simple / change
- 刚 (gāng): classical character (gāng)
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 知 (zhī): know / distinguish / recognize
- 行 (xíng): practice / teach / walk
- 是 (shì): this / therefore
- 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
- 人 (rén): person / human
- 云 (yún): classical character (yún)
- 受 (shòu): classical character (shòu)
- 国 (guó): classical character (guó)
- 垢 (gòu): classical character (gòu)
- 谓 (wèi): called / named / designated
- 社 (shè): classical character (shè)
- 稷 (jì): classical character (jì)
- 主 (zhǔ): classical character (zhǔ)
- 祥 (xiáng): classical character (xiáng)
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 王 (wáng): classical character (wáng)
- 正 (zhèng): classical character (zhèng)
- 言 (yán): words / speech
- 若 (ruò): classical character (ruò)
- 反 (fǎn): classical character (fǎn)
Commentary
青禾散人评注：“正言若反”道尽《道德经》辩证语言之奥秘。何谓领袖？不是享受特权最多的人，而是最能忍辱负重、替众人扛下风雨苦难的人。