A nameless infant is born strong, but it is not in the world
That it can be carried. Its bones become hard, and yet it lives
Its blood may be spilled, yet it is a model
Therefore a leader is [ready] to use force, but he cannot conquer
How can anyone laugh at him?
He is also in agreement with his people
And this is what constitutes the world.
other readings further drafts from the same generation
deeper strata where the meaning thins
the original
1. Man 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.
2. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of
death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.
3. 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.)
4. Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that
of what is soft and weak is above.