Tao Te Ching Ch.61: The Great State Is a Low River

大dà邦bāng者zhě下xià流liú，天tiān下xià之zhī牝pìn，天tiān下xià之zhī交jiāo也yě。

1What makes a great state is its being (like) a low-lying, down-flowing (stream);--it becomes the centre to which tend (all the small states) under heaven.

牝pìn恒héng以yǐ静jìng胜shèng牡mǔ，以yǐ静jìng为wéi下xià。

2(To illustrate from) the case of all females:--the female always overcomes the male by her stillness.

故gù大dà邦bāng以yǐ下xià小xiǎo邦bāng，则zé取qǔ小xiǎo邦bāng；小xiǎo邦bāng以yǐ下xià大dà邦bāng，则zé取qǔ大dà邦bāng。

3Stillness may be considered (a sort of) abasement.

4Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states, gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to a great state, win it over to them.

故gù或huò下xià以yǐ取qǔ，或huò下xià而ér取qǔ。

5In the one case the abasement leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to procuring favour.

大dà邦bāng不bù过guò欲yù兼jiān畜xù人rén，小xiǎo邦bāng不bù过guò欲yù入rù事shì人rén。

6The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them; a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other.

夫fú两liǎng者zhě各gè得dé其qí欲yù，大dà者zhě宜yí为wéi下xià。

7Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.