Tao Te Ching Ch.76: Soft at Birth — Chinese, Pinyin and English

人rén之zhī生shēng也yě柔róu弱ruò，其qí死sǐ也yě坚jiān强qiáng。

1Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong.

2(So it is with) all things.

草cǎo木mù之zhī生shēng也yě柔róu脆cuì，其qí死sǐ也yě枯kū槁gǎo。

3Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.

故gù坚jiān强qiáng者zhě死sǐ之zhī徒tú，柔róu弱ruò者zhě生shēng之zhī徒tú。

4Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.

是shì以yǐ兵bīng强qiáng则zé灭miè，木mù强qiáng则zé折zhé。

5Hence 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.)

强qiáng大dà处chǔ下xià，柔róu弱ruò处chǔ上shàng。

6Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.