【原文】夫水淖弱以清，而好洒人之恶，仁也；视之黑而白，精也；量之不可使概，至满而止，正也；唯无不流，至平而止，义也；人皆赴高，己独赴下，卑也。卑也者，道之室，王者之器也，而水以为都居。 《水地》

【汉解】水柔弱而且清白，善于洗涤人的秽恶，这是它的仁。看水的颜色虽黑，但本质则是白的，这是它的诚实。计量水不必使用平斗斜的概，满了就自动停止，这是它的正。不拘什么地方都可以流去，一直到流布平衡而止，这是它的义。人皆攀高，水独就下，这是它的谦卑。谦卑是“道”的所在，是帝王的气度，而水就是以“卑”作为聚积的地方。

【英译】Water, gentle, yielding, and pure, is good for washing away the filth of men.. Therein lies its humaneness. When one looks at it, it may appear black or it may appear white. Therein lies its subtlety. When measuring it, one cannot use a leveling stick as with grain, but when the vessel is full, it stops accumulating. Therein lies its rectitude. There is no place into which it will not flow, yet it stops on reaching its proper level. Therein lies its righteousness. Men all rush upward, it alone rushes downward. Therein lies its sense of humility.  Humility being the residence of the Way and the instrument of kingliness water takes it for its dwelling place.