<p>From <em>Tao Te Ching</em> ("Canon of morality") attributed to Laozi. These words are excerpted from various parts. Various translation exists, and here I am just being literal.</p>

<p>上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭。(part 8)<br>
The utmost goodness [or benevolence] is like the water. Water is good at being benevolent to everything, and does not compete with them.</p>

<p>守靜篤。(part 16)<br>
It is concrete to hold stillness.<br>
[or better, "Surely you must be calm."</p>

<p>靜爲躁君。(part 26)<br>
Stillness is the monarch of the movement.<br>
[Or better, "The waiting person rules the impatient person."]</p>

<p>清靜為天下正。(part 45)<br>
Stilness is the right thing of the world.<br>
[Or maybe "Inactivity is the principle of reigning."]</p>

<p>It seems your friend admires Lauzi very much ; )</p>

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2017-02-22T06:23:22.153Z
@Safeen then up-vote it
Mou某
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2017-02-23T09:37:21.380Z
@user3306356 Safeen can't upvote the answer, since (s)he doesn't have 15 reputation points. However, (s)he can accept the answer by clicking the green checkmark.
wythagoras
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-23T13:34:21.710Z
@wythagoras Three upvotes for this question will give them the points they need - I took care of the first up-vote.
Mou某
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2017-02-23T16:00:44.943Z
I just gave the third.
Violapterin
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2017-02-22T05:28:15.307Z
2017-02-22T05:28:15.307Z
Violapterin
<p>A friend left me this at work, I think it is a proverb but Google gave me different translations each time which confused me as none of it made sense. </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CsUQa.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CsUQa.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<traditional-characters><literary-chinese><old-chinese><proverb>
Can anyone tell me what this means please? I think it is a proverb
# Can anyone tell me what this means please? I think it is a proverb

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-22)

A friend left me this at work, I think it is a proverb but Google gave me different translations each time which confused me as none of it made sense.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/CsUQa.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/CsUQa.jpg)

**Tags:** traditional-characters, literary-chinese, old-chinese, proverb


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-02-22. Score: 5

From *Tao Te Ching* ("Canon of morality") attributed to Laozi. These words are excerpted from various parts. Various translation exists, and here I am just being literal.

上善若水。水善利萬物而不爭。(part 8)  
The utmost goodness [or benevolence] is like the water. Water is good at being benevolent to everything, and does not compete with them.

守靜篤。(part 16)  
It is concrete to hold stillness.  
[or better, "Surely you must be calm."

靜爲躁君。(part 26)  
Stillness is the monarch of the movement.  
[Or better, "The waiting person rules the impatient person."]

清靜為天下正。(part 45)  
Stilness is the right thing of the world.  
[Or maybe "Inactivity is the principle of reigning."]

It seems your friend admires Lauzi very much ; )

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: @username_0 then up-vote it  
> **username_3**: @user3306356 username_0 can't upvote the answer, since (s)he doesn't have 15 reputation points. However, (s)he can accept the answer by clicking the green checkmark.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Three upvotes for this question will give them the points they need - I took care of the first up-vote.  
> **username_1**: I just gave the third.  

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