Verse 76

When life begins
    we are tender and weak
When life ends
    we are stiff and rigid
All things, including the grass and trees,
    are soft and pliable in life
    dry and brittle in death

So the soft and supple
    are the companions of life
While the stiff and unyielding
    are the companions of death

An army that cannot yield
    will be defeated
A tree that cannot bend
    will crack in the wind
Thus by Nature’s own decree
    the hard and strong are defeated
    while the soft and gentle are triumphant