Tao Te Ching Chapter 14
第14章
視之不見名曰夷，聽之不聞名曰希，搏之不得名曰微。此三者，不可致詰，故混而為一。其上不皦，其下不昧。繩繩不可名，復歸於無物。是謂無狀之狀，無物之象，是謂惚恍。迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。執古之道，以御今之有。能知古始，是謂道紀。
We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable.' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible.' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle.' With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One.
Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure. Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again returns and becomes nothing. This is called the Form of the Formless, and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable.
We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back. When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue of Tao.
English: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 39 (1891) — public domain. Chinese: Wang Bi recension (王弼本), commentary removed.
Character glossary
- 視shìto look at, to inspect, to observe, to r
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 名míngname; position, rank, title
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 夷yíancient barbarian tribes
- 聽tīngto hear, to listen; to understand; to ob
- 聞wénnews; to hear, to smell; to make known
- 希xīrare; to hope for, to strive for; to exp
- 搏bócombat; to fight; to strike
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 微wēismall, tiny, trifling; micro-
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 三sānthree
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 致zhìto send; to present, to deliver; to caus
- 詰jíto question, to interrogate
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 混hùnmuddy, confused; to mix, to blend; to mi
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 皦jiǎowhite; bright, brilliant; clear
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 昧mèidark, hidden, obscure
- 繩shéngstring, rope, cord; to control
- 復fùagain, repeatedly; copy, duplicate; to r
- 歸guīto return, to go back; to return to, to
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 物wùthing, substance, matter; creature
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 狀zhuàngstate, condition; shape, appearance, for
- 象xiàngelephant; ivory; figure, image
- 惚hūconfused, absent-minded
- 恍huǎngabsent-minded; distracted; indistinct; s
- 迎yíngto welcome, to receive, to greet
- 首shǒuchief, head, leader
- 隨suíto follow, to listen to, to submit to
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 執zhíto execute; to grasp, to hold; to keep;
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 御yùchariot; to drive, to ride; to manage
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 始shǐto begin, to start; beginning
- 紀jìdiscipline, age; period, era; record, an
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.