十四章
视之不见，名曰微；
听之不闻，名曰希；
搏之不得，名曰夷。
此三者，不可致诘，故混而为一。
其上不皎，其下不昧，绳绳兮不可名，复归于物。
是谓无状之状，无物之象，是谓惚恍。
迎之不见其首，随之不见其后。
执古之道，以御今之有。
能知古始，是谓道纪。
Looked at, but cannot be seen –
That is called the Invisible (yi).
Listened to, but cannot be heard –
That is called the Inaudible (hsi).
Grasped at, but cannot be touched –
That is called the Intangible (wei).
These three elude our inquiries
And hence blend and become One.
Not by its rising, is there light,
Nor by its sinking, is there darkness.
Unceasing, continuous,
It cannot be defined,
And reverts again to the realm of nothingness.
That is why it is called the Form of the Formless,
The Image of Nothingness.
That is why it is calledthe Elusive:
Meet it and you do not see its face;
Follow it and you do not see its back.
