Line by Line - Verse 5, Lines 5-7

May not the space between heaven and earth be compared to a bellows? 'Tis emptied, yet it loses not its power; 'Tis moved again, and sends forth air the more.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The space between heaven and Earth is like a bellows. The shape changes but not the form; The more it moves, the more it yields.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The space between Heaven and Earth Is it not like a bellows? Empty, and yet never exhausted It moves, and produces more
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Tao is like a bellows: It's empty, but it could help set the world on fire. If you keep using Tao, it works better.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

While the metaphor employed here is a bellows, it could just as easily be our own lungs. When I read this line, it reminds of the process of breathing -- in and out, in and out.

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