Long and unbroken does its power remain,Notice the different metaphors or phrasing used in the four examples above. The middle two stress that Tao exists, yet cannot be seen. The outer two tackle this line in different ways. Legge speaks of power, while Hogan emphasizes the universality.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
It is like a veil barely seen.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
It flows continuously, barely perceptible
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
Everybody has Tao in them.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
Personally, I like Hogan's take on this line, though I would have preferred it if he had stated "everything" as opposed to "everyone."
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
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