Line by Line - Verse 36, Line 11

Fishes should not be taken from the deep;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Fish cannot leave deep waters,
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Fish cannot leave the depths
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

(No corresponding line)
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

For me, this line is all about the true nature of things. A whale couldn't live in your bathtub. Eagles don't live underground. Moles don't fly. A cactus can't grow on a slope in Antarctica. And rivers can't build skyscrapers!

Each of us have a true nature too. When we lead lives that go against who we are, misery will be our bedfellow. When we try to be something we are not, the internal conflict can eat us alive.

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