Line by Line - Verse 39, Line 16

and what is lofty finds its stability in the lowness (from which it rises).
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The low is the foundation of the high.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The higher uses the lower as foundation
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

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

Everything in life needs a foundation. There would be no limbs of a tree if there was no trunk. There would be no mountaintop without a base. You can't have high/up, if there is no low/down.

Our world would be devoid of meaning without opposites (yin and yang). How could a person know bitter without knowing sweetness?

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