Line by Line - Verse 41, Line 16

Loud is its sound, but never word it said;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The highest notes are hard to hear;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The great music is imperceptible in sound
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The greatest voice is unhearable.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I like Derek Lin's translation of this line the best. For me, it serves as a reminder that we are most apt to meet Tao in the void of silence: meditation.

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