Line by Line - Verse 41, Line 17

A semblance great, the shadow of a shade.'
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The greatest form has no shape;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

The great image has no form
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

The greatest beauty is invisible.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

That which gave life to life is unknowable and, therefore, formless. It is beyond human comprehension by the power of infinity. We spend so much of our lives trying to see what can't be seen. It is like a fruitless search for a vapor.

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