Line by Line - Verse 64, Line 7

The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

A tree as great as a man's embrace springs up from a small shoot;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

A tree thick enough to embrace
Grows from the tiny sapling
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Every tree was once a seed.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Everything in this life starts small. At some point near the outset of any life or process, the spark that creates it is no more than a speck. This is something we each share in common with every other life form. This is a tie that binds all things together.

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