Tao Te Ching Ch.14: What Has No Shape — Chinese, Pinyin and English

视shì之zhī不bú见jiàn，名míng曰yuē夷yí；听tīng之zhī不bù闻wén，名míng曰yuē希xī；搏bó之zhī不bù得dé，名míng曰yuē微wēi。此cǐ三sān者zhě不bù可kě致zhì诘jí，故gù混hùn而ér为wéi一yī。其qí上shàng不bù皦jiǎo？

1We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable.' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible.' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle.' With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One.

其qí下xià不bù昧mèi，绳shéng绳shéng兮xī不bù可kě名míng，复fù归guī于yú无wú物wù。

2Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure.

是shì谓wèi无wú状zhuàng之zhī状zhuàng，无wú物wù之zhī象xiàng，是shì谓wèi惚hū恍huǎng。

3Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again returns and becomes nothing.

迎yíng之zhī不bú见jiàn其qí首shǒu，随suí之zhī不bú见jiàn其qí后hòu。

4This is called the Form of the Formless, and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable.

执zhí古gǔ之zhī道dào，以yǐ御yù今jīn之zhī有yǒu。

5We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back.

能néng知zhī古gǔ始shǐ，是shì谓wèi道dào纪jì。

6When we can lay hold of the Tao of old to direct the things of the present day, and are able to know it as it was of old in the beginning, this is called (unwinding) the clue of Tao.