原文
公有领域視之不見名曰夷，聽之不聞名曰希，搏之不得名曰微。此三者，不可致詰，故混而為一。
其上不皦，其下不昧。繩繩不可名，復歸於無物。是謂無狀之狀，無物之象，
是謂惚恍。
迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後。執古之道，以御今之有。
能知古始，是謂道紀。
王弼注
待校读無狀無象，無聲無響，故能無所不通，無所不往，不得而知，更以我耳目體不知為名，故不可致詰，混而為一也。
欲言無邪，而物由以成。欲言有邪，而不見其形，故曰，無狀之狀，無物之象也。
不可得而定也。
有，有其事。
無形無名者，萬物之宗也。雖今古不同，時移俗易，故莫不由乎此以成其治者也。故可執古之道，以御今之有。上古雖遠，其道存焉，故雖在今，可以知古始也。
河上公章句
待校读無色曰夷。言一無采色，不可得視而見之。
無聲曰希。言一無音聲，不可得聽而聞之。
無形曰微。言一無形體，不可摶持而得之。
三者，謂夷、希、微也。不可致詰者，夫無色、無聲、無形，口不能言，書不能傳，當受之以靜，求之以神，不可問詰而得之也。
混，合也。故合於三名之為一。
言一在天上，不皦。皦，光明。
言一在天下，不昧。昧，有所闇冥。
繩繩者，動行無窮級也。不可名者，非一色也，不可以青黃白黑別，非一聲也，不可以宮商角徵羽聽，非一形也，不可以長短大小度之也。
物，質也。復當歸之於無質。
言一無形狀，而能為萬物作形狀也。
一無物質，而為萬物設形象也。
言一忽忽恍恍者，若存若亡，不可見之也。
一無端末，不可預待也。除情去欲，一自歸之也。
言一無影跡，不可得而看。
聖人執守古道，生一以御物，知今當有一也。能知古始，是謂道紀。人能知上古本始有一，是謂知道綱紀也。
Legge 1891
Public domainWe 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. Its upper part is not bright, and its lower part is not obscure. Ceaseless in its action, it yet cannot be named, and then it again returns and becomes nothing. This is called the Form of the Formless, and the Semblance of the Invisible; this is called the Fleeting and Indeterminable. We meet it and do not see its Front; we follow it, and do not see its Back. When 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.