| Legge | |||
| 11:10 28:19 | form | wéi | 爲 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:01 | forms | róng | 容 |
| 21:15 | form | fû | 甫 |
| 25:03 | formless | líao¹ | 寥 |
| 28:23 | attenuated form | bó² | 薄 |
| 51:03 | forms | xíng | 形 |
'wéi' is 'form an apartment' in 11:10, but 'fashioned into vessels' in 11:06, but 'forms vessels' in 28:19.
| Carus | |||
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:01 | form | róng | 容 |
| 35:01 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
| Lin Yutang | |||
| 01:11 | manifest forms | jìao | 徼 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:06 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 21:14 | Named (manifested forms) | míng | 名 |
| 43:04 | That-which-is-without-form | wú yôu | 無有 |
| 51:03 | form | xíng | 形 |
| 69:06 | march without formations | xíng¹ wú xíng¹ | 行無行 |
The loss of repetition within line 69:06 is most regrettable. WC, RP, DC, DL provide similar.
| Wu | |||
| 08:01 | highest form of goodness | shàng¹ shàn | 上善 |
| 14:02 | formless | yí¹ | 夷 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:08 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
The use of and 'yí¹' and 'wú zhùang' for 'formless' in the same chapter is most baffling of all. WC, FE, C1, and DL have similar variants within Chapter 14 listed below.
| Lau | |||
| 25:01 | confusedly formed | hùn chéng | 混成 |
With only one entry, this is the least use of 'form' of all listed translators.
| Chan | |||
| 11:06 | form | wéi | 爲 |
| 14:06 | The Subtle (formless) | wëi | 微 |
| 14:16 21:06 35:01 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 25:03 | formless | líao¹ | 寥 |
| 49:16 | forms a harmonious whole | hún | 渾 |
| 51:03 | form | xíng | 形 |
| 69:06 | march without formation | xíng¹ wú xíng¹ | 行無行 |
'wéi qì¹' is 'form a utensil' in 11:06, but 'turned into concrete things' in 28:19.
| Feng-English | |||
| 05:07 | The shape changes but not the form | xü ér bù qü | 虛而不屈 |
| 14:02 | beyond form | yí¹ | 夷 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 19:08 | outward forms | wén¹ | 文 |
| 21:08 | form | wù | 物 |
| 32:02 | unformed state | pû | 樸 |
| 37:07 | formless substance | wú míng | 無名 |
| 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 51:03 | form | xíng | 形 |
| Chang | |||
| 14:02 | formless | yí¹ | 夷 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:06 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 41:22 | form | xíng | 形 |
| Chen | |||
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 20:13 | emerged into form | wèi³ zhào | 未兆 |
| 41:22 | form | xíng | 形 |
| Mair | |||
| 02:09 41:22 51:03 | form | xíng | 形 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| Addiss-Lombardo | |||
| 25:01 | unformed | hùn | 混成 |
| 41:22 51:03 | form | xíng | 形 |
| 55:09 | formed | zùo | 作 |
| Pine | |||
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 69:06 | form no column | xíng¹ wú xíng¹ | 行無行 |
| Cheng | |||
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 19:08 | form a doctrine | wén¹ | 文 |
| 25:01 | chaotic formation | hùn chéng | 混成 |
| 35:01 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 41:22 51:03 | form | xíng | 形 |
| 69:06 | march without formation | xíng¹ wú xíng¹ | 行無行 |
| Hinton | |||
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:17 | form | rán | 然 |
| 41:13 | formless | yí¹ | 夷 |
| Lin | |||
| 14:06 | The Subtle (formless) | wëi | 微 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 25:01 | formlessly created | hùn chéng | 混成 |
| 41:22 | form | xíng | 形 |
| 69:06 | marching in formation without formation | xíng¹ wú xíng¹ | 行無行 |
| Star | |||
| 01:11 | mere forms | jìao | 徼 |
| 06:03? | forms | ||
| 11:06 | form | wéi | 爲 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:04 | formless | hü¹ | 惚 |
| 21:06 35:01 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 25:01 | formless | hùn | 混成 |
| 32:10? | forms |
There is no obvious correlation of 'forms' to anything in Chapter 6. JS has turned six simple lines into nineteen bloated ones in his freestyle riff on the chapter, more a caprice than a translation– certainly more Star than Lao Zi. There is a similar lack of reference in Chapter 32.
Though 'hu' occurs three times in 21:04-07, JS has three translations of it. In this case adding to the confusion is the reusing 'form' for 'xiang'; perhaps this is an attempt to align meanings, but something is decidedly lost.
| Muller | |||
| 11:06 | form | wéi | 爲 |
| 14:15 | form | zhùang | 狀 |
| 21:01 | form | róng | 容 |
| 21:06 35:01 41:22 | form | xìang | 象 |
| 21:17 | form | rán | 然 |