The Tao Te Ching
of Lao Tzu
Verse 1.
Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
but none of them are absolute
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately sees the surface,
The core and the surface
are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder to wonder
Existence opens.
version by Witter Bynner
from The Way of Life According to Lao Tzu, 1944