This article discusses the complexity of the concept of form in translating. The author uses examples from the 15th to the 20th century to illustrate that the distinction between form and content is far from being clearcut. She shows for instance that faithfulness in the 17th and 18th centuries involved the translator's manipulation of the form or even the content of the source text; and that translators could seldom choose freely to privilege form or content. Her conclusion is that formal constraints, whether dictated by the source text or by the canons and conventions of the target system, should be recognised as an integral part of translation.