CONTENTS

InfoPrefaceVersions of the Zhou YiTranslations and commentariesDating and authorship of the Zhou YiStructure and context of the Zhou YiThe difficulties of understanding the Zhou YiTrigrams and hexagramsDivinations recorded in the Zuo Zhuan and Guo YuThe yarrow sticks methodThe scriptIntroduction to the translation元 亨 貞 Yuan, Heng and ZhenTranslation of the Zhou Yi With comments and glossaryAppendix I — Frequently occurring charactersAppendix II — Trigrams and hexagramsAppendix III — Chinese textWorks citedTranslation of the Zhou Yi with translator’s interpretationsTable of hexagram numbersHow to use the yarrow sticks and coins

INFO

I Ching - The Original Core of the Book of Changes

Lars Bo Christensen - January 2015

ISBN 978-87-997976-0-8

Additional sources and video clips can be found at:

www.zhouyi.dk

TPREFACE

he Book of Changes is famous in both China and the West as a classic of Chinese wisdom and asa divination manual. The Chinese title 易經 is transcribed in several different ways, although it

is usually written either “Yi Jing” or “I Ching”. There have been many attempts at translating theBook of Changes. However, the translations are all very different. Furthermore, the existingtranslations include different content. This is of course confusing to readers who wish to come tounderstand this famous and truly wonderful book.

The present work is concerned solely with the core text of the Book of Changes.

In order to avoid confusion between the core text and the complete classic with commentaries fromlater periods I refer to the original core text as 周易 which is transcribed “Zhou Yi” or “Chou I” andis pronounced “djow-ee”.

周易 Zhou Yi means “The Book of Changes from the Zhou Dynasty”.1

The Zhou Yi consists of 64 verses with seven lines in each verse, except the two first which haveeight lines. The total number of lines is 450. Although yi 易 occurs twice in the book itself there isnothing in the text directly indicating what exactly 易 in the title refers to. However, there can be nodoubt that the Zhou Yi was originally a divination manual and I find it obvious that 易 refers to thesystem of changing numbers which decides the combination of lines of text in the written divinationanswers.

The Book of Changes has not only been a famous and respected book for more than 2500 years, it hasalso been a challenging enigma ever since the first accounts of it. Since ancient times, the Book ofChanges has inspired people to contemplate life and cosmology and it has given rise to a multitude ofphilosophical ideas, not only in ancient China but throughout Chinese history including our time. It hasalso become increasingly popular in the West.

Commentaries and translations of the Zhou Yi are plentiful. Yet, it is a fact that hardly anyone couldever understand the Zhou Yi, even in ancient times. The proof of this statement is in the fact that alltranslations and interpretations of the Zhou Yi diverge enormously from each other—there are barelytwo lines that are agreed upon. Therefore, it is absolutely fair to say that there has, at least since thebeginning of the Han dynasty, never been any agreement in the interpretations or translations of theZhou Yi.

Yet, the Zhou Yi has always been held in as much high respect as the texts of Lao Zi, Zhuang Zi, KongZi or Meng Zi—all of which are much easier to read. It is as if the Zhou Yi’s popularity was neveraffected by the fact that hardly anybody could ever read the core part. Nevertheless, the Zhou Yi hasbeen used for divination and citation of wise words by millions of people for more than two

millennia.

The language of the Western Zhou period was, in fact, sufficiently evolved to be able to expressalmost anything. However, it still had many limitations and without the framework of a context it canbe especially difficult to translate short lines of early Classical Chinese and this is often the case inthe Zhou Yi. To reveal the context is, therefore, the key to a successful translation.

I regard the apparent lack of a context and structure to be the main reason the Zhou Yi has beentranslated in so many different ways. But there is, in fact, an internal logic in every hexagram and alsoin the development of the 64 hexagrams. Furthermore, there are obvious relationships between the 32pairs of hexagrams. This is sufficient to constitute the outline of the context which is needed todetermine the further direction of the translation.

• The present work makes it clear that the Zhou Yi was written by a single author.

• It also determines that the so-called “received version” is the most original.

• It clarifies the internal structure of the hexagrams.

• It explains the relations of all the 32 hexagram pairs.

• It investigates the yarrow sticks method.

• It proposes an explanation of how the divination answers were interpreted.

• It gives detailed definitions of nearly 800 words based on text examples from before the Handynasty.

• But primarily, it provides a meaningful and coherent translation.

The purpose of this book is to make a well-founded description and translation of the Zhou Yi. Thisdemands Chinese text, footnotes and a large glossary—all of which may be of little interest to mostnon-sinologists. Therefore, I have provided a “stripped down” version of the translation placed at thevery end of the book, which is, in fact, the beginning of a traditional Chinese book. My owninterpretation of the meaning of each of the 450 lines is written in cursive script below the lines ofthis translation.

Some chapters are rather technical. Before reading them I would recommend performing the practicaltechniques with coins or sticks which are described at the end of the book.

I would like to extend many thanks for help and advice to Donald B. Wagner and especially to StellaSørensen for many hours of work correcting my English.

CONVENTIONS

The word “hexagram” refers to the famous 64 images of six lines but it also refers to the 64verses of seven or eight lines of text that are associated with the lines.

Hexagram numbers are often referred to as H+number.

The first line of each hexagram is describing the overall theme of the verse and is referred to as “thetitle line” or “line 0”.

The first of the hexagram lines 初 is referred to as “line 1”.

Then follow line 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The top line of the hexagrams 上 is referred to as “line 6”.

Unless otherwise indicated, all translations are my own.

1 The name Zhou Yi 周易 was mentioned 10 times in the Zuo Zhuan which is the oldest historical source we have for the name. Therecord in which it was mentioned was for the year 672 BCE. The Zuo Zhuan itself is from before 340 BCE.

TVERSIONS OF THE ZHOU YI

he famous sinologist Bernhard Karlgren called the Zhou Yi “a muddle”, “gibberish” and“obscure”.1 Considering his talent for reading Classical Chinese this could be a strong

indication that the text was corrupt and he and other scholars had much better success translating otherancient texts.

There exists a very large number of Zhou Yi translations and commentaries and many translators andcommentators have indeed assumed that the text was corrupt and proposed that certain charactersshould be changed because some point in the text did not make sense to them. Naturally, many authors,editors and copyists of ancient Chinese texts committed errors, used loan characters or replacedcharacters because of naming taboos. In many texts it is not a big problem to determine mistakes andloan characters, but with more difficult texts there is an obvious danger of wrongly replacingcharacters. It is not unreasonable to suspect that the Zhou Yi could have been corrupted over time, andthat the true meaning was to be found by searching for the correct loan characters and correcting themistakes. This approach to the translation of the Zhou Yi is quite common, but has, in my opinion,never helped produce a useful translation. If there is any hope left of finding a meaningful translationafter all the futile attempts it can only be based on a single version which is possible to translate in ameaningful way without any replacement of characters. Otherwise, this hope wouldn’t live long out inthe dense jungle of previous translations, commentaries and different versions. However, having saidthat, I actually do see justification for the replacement of a single character in hexagram 9 line 4.

There exist a number of analyses and comparisons of the different versions of the Zhou Yi, mostnotably Unearthing the Changes by Edward L. Shaugnessy. Some of these have produced interestingtheories and conclusions which have been useful to clarify a general overview of the problemsregarding the Zhou Yi. I have not, however, found any variations in the excavated texts that seemed tobe improvements in the readability, and none of these versions have changed my own conclusion thatthe received version is the one closest to the original. This argument is supported by my translation ingeneral, but I consider the lines from the Zhou Yi which are cited in the divination records in the ZuoZhuan to also be weighty arguments. They are briefly explained in the chapter ‘Divinations recordedin the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu’ and are identical with the received version and very likely realaccounts. There is, in my opinion, no reason to believe these records should have been invented forthe occasion of writing the Zuo Zhuan or that they were rewritten later to suit an officially approvedstandard.

THE RECEIVED VERSION

The so-called received version has been handed down in the imperial libraries at least since the Handynasty and was made publicly available by order of Emperor Kang Xi in 1715. The overallrecognizable meaning, the contextual framework and the structure that can be discovered in the

received version and also the almost verbatim citations from the Zhou Yi which can be found in theZuo Zhuan have convinced me that this is the most original version. I have based my translationentirely on it—I have only changed one single character in H9 line 4. There is, at this time, noevidence to prove the original order of the hexagrams. But a different sequence would have had nopractical impact because the hexagrams were located in the text with the yarrow sticks on the basis ofthe hexagram lines—not the number in the sequence. My translation follows the hexagram order of thereceived version.

The received version consists of 4933 characters2 and it has 784 unique characters. The details of thetext will be explained in the respective chapters and the glossary.

THE MAWANGDUI VERSION

A silk copy of the Zhou Yi was found in the Han dynasty tomb of Li Cang who died in 168 BCE. Thetomb was located in the village Mawangdui in Changsha in the Hunan province. Edward L.Shaughnessy provides a further description and a translation in I Ching—The Classic of Change.Finding this relatively well preserved copy naturally caused great excitement. However,approximately 7% of the text was lost,3 only 31 hexagram titles were identical with the receivedversion and just 29 lines of the total 450 were identical. When corrected for missing parts of the textin the Mawangdui version there are only about 11004 characters which are the same as the receivedversion’s 4033 characters (excluding line numbers which are mostly the same). A large portion of thedifferent characters can carry the same meaning as their received counterpart, but there are still verymany differences which are difficult to explain. With good intentions, and if seen in isolation, manylines can make some sense, but viewed in the context of hexagrams with a common theme, the lines ofthis version are almost without either meaning or common themes. The order of the hexagrams in thisversion is also completely different from the received. As before mentioned, it is not possible todetermine the original sequence at this time.5

The notes to Shaughnessy’s translation show, that there are very many places where he has replacedcharacters in his translation. Some of the different characters could very well be considered“misspellings” or regional variations in writing, but the sheer amount of differences makes thisargument invalid—the meaning is simply lost. Many dedicated scholars have been engaged in anenormously complicated attempt to analyse and compare the different versions of the Zhou Yi and toextract possible evidence that could prove an earlier different version than the received. But withregards to the Mawangdui version, the number of obvious mistakes and inconsistencies are so greatthat I consider it doubtful if any safe conclusions can ever come from it.

I believe there can be two reasons for the differences between the Mawangdui version and thereceived version:

1. The scribe could simply not understand the text, assumed the original was faulty and tried toimprove the text with characters that seemed to have better logic.

2. The text was copied by an ignorant scribe who listened to someone reciting the Zhou Yi by heart. Ifthe text was made only for this particular burial, there would probably have been no proofreading. Ifind this to be the most plausible possibility. Especially so because many characters that are differentin the Mawangdui version have the same sound as their counterpart in the received version.6

The text is full of obvious mistakes, for example in H53 line 2 (received version H38) where it isvery clear that 无咎九二 does not belong in the sentence 九二无咎九二愚主于巷无咎 because thenumber 九二 is the line number and 无咎 clearly belongs to the end of the preceding line. Thereceived version is 九二遇主于巷无咎.

Another random example could be that in the received version and the Shanghai version the sentence有孚攣如 is the same in both H9 line 5 and H61 line 5. But in the Mawangdui version the character攣 is replaced with in H9 and 論 in H61, both with similar sound. It is very hard to see the meaning of these two charactersin the sentence.

There are also clearly many mistakes in the line numbering of the Mawangdui version.7 This is easyto determine because the line numbers determine the hexagram lines. This cannot be considered minormistakes, because it would have rendered the manual unusable. These mistakes further strengthen theimpression of the text as being a grave gift that was not intended for real use.

There are many characters which are written with variants in some places in the text and with thesame characters as the received version in other places in the text. An example could be that both 凶and 兇 are used for the same meaning, even within the same hexagram (H32). This is also the casewith 小 and 少. These mistakes may not disturb the reader so much, but when 孚 and 復 are confusedit obviously becomes very difficult to distinguish which is “return” and which is “confidence”. Thesame goes for 大 and 泰 which are also confused within the same hexagram (in H10, H26 and H28).

否 is well-known to replace 不 and indeed does so in the entire Mawangdui version. The receivedversion H12 is called 否 which is a logic and clear theme of this hexagram. In the Mawangduiversion this hexagram is H2, and here both 不 and 婦 are used to replace 否 (in line 0 and line 2).This is in itself confusing, but furthermore, both 否 and 不 occur in H12 of the received text. Thismeans that there is no way the reader could understand the difference of 否 and 不. Besides this, thetranslation of line 5 of the Mawangdui version becomes almost comical when 婦 is used instead of否: “A resting wife is good for a great man. ‘Will she disappear, will she disappear?’ He then ties herto the mulberry tree.” I find the received version to make much better sense in this case.

Although 亡 should be a well-attested variant of both 喪 and 无 it is very confusing that 亡 is used asa variant for both 喪 and 无 in the same text. Furthermore, 亡 is also used in the meaning“disappear”. It would thus have been very difficult to know the precise meaning of 亡.

This kind of problems are quite typical for this version but are just a few random examples; theconfusion in this version is endless. I believe no one could ever read and understand this particular

copy.

THE SHANGHAI MUSEUM BAMBOO STRIP VERSION

A batch of bamboo strips was looted in 1993 from a tomb near the capital of the Chu state in theWarring States period. A part of the Zhou Yi was written on 58 of the strips. They are now stored atthe Shanghai Museum. These bamboo strips are best known as the “Shanghai Museum version” butare also sometimes called the “Chu Bamboo strip version”. The bamboo strips have been dated to theend of the 4th century BCE which makes it the oldest extant version of the Zhou Yi at the presentmoment. Disregarding the line numbers, 38 % of the text was saved from the mud of the tomb (1571characters compared to the 4161 characters of the received version). There were 184 lines extant (32only partial) of the total 450. Of these only one single line is completely identical with its receivedcounterpart (H17 line 5). Only 26 of the titles were saved (of which six missing titles were verifiedfrom the text of the hexagram lines).8 Comparing the amount of differences with the received version,it seems to be about the same percentage as the differences between the Mawangdui version and thereceived version. However, the differences between the two excavated versions are, in fact, alsovery many.

At first glance the Shanghai Museum version looks considerably different than the received version.However, the differences are mainly variations in writing. In general, the text seems to be very closein meaning to the received version. Besides the variations of many characters, there are often missingor added characters compared to the received version, but usually without much impact of themeaning. But there are also many places where the differences are of a confusing nature, like H26 line2 輿說輹 where the Shanghai Museum has 車敚复 instead. 車 and 敚 has the same meaning as 輿 and說, but 复 would not have been precise enough to describe a part on the vehicle, and so this loses theprecise meaning of the line.

The Shanghai Museum version is wonderfully printed in: 馬承源: 上海博物館藏戰國楚竹書 vol.三 p. 11-70. It is described in detail in English in Unearthing the Changes by Edward L. Shaugnessy.

THE FUYANG BAMBOO STRIP VERSION

A copy of the Zhou Yi from the Han period was excavated in 1977 in Shuanggudui in the Anhuiprovince in the tomb of Xiahou Zao 夏候灶 (d. 164 BCE). It was written on bamboo strips but wasincomplete and fragmented. The remaining fragments consist of 752 strips with 3119 characters andinclude hexagram drawings, titles and lines.9 In spite of the missing parts and the differences in theway many characters were written, it is clear that this copy is close to the received version.

An interesting thing about the Fuyang Zhou Yi is that there are divination results appended to allexisting line fragments. Of the 3119 characters only 1110 belong to the Zhou Yi, the rest is appended

as a sort of commentary or explanation on how to use and understand the message of a particular line.The appended explanations always begin with卜 which occurs 134 times in the remaining fragments.卜 is used in the form “If divining about __ it will __” or “If divining about __ it will not __”. Thetopics of the explanations are varied: Illness, rain, marriage, children, if one will obtain what oneseeks out, hunting and fishing and several others.

To give an example of one of the few un-fragmented lines that has an appended explanation, the titleline of hexagram 28 is exactly the same in the Fuyang and the received version:

大過棟橈利有攸往亨 “If there is a great excess [of weight], the beam will bend. It will bebeneficial to have a place [to divert the pressure] to in order to make things go well.”

The characters appended to this line in the Fuyang version are:

卜病者不死妻夫不相去不死 “If divining about an illness, [the one who is sick] will not die. Thewife and husband will not be separated—[the one of them who is sick] will not die.”

The explanation is an example concerning illness, but the meaning of the hexagram line is ignored andreduced to a yes or no answer. This explanation seems to be typical of the whole text.

Research in the text of Zhou Yi from the Han period Fuyang bamboo strips by Han Ziqiang (韓自強:阜陽漢簡《周易》研究) is a very good source with fairly clear images of the strips andcomparisons with the received version and the Mawangdui silk manuscript. It is described in detail inEnglish in Unearthing the Changes by Edward L. Shaugnessy.

THE XIPING STONE CLASSICS VERSION 熹平石經

A canon of the Confucian classics was in the Eastern Han dynasty incised on steles not only for theinspiration of future Chinese scholars, but also—and most importantly—to prevent altering of theConfucian classics for any political or philosophical reasons. The steles were completed in 183 CE.

Yu Youren 于右任 (d.1964), a journalist and one of the 20th century’s most famous calligraphers,collected rubbings of stone inscriptions for the purpose of studying ancient calligraphy. In 1931 hefound a fragment of the Xiping stone in a marketplace in Luoyang. It was incised with hexagram 28and the title of hexagram 21. He found more pieces over the next two years, and still more pieceslater on. In 1936 Yu Youren donated his stone fragments to the Forest of Stone Steles Museum in Xianwhere they can be seen today. The fragments of the stones discovered so far make up approximatelyone fifth of the whole Yi Jing—1365 characters of the whole Yi Jing are saved on 29 fragments. Thestone version is very close to the received version. More information can be found in Fragments ofthe Zhou Yi From the Han Period Stone Classic by Qu Wanli (屈萬里: 漢石經周易殘字集證) andin Pu Maozuo 濮茅左: 楚竹書《周易》研究研究 p. 636-772.

THE LOST JINSHU VERSION 晉書

In 280 CE (太康元年)—at the end of the Three dynasties period—a copy of the Yi Jing wasdiscovered in Jijun 汲郡 in present day Henan Province in the tomb of King Xiang of Wei 魏襄王,who died in 296 BCE in the Warring states period. This was described by Du Yu 杜預 in hiscommentary to the Zuo Zhuan called 春秋左傅正義 vol. 7 後序. Many ancient texts—around 75scrolls—were found in the nearly 600 year old grave. Du Yu came to see the books, which hecomplained, were treated carelessly by the people who opened the grave. They were damaged bybeing stored underground for so long and it was difficult to sort them out. They were safely stored forlater reviewing, because they were quite complicated to read and understand. Du Yu recognized ascroll as a copy of the Zhou Yi and his remarks indicate two things. He wrote: 《周易》上下篇，與今正同 “The Zhou Yi in two parts, identical with the present day version”. “Two parts” could meanthat the Zhou Yi was physically divided into two scrolls, but it could also indicate that he found boththe divination manual and a second part with comments like The Ten Wings. But most importantly, hewrote that the copy he found was identical with the received version. This is, in my view, a strongindication that the received version was in use around 300 BCE.

THE GUI CANG 歸藏

There is evidence of the existence of more ancient divination texts other than the Zhou Yi. One ofthese is the Gui Cang 歸藏 which was known mainly through citations in other texts until it wasverified by an archaeological discovery of a bamboo strip version that was found in 1993 in a Qinperiod tomb at the site of 王家台 Wangjiatai in the Hubei province. The Gui Cang is interesting inrelation to the Zhou Yi because it is based on the 64 hexagrams and, furthermore, has many of thetitles from the Zhou Yi. The lines of the hexagrams in the Gui Cang are straight lines “—” and angles“︿“.

The widespread conception that firstly the Zhou Yi was compiled over time and secondly that it wasnot until the Han dynasty that it had taken the form we know as the received version, has led some tobelieve that the Gui Cang could be an earlier prototype of the Zhou Yi. However, the picture that isrevealed when all fragments of the Gui Cang are compared shows that it has no similarities with theZhou Yi in the text itself; the Zhou Yi and the Gui Cang seems only to have the hexagram images andmost of the titles in common.

In the Qing dynasty Ma Guohan 馬國翰 (1794-1857) collected most known citations from the GuiCang in 玉函山房輯佚書. The lost parts of the Qin period bamboo version of Gui Cang can thus besupplemented by numerous citations found in other texts. Although they are found in works from muchlater times in Chinese history, the citations are surprisingly similar to the excavated bamboo version.It is therefore possible to reconstruct a fairly large part of the Gui Cang. The reconstructed parts seemsufficient to determine the overall nature of the text.

When compared to the citations, the excavated version has many variations of the titles. Some areclearly mistakes, others variations in writing. In the excavated version, fragments of 55 hexagramverses have been recovered, 36 hexagram drawings are intact, and 48 of the titles are readable. Ofthese 48, 19 titles are identical with the received version of the Zhou Yi10 and about 10 could beconsidered minor variations in writing. The rest of the titles, however, are very different.

If there were similarities in the titles of the excavated Gui Cang and the Mawangdui silk version ofthe Zhou Yi, this could help shed light on the very many problems of the silk version. However, noneof the titles of the excavated version which are different from the received version of the Zhou Yi areidentical or even close to the Mawangdui silk version.

First of all, because the hexagram names are so similar to the Zhou Yi, it is fair to assume that therewere 64 verses in the Gui Cang and it seems there was only one line or verse for each hexagram. Ifsub-verses or lines had existed, some of the extant fragments would surely have been from these lines.This is, however, not the case.

The structure of the Gui Cang verses is so that they begin with the hexagram lines and are thenfollowed by the title. The first part of the body of the verse is nearly always an account of adivination made in the past, followed by the name of the diviner and a short statement saying if theanswer was auspicious or not. There are several intact fragments which are quite easy to understand.They are often like this one:

《漸》曰昔者殷王貞卜丌邦尚毋有咎而枚占巫咸巫咸占之曰不吉

“In old times, the king of Yin divined—by the method of crack making—about his country; if itwould be fine and without trouble. He also had Diviner Xian divine with sticks. Diviner Xianperformed it and the answer was unfavourable…”

Then usually follows a rhyme, which must be the advice to the inquirer. But because of the lack of alonger context and missing and wrong characters, it is not possible to make a reliable translation ofmost of them. There is, however, one verse which is complete enough to make sense. It is furthermoreone of the citations that can be found in Ma Guohan, although in a slightly different version:

Pu Maozuo strip 439:

《師》曰昔穆天子卜11出師而枚占□□□□占之曰龍降于天而道里修遠飛而沖天蒼蒼其羽

“The Army—In old times Mu The Son of Heaven divined if the army should be sent out. The

diviner12 asked with the sticks. The diviner said the answer was: The dragon came down fromHeaven [it said:] ‘The road is long and far’. Then it flew back up in Heaven on its ever so darkgreen13 wings”.

The Gui Cang records many events and persons from ancient times. With regards to the date of thecomposition of the Gui Cang, it must naturally be somewhere between the latest event or personmentioned in the text and the date of the bamboo version from the Qin dynasty. However, mosthistoric events are introduced with the phrase xi 昔 “in old times” which could indicate a span ofperhaps several hundred years from the events.

The conclusion must be that there is nothing in the available material that shows any closerelationship between the Gui Cang and the Zhou Yi, other than the fact that they are both based on the64 hexagrams and share the titles. It could simply be a text that was inspired from the Zhou Yi like theJiaoshi Yilin 焦氏易林.

The excavated bamboo slip version of the Gui Cang is reproduced in Pu Maozuo 濮茅左: 楚竹書《周易》研究研究 p. 773-778. It is described in detail in English in Unearthing the Changes byEdward L. Shaugnessy.

1 Bernhard Karlgren: Loan Characters in pre-Han texts: no. 1738, 1166 and 1439.2 Including the 772 characters used for the line numbering.3 Based on a count of the missing characters in the Chinese text in Edward L. Shaughnessy’s I Ching – The Classic of Change.4 This number is of course not the exact one for the whole of the Mawangdui text since about 7% of the text is missing. But I wouldassume that the percentage of different characters would be the same among the missing characters, since the different characters areevenly distributed throughout the hexagrams.5 Edward L. Shaughnessy describes the order in more detail in Unearthing the Changes, p. 5-8.6 This is not the place for a complete comparison, but it is not difficult to compare the two versions. We can never be absolutely certainhow characters were pronounced in different regions of China so long ago, but the amount of characters with nearly the same sound ismore than enough to be convincing.

7 H51 line 1, H18 line 5, H47 line 6, H49 line 5, H51 line 1, H64 line 2, H8 line 5, H29 line 4, H41 line 3, H62 line 4 and H22 line 1.8 Based on my own counting of the text in Ma Chengyuan: Shanghai Bowuguan Cang Zhanguo Chu Zhu Shu.9屈萬里: 漢石經周易殘字集證, p. 45.10 小過 is written slightly differently, but I count it as identical.11 There are several references in the bamboo version to crack making. However, 枚 means “sticks” so this must refer to yarrowcounting. The character 筮 is used in the version in Ma Guohan.12 The diviners name is lost, but is usually put in this place of the line.13 蒼 can mean both “blue” and “dark green”, but in the verse on strip 216 蒼 is referring to green plants. Therefore, I also translate itas “green” here.

TTRANSLATIONS AND COMMENTARIES

he great number of commentaries and translations of the Yi Jing shows how important andinteresting readers have regarded it throughout more than 2500 years. This is, however, a great

paradox when there has never existed a consensus of how to understand or translate the core part. Ifthe Yi Jing is considered to be among the most important Chinese classics one should think themeaning was clear and that the translations were generally in accord. But, in fact, there are over 100translations in Western languages1 which are all extremely different with regards to the core part—theoriginal divination manual. Even the scholarly translations differ greatly and the larger body oftranslations is so different that many parts appear to be from completely different texts. There is notradition in China for making translations into modern Chinese while the enormous amount ofcommentaries in Chinese on how to understand the Yi Jing is equally diverging.

Scholarly works and papers on the Yi Jing are also overwhelmingly abundant. All conceivable anglesand approaches have been covered in articles, books, and on conferences. To get a complete overallsummary of this area of research there is no better place to look than Edward L. Shaughnessy’schapter on the Yi Jing in Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide edited by Michael Loewewhere most relevant ideas and discoveries are briefly described.

The abundance of works on the Yi Jing written by skilled and dedicated scholars have certainlycontributed to shedding of light on many interesting topics regarding the way of thinking in ancientChina. However, it is an indisputable fact that there has never been even the slightest agreement abouta meaningful translation of the text of the Zhou Yi itself and this weakens a large part of theconclusions made in works about the Yi Jing. It is, in my opinion, very important not to ignore that themost fundamental core of this area of research has been missing all along.

The texts written on the thousands of oracle bones from the Shang dynasty were mostly very shortlines like: “If the king hunts on jia day there will be no rain”. I believe the rich amount of oracle boneinscriptions may have affected the views of many scholars attempting to translate the Zhou Yi. Thelines in the Zhou Yi are divination answers just like the texts on the oracle bones. However, the moreI get to know and understand the Zhou Yi, the more I am convinced that it is, in fact, a completelydifferent type of text.

The Zhou Yi is popular today as a manual of divination and many users claim it gives insightfulanswers that can be used to help in adapting to the changes of life. In fact, most translations are madefor the purpose of being used for divination.

Nearly all readers have to rely on translations, but how can anyone without academic skills in thisparticular subject choose between the more than one hundred very different translations? When eventhe scholarly translations do not make much sense, the only criteria the readers are left to choose fromare how well they personally like or trust the translator’s approach and style.

Another segment of readers mainly see the Yi Jing as a classic of ancient Chinese thought. But theoriginal core text of the Zhou Yi does not have a linear story and can’t be read as a book like, forexample, the Zhuang Zi or Lao Zi. Furthermore, the messages of the 450 lines in the Zhou Yi are oftencontradictory—even within the same hexagrams. Therefore, the statements must be meant to beselected for the different questions, not to be regarded as eternal truth.

Richard John Lynn said in his book on Wang Bi’s commentaries: “…there is no single Classic ofChanges but rather as many versions of it as there are different commentaries on it.”2 Using thecommentaries as a basis to understand the Zhou Yi is, in my opinion, futile. Although I acknowledge acertain value of a few, the commentaries have never helped to produce a universally accepted andprecise translation so far. The Ten Wings and other commentaries are usually translated much moreconvincingly than the core text itself. But since no one could ever agree on a meaningful translation ofthe core text, we can’t determine the quality or relevance of the Ten Wings or any other set ofcommentaries. They may hold interesting ideas but, in my opinion, we can’t say they define how weshould understand the principles of the core text, as they were still just comments and ideas inspiredfrom the original Zhou Yi which, again, no one could ever seem to understand or agree about. Ifcommentaries could not produce a meaningful translation by now, how can we rely on them?

Below is a comparison of different translators’ view of line 4 of hexagram 58. It is one of the moststraightforward lines in the entire Zhou Yi. The differences are, however, very dramatic:

My translation: “Talking about joy, but there is still not peace. When harm is warded off there can behappiness”.

Da Liu: “Considering joyousness does not bring serenity. Once one corrects his conduct, one hasjoyousness.”

James Legge: “Shows its subject deliberating about what to seek his pleasure in, and not at rest.He borders on what would be injurious, but there will be cause for joy.”

Richard Wilhelm: “Joyousness that is weighed is not at peace. After ridding himself of mistakes aman has joy.”

John Blofeld: “Calculating (future) joys, he is restless and suffers from various small ills, yet he ishappy.”

Richard John Lynn/Wang Bi: “This one has to deliberate how to deal with joy, and so knows nopeace, but because he wards off harm, he has happiness.”

Richard Alan Kunst: “The pleasure of a reward. They are not yet peaceful. A great illness: therewill be joy.”

Edward L. Shaughnessy’s translation of the Mawangdui version: “Patterned usurpation; not yet atpeace; a transitional illness has happiness.”

Gregory Whincup: “Before talk of standing up has been settled, the great affliction that gave rise toit is cured.”

Richard Rutt: “Satisfaction in rewards. No peace yet. Disease confined, the outcome will behappy.”

Stephen Karcher and Rudolf Ritsema: “Bargaining Opening, not-yet soothing. Chain-mailafflicting: possessing rejoicing.”

Margaret J. Pearson: “Haggling over joy: not yet at peace. If you avoid illness, happiness.”

Gia-Fu Feng and Jerome Kirk: “Contrived pleasure is not restful. Abandon that sickness and behappy.”

Kerson Huang: “The discussion is unfinished. The itching ailment will heal.”

Richard Bertschinger: “Deliberating about joy, not yet at peace. Bordering on sickness, there ishealth.”

Hatcher, Bradford: “Measured joy is less than serene. Limit the anxiety to own happiness.”

1 My own list has over 110 translations, more than half of them are out of print.2 Richard John Lynn: The Classic of Changes, p. 8.

TDATING AND AUTHORSHIP OF THE ZHOU YI

he oldest extant copy of the Zhou Yi is the Shanghai Museum version that was found in a tombfrom no later than 300 BCE. The copy of Zhou Yi that was found in 280 CE by Du Yu was

reportedly from 296 BCE. The earliest account of a Zhou Yi divination in the historical text the ZuoZhuan was dated 672 BCE. Besides this, there are a few references in the Zhou Yi itself that couldpoint to date and place:

岐山. The Qi Mountain is mentioned in H46 line 4 and is located to the north of present day QishanCounty in the Shaanxi province: 王用亨于岐山 “The King performs an offering on Qi Mountain tomake things good and ensure no failure”. No mountain in the area is higher than 1200 meters abovesea level. The part of the mountain that is closest to the large Zhou tombs and palace site at the footof the mountain is no higher than 950 meters. The Qi Mountain has no difficult peaks, and it is easyto drive or walk on it today. Although we don’t know the density of the vegetation on the mountain3000 years ago, it would undoubtedly also have been fairly easy to ascend at that time. The sites ofthe tombs and the palace are located 750 meters above sea level. So, in fact, it would have beenrather easy for the king and the court to ascend the 200 meters and perform rituals on the mountain.From the top in clear weather, it would have been possible to look out over the whole valley,perhaps all the way to the Wei River, which is 500 meters above sea level 23 km away.1

涉大川 The crossing of a great river is mentioned 12 times in the Zhou Yi. The greatest river closeto the Qi Mountain is the Wei River, and the Feng-Hao capital was located at the Feng River. But, infact, 涉大川 could refer to any river.

西山 The Western Mountain is mentioned in H17. It could be assumed to be a mountain locatedfurther west of the Zhou capital, or perhaps be the western part of the Qi Mountain area. It is,however, not possible to determine with the information we have.

高宗 Gao Zong was the 23rd Shang king Wu Ding (around 1200 BCE)2. He is the earliest namedperson in the Zhou Yi and is referred to in hexagram 63. Gao Zong was mentioned many times inancient texts.

帝乙 Di Yi was the 30th generation Shang king (1105-1086 BCE)3. He is referred to in both H11 andH54. (Please see the glossary for more information).

箕子 Ji Zi was mentioned in H36. He was also mentioned many times in historical texts and washeld in respect for being a man of high moral virtue always doing his best to enlighten theunenlightened under difficult circumstances. Ji Zi was likely a real person of the late Shang dynastywho lived around 1100 BCE. (Please see the glossary for more information).

康侯 Kang Hou was mentioned in the Zhou Yi in hexagram 64. According to the Hanyu Da Cidianthe Marquis Kang was 姬封 Ji Feng—son of King Wen and the younger brother of King Wu.

貝 Cowrie coins were mentioned three times in the Zhou Yi in hexagram 41 line 5, hexagram 42 line2 and hexagram 51 line 2. But actually there were several types of bronze coins in the Eastern Zhou:knife coins, spade coins and round coins among others. I find it odd that they were not used todescribe money in hexagram 51 or to describe the value of the precious turtle shells mentioned inhexagram 41 and 42 because in the Eastern Zhou period 貝 were the lowest denomination not worthvery much. In the Western Zhou period, however, 貝 were the only money besides barter.4

The Zhou Yi was mentioned 25 times in the historical text the Zuo Zhuan. The earliest of theseaccounts is from the 22nd year of Duke Zhuang’s reign—which was 672 BCE. A bamboo slip versionwith intact parts of the Zuo Zhuan has recently been proven to be from approximately 340 BCE. Thisdiscovery means that the Zuo Zhuan is a much more reliable source for the dating of the Zhou Yi thanpreviously assumed. (Please refer to the chapter ‘Divinations recorded in the Zuo Zhuan and GuoYu’).

The Qishan area in Shaanxi 陝西 is often called 周原 Zhou Yuan, which means “Homeland of theZhou people”. Because Qishan is mentioned in the Zhou Yi, I believe that this is perhaps the mostinteresting area to look for artefacts that potentially could prove the dating and authorship of the ZhouYi.

From the time of the Zhou King 古公亶父 Gugong Danfu up until the time of King Wen the Zhoucapital was located in the area between the Qi Mountain and the Wei River in present day Shaanxiprovince. The area stretched to the west and east from the Qishan County and the distance betweenthe foot of the mountain and the river is approximately 20 km. A variety of workshops, severalcemeteries, more than 3,000 bronzes and over 10,000 oracle bones have been found in the Zhou Yuanarea. Most of the excavated bronzes had text written on them, but only a few hundred of the oraclebones had visible characters.

The foundation of what seems to be a Zhou palace was found in 1976 in the grounds of the Zhou GongMiao—a temple dating back to the Tang dynasty. The Zhou Gong temple is located in Qishan Countyright at the foot of the Qishan Mountain. The discovered foundation is nearly 1500 m2 and it has beenpossible to reconstruct the layout and architecture of the buildings and court yards.4 At the same site alarge cemetery was discovered in May 2004. The largest of the tombs have four entrances, which isonly seen before in the royal graves of the Shang dynasty, and this combined with their relativelylarge size could be indications that they are tombs of royal standard. This has led to expectations thatthey could be the tombs of the Zhou kings, but unfortunately they have not yet been excavated.

The Zhou dynasty capital was for different reasons relocated a few times. The traditional view is thatKing Wen relocated the capital from Qi approximately 140 km eastward along the Wei River to thewestern bank of the Feng River which is located in Chang’an just southwest of present day Xi’anCity. His son, King Wu, moved the capital again to the eastern bank. These two capitals were calledFeng 灃 and Hao 鎬. However, the precise roles and status of the three cities Qi, Feng and Hao are,

in fact, not entirely clear. Recent research has questioned which of the capitals was the mostimportant at different times, and it seems that the city of Qi continued to be an important centre forancestral worship and perhaps was even militarily and politically important for the most part of theWestern Zhou period until the Zhou was forced away from the area by an alliance of some of Zhou’svassals and the Quanrong tribe in 771 BCE.5

Symbols which were undoubtedly related to divination have been found on many bronzes, oraclebones and on pottery from both the Shang and Zhou period. Most of them are found in the Zhou Yuanarea. The symbols are easily recognized as hexagrams and trigrams but they consist of numbersinstead of lines. Several of them are obviously pairs that quite clearly show the presence of changinglines. (Please refer to the chapter ‘Trigrams and Hexagrams’). However, none of these symbols are aproof that the text of the Zhou Yi existed at the time, because no part of the Zhou Yi has ever beenfound in relation to them. Although the large majority of trigrams and hexagrams were found in Zhousites, a few hexagrams and trigrams have been found on oracle bones excavated from Shang sites.6

This does not mean that the Book of Changes was written by a writer from the Shang people or that itwas written by a writer from the Zhou people and then became popular at the Shang court. It seemsmore likely that the hexagrams were invented earlier than the Zhou Yi was written.

Textual analysis is sometimes useful in the dating of ancient texts, and determining the earliest use ofcertain characters found in the Zhou Yi could theoretically narrow down the period in which it waswritten. However, textual analysis is, in my opinion, of very limited use in the dating of the Zhou Yibecause it is too difficult to make reliable conclusions. One example could be 姤 gou, the title ofhexagram 44. It is a very rarely used character and the earliest known use of it, apart from the ZhouYi, seems to be in the Guan Zi written by Guan Zhong who lived ca. 720-645 BCE. 姤 has never beenfound on any oracle bones or bronzes. The earlier form of 姤 was 后. However, this informationdoesn’t tell us anything precise. The problem is that 后 could have been changed to 姤 in laterversions, or 姤 could have been used much earlier than we think, simply because it was a rarely usedcharacter. The appearance in 2009 of a bamboo version of the Zuo Zhuan from the Warring Statesperiod clearly revealed the problems involved in textual analysis. Very many well-thought-outarguments had been put forth to prove that the Zuo Zhuan was a forgery from the Han period, but in2009 they all suddenly became invalid by the appearance of a bamboo version of the Zuo Zhuan fromthe Warring States period.

There are many references to divination in the pre-Han classics.7 However, the only ones that aredirectly concerning the Zhou Yi are those in the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu. In the Shi Ji, the history ofancient China written by Sima Qian (ca. 145–86 BCE), King Wen 文王 was ascribed the authorshipof the 3848 line statements in the Zhou Yi. King Wen 文王 was the popular last king of the Zhoupeople when the Shang dynasty still ruled. He built up the strength of the Zhou state which later madehis son King Wu able to overthrow the cruel and unjust Shang King. There is no direct linking of theZhou Yi to King Wen in any texts before the Han dynasty.

自伏羲作八卦，周文王演三百八十四爻而天下治。“All under Heaven has been well-ordered since Fu Xi9 made the eight trigrams and the Literary King

elaborated them with the 384 lines.”10

The records of the Shi Ji have often been proven to be true by later archaeological discoveries,11 butthis is, of course, not nearly enough evidence to conclude that King Wen was involved with thecreation of the Zhou Yi. It seems to be a commonly accepted idea that King Wen was only ascribedthe authorship of the Zhou Yi because Confucius paid much tribute to the virtue of the early Zhoukings. Furthermore, it is a widespread belief that the Zhou Yi was edited or compiled from differentsources over a long time and, therefore, could not have had a single author. However, I hope theinternal logic and coherence of the present translation will add weight to the view that there was onlyone single author of the Zhou Yi. Accepting this view and adding to it the evidence of changinghexagrams very early in the Zhou period, why could it, in fact, not have been King Wen who wrote theZhou Yi? He was, after all, named “The Literary King”.

If we assumed that King Wen wrote the Zhou Yi, the story of Ji Zi in H36 would very likely have beena popular topic of the time. When mentioning the Marquis Kang 康侯 in H35, King Wen would havebeen referring to his industrious son Feng and in H11 line 5 he would simply have been mentioninghis mother Zhong Ren 仲任 who came from the royal family of Shang. Mentioning Di Yi’s concubinein H54 line 5, who seemed to have higher status than the first wife, King Wen would have beentalking about his maternal grandfather’s secondary wife.

If we accept the earliest records in the Zuo Zhuan as reliable historical evidence, then the dating ofthe Zhou Yi must be somewhere between the earliest record in the Zuo Zhuan—claimed to be from672 BCE—and the lifetime of Ji Zi and King Wen’s son Feng—around 1100 BCE. In this case thedating of the Zhou Yi would be narrowed down to be within a span of just 400 years and, in fact, I seeno reason it could not be in the earlier part of this span of time.

Hopefully, we will know more about the author of the Zhou Yi when one day the tombs of Zhou Yuanhave all been excavated.

1 Elevation and distances from Google® Earth.2 Cambridge History of Ancient China says before 1198 BCE to after 1188 BCE. Xia-Shang-Zhou-Chronology-Project says 1250–1191BCE.3 According to the chronology of the Cambridge of China.4 David Hartill: Cast Chinese Coins - A Historical Catalogue.5 A drawing of the reconstructed building can be found in Cambridge History of Ancient China p. 392.6 Maria Khayutina: Western Zhou hospitality, p. 2-3, and Cambridge History of Ancient China, p. 390-395.7 濮茅左 p. 435-439.8 Michael Loewe: Divination, Mythology and Monarchy in Han China, p. 181-183.9 The total number of lines of text in the Zhou Yi is actually 450 because there are seven lines in each verse plus two extra in H1 andH2. Therefore, 384 seems to refer only to the 64 line statements excluding the title lines.10 Fu Xi is a mythological figure said to have invented writing, fishing and trapping.

11 史記-日者列傳.12 “It must be, therefore, that Ssuma Chhien did have fairly reliable materials at his disposal - a fact which underlines once more thedeep historical-mindedness of the Chinese”. Joseph Needham: Science and Civilisation in China. Vol. 1. Introductory Orientations.Cambridge University Press 1954, page 88.

TSTRUCTURE AND CONTEXT OF THE ZHOU YI

he nature of early Classical Chinese is such that it is often necessary to read sentences in abroader context in order to reveal the precise meaning. When I began the present translation, I

soon realized that it was not possible to make a coherent, meaningful translation of the Zhou Yiwithout a broader context than that which is provided when only seeing each line as a self-containedunit. Therefore, my way of translating has been to clarify the meaning step-by-step. I did so bysearching for any parts in the text that could be more easily understood and then I translated theseparts as well as possible. This helped create a partial framework that provided an overview whichmade it possible to translate even more parts. This way the structure and context was graduallyrevealed, just like building the dome of a cathedral; a dome of meaning where the bricks held eachother in place and yet none of them could hold alone without the others.

The Zhou Yi is not a text with a linear story like a novel but consists of 4501 short “scenes” orproverb-like lines. The themes of the lines are very different and can even be contradictory within thesame hexagram.2

However, there is certainly a logical development through the sequence of the 64 hexagrams and thereare quite obvious relations when the hexagrams are seen as 32 pairs. There is also a gradualdevelopment within each hexagram and there are connections between the so-called “changing lines”and the following hexagrams. Gradually seeing these internal developments and connections appearprovided the necessary structural and contextual framework necessary to make a meaningfultranslation.

There are basically two different methods of obtaining a divination answer with the methods that weknow of today. They are explained in detail in the chapter ‘The Yarrow Sticks Method’.

The first method is the one used in the records of the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu (see the chapter‘Divinations Recorded in the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu’). The divination answers produced with thismethod are simple to interpret because only one line is obtained without considering a followinghexagram—one line comprises the whole answer.

The second method is the yarrow sticks method described in the Attached Remarks of the Yi Jing.This method can produce a single hexagram where only the title line is the answer or it can produce ahexagram consisting of one up to six “changing” lines. In this case the combination of lines is alwaysfollowed by a second hexagram where only the title line is considered. If a divination answer isobtained with the method of multiple lines then the lines must obviously be intended to be connectedinto little “stories”—stories of increasing length the more lines that the divination yields. And theremust be a connection between the combined line statements and the following hexagram. I say it isobvious because I can hardly imagine that a divination answer with, for example, four lines changingto a following hexagram was supposed to be viewed as five different answers to that particular singlequestion.

Therefore, the hexagram lines seem originally to have been created in a way that makes them able tojoin together in an integrated, intentional and logical way. I assume that the lines were meant to beconsidered as arguments, or images, to explain the situation inquired about, and that the followinghexagram was a sort of conclusion like: “Because … and because … you should ….”

A multiple line answer will, of course, be more complicated to understand the more lines that areinvolved.

However, the idea that the six lines of each hexagram can connect into logical connections with acombined message is, in fact, only a theory based on my personal understanding of the text. Although Ibelieve the connections to be there on all six levels, I can only give clear and easily comprehensibleexamples of the more simple connections with one or two changing lines. If all the connections shouldbe written down for the levels of all six lines and recreated with other words as a help to the reader,it would be extremely complicated.

It could perhaps be done with the first level of one single changing line. In that case, only theconnection between the 384 single lines and the following hexagram should be explained. This I have,in fact, almost already done because my own interpretation of all single lines is written below thetranslation of each hexagram line. It is then fairly easy for the reader to see the connection to thefollowing hexagram. I have, however, for clarification of this idea, added several examples below.

A single changing line is simple to connect to the message of the following hexagram. But connectingfrom two to six hexagram lines into one single combined message and then connecting it to thefollowing hexagram is, of course, more complicated—the complexity increases rapidly for each levelof the six lines. In fact, writing and explaining them all would require writing 4032 connectinginterpretations.3

Besides, any attempt to recreate the combined message of the connecting lines into modern or moreeasily comprehensible phrases will unavoidably lose the adaptability of the meaning of the lines. It isvery difficult to create and write a connecting common interpretation of more than one or two linesleading to the resulting hexagram that works consistently in all cases. This would require a perfectand complete understanding of the very central meaning of any given line, and then rephrasing it insuch a way that it could adapt itself to all possible applications of this line.

However, in fact, there should be no need to write all the combined “stories” of the connecting linesin a simpler, more modern interpretation, because the images of the hexagram lines are simple andlogical and, in fact, not difficult to relate to a modern person’s life. All we need is a loyal and correcttranslation.

The sequence of the 64 hexagrams has been the same in all versions, with the exception of theMawangdui silk manuscript, which I regard as a thoroughly faulty version. As for the sequence, it isto a certain degree possible to find a progression through the 64 hexagrams. The first two hexagrams

are clearly the very basics of duality—the birth of all things—which were common concepts in earlyChinese cosmology. H3 is a good image of wanting to proceed but having to prepare a foundationfirst. H4 is the image of youth or ignorance—we must learn before we can make real progress. H5 isabout waiting and not acting before conditions are ripe. H6 is a warning not to press forward whenwe can’t yet win the battle. H7 is about organizing, focusing and winning the battles along the way.However, from H8 onwards it gets complicated to describe the progression—there is a hodgepodgeof images on all aspects of life and advice on what to do. The best explanation of this development isto go through the list of the 32 pairs in the present chapter.

H61 and H62 seem appropriately placed towards the end. But although H63 and H64 are obviouslyright at the very end, the positions of the two seem to be reversed. It is clearly illogical that “After theCrossing” precedes “Before the Crossing”. The Zhou Yi would originally have been written onbamboo or wood strips bound with thread. I imagine it could be a possibility that the last strips hadcome loose and got mixed up. In fact, I believe that this is so obviously a mistake that I feel thepositions of H63 and H64 ought to have been corrected in the present translation. It would have noimpact on how the book was used because the yarrow method was used to find the hexagram, not thenumber in the sequence of the 64 verses.

If all the above mentioned observations and conclusions are correct, it means that the Zhou Yi has anextremely well-thought-out structure. If a translation can reveal this structure completely, the Zhou Yicould never have been written by different authors. Neither could it have been edited over time orconsisted of an arbitrary list of divination records as has been suggested by some. I believe that thestructure and context which can be found in my translation is certain proof that there was only oneauthor of the Zhou Yi.

Five principles of the structure found in the Zhou Yi

1. We don’t know if the very first hexagrams on bones and bronzes were written from below, but thelines of the hexagram images found in excavated versions of the Zhou Yi have always been drawnfrom the bottom up.4 The level, quality or degree of the meaning of each of the six lines obviouslydevelops up through the hexagrams moving towards a change. It could be said there is a“progressing” context, which starts with a basic quality and ends with an extreme or exaggeratedquality. This progression takes very different shapes. In some hexagrams the development frombottom to top is expressed with different parts of the body such as found in H31, H21 and H52which all three develop from below moving upwards through the body. Also the Ding cauldron inH50 starts with the feet and ends with the carrying hook. The same is true for the bed of H23. Ingeneral it is hard not to notice that the first one or two levels of lines are about feet, roots, staying,being closer to home, holes in the ground, beginnings, walking, tails, mats, staying low—in generalanything that can be considered low or basic. The increasing levels of the themes that develop upthrough line three to six are of a nature that is less simple to explain—“increasing quality” isperhaps the best general term. But, in fact, it is not at all difficult to recognize the increasing levelswhen one becomes better acquainted with the text.The principle of increasing levels of meaning is the most fundamental way to determine the overall

context of each hexagram and the lines.

2. The meaning of a single line of any hexagram has a meaningful connection to the overall messageof the following hexagram (by “following” hexagram I do not mean the next in the sequence of 64,but the following hexagram produced by the yarrow or coin method). If an operation with coins orsticks yields two changing lines then they combine into a two lines long “story” leading to thefollowing hexagram. If a divination yields three changing lines they combine into a three lines long“story” leading to the following hexagram. This continues so on and so forth with all six lines.

3. The message of all lines can change from positive to negative and vice versa in differentcombinations of lines and concluding hexagrams. This is because they become parts of differentcombined answers. This does not, however, change the basic message of the lines.

4. The hexagrams are organized in pairs with related meaning; sometimes opposite, sometimescomplementing each other.

5. There is a relationship in the meaning of the lines of the same level in the pairs.

TEXT EXAMPLES OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF THE STRUCTURE IN THE ZHOU YI

1. EXAMPLE OF THE INCREASING DEVELOPMENT OF LINES

HEXAGRAM 23:

Title line: [When something is decaying] it will not be useful to have further plans [with it].

Line 1: A bed decaying because its feet are [rotting] away. [Trying to] correct this is no good.

Line 2: A bed decaying because its frame is [rotting] away. [Trying to] correct this is no good.

Line 3: To let it decay is not a mistake.

Line 4: It is bad if the bed is decaying because of the leather [that covers it is causing rot].

Line 5: [Give] a string of fish as a favour to the people of the palace. Then none of them will not behelpful to you.

Line 6: A large fruit not eaten. The wise person acquires a carriage, the small man’s hut falls apart.

The overall context of hexagram 23 that I propose is:

“Don’t waste resources on what has already started to decay.”

Basic level: Describes light decay.

Level 2: Describes decay that is worse.

Level 3: Describes advanced decay.

Level 4: Avoid conditions that will result in decay.

Level 5: Timely care saves us from trouble.

Top level: The results of taking timely care, or not.

The title is about the irreversible course of decay.

Line 1, 2, and 3 are describing increasing levels of decay.

Line 4, 5, and 6 are about avoiding the sad results of decay.

There are several other hexagrams where the principle of the increasing development of lines is alsoespecially obvious: H31, H48, H49, H52 and H53.

2. EXAMPLES OF ONE OR TWO LINES LEADING TO A CONCLUDING HEXAGRAM

A SINGLE LINE LEADING TO A CONCLUDING HEXAGRAM

H43 line 3 leading to H58: “If there is strain in the face, it is not good. The wise person walks alone,very determined but meets rainfall and thus gets soaked. He can’t be blamed for being annoyed [aboutthis].”

H43 line 3 leads to H58 兌 which means “joy”.

“[There can be] joy when things go well, therefore it will be beneficial to correct things”.

So we have a situation where: Someone is much too determined about something, and should notendure too much hardship but try to stay happy.

TWO LINES LEADING TO A CONCLUDING HEXAGRAM

Hexagram 43 with changing lines 1 and 3 leading to hexagram 47:

H43 line 1: “You are making a mistake if you set out with powerful steps and then don’t win.”

H43 line 3: “If there is strain in the face, it is not good. The wise person walks alone, verydetermined but meets rainfall and thus gets soaked. He can’t be blamed for being annoyed [aboutthis].”

These two lines lead to hexagram 47 困 which means “to press yourself”; not merely say what youwill do, but accomplish the things you set out to do, even if it is tough.

Thus the interpretation of hexagram 43 with lines 1 and 3 leading to hexagram 47 would be that youare determined and must win success (43 line 1), although it is tough (43 line 3), you must achievewhat you said you wanted to do (hexagram 47).

3. EXAMPLE OF A LINE CHANGING ITS MEANING FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE

H43 line 3 changing to H58 is a situation where enduring hardship is a bad thing, but in the case withtwo changing lines the message of line 3 has now changed to positive—what you ought to do—because it was tempered by line 1 and this now leads to hexagram 47 where the message is that topress yourself is a good thing—the “strain in the face” will lead somewhere good.

FURTHER EXAMPLES OF LINE CHANGES (WRITTEN SIMPLY)

H4 line 4 changing to H64: Don’t try to make someone understand if the person really is unable tograsp it—you cannot get your message “across”.

H6 line 2 changing to H12: This may seem right, but refrain from doing it, it will have seriousconsequences.

H8 line 5 changing to H2: Don’t be ruthless but gentle and fair.

H9 line 6 changing to H5: You are exhausted and it is raining, but you have reached a place to rest.Wait here—don’t go on before you have rested.

H26 line 6 changing to H11: “What is Heaven’s Way? To make things go well!” This leads verylogically to H11 Greatness.

H27 line 4 changing to H21: You want something badly; then you must work for it.

H30 line 4 and 6 changing to H36: A flash of light makes it clear to us which of the barbarians canbe corrected.

H40 line 1 changing to H54: H40 is about staying free and line 1 is the most basic precaution to taketo avoid being entangled. In H54 the woman is advised against binding herself to another family thatis not good for her. Taking the wrong decision about marriage will have serious consequences, soshe should make no mistakes in this matter.

H43 line 4 changing to H5: You want to act, but you are not fit for it and should wait.

H44 line 3 changing to H6: Don’t start a conflict. You could easily have just said what was wronginstead of being harsh.

H45 line 3 changing to H31: We can complement each other.

H51 line 3 changing to H55: Something that causes you to be frightened makes you want to takeaction. But don’t worry; it is not necessary to act.

H55 line 4 changing to H36: Describes an unenlightened person who needs to be enlightened.

H60 line 1 changing to H29: Stay inside. H29 is not only a picture of a bad pit, but also a goodspace that can contain something.

4. THE 32 HEXAGRAM PAIRS

There is no obvious or traditional division of the chapters in the Zhou Yi. But with a correcttranslation it is possible to determine relationships between the hexagrams. A closer look reveals thatthere is clearly a relationship between the odd and even hexagrams 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and so on. Thehexagrams of all odd numbers are turned upside down when seen in relation to the following even

number such as H43 and H44: or H7 and H8: . There are eight exceptions; 1-2, 27-28, 29-30 and 61-62 which are not turned upside down because they consist of two identical trigrams

and are the same if turned upside down .

The characteristics of the pairs often seem to be opposites. But, in fact, many could rather be said tobe complementing each other. H19-H20 is a good example of a pair complementing each other:“Keep an eye on” and “Observe” are not exactly opposite each other but clearly related. Oppositesare especially obvious with H41-H42 “Decrease” and “Increase”.

THE 32 PAIRS

(THE TITLES ARE NOT GIVEN HERE, ONLY KEYWORDS FOR THE GENERAL THEME OF THE

HEXAGRAMS).

1. Creativity and activity – 2. Patience and humbleness.Both have: 龍.

3. Building up, getting started – 4. Ignorant youth.H3: Know the direction, but a long way to go. H4: Don’t know the direction, and don’t understandeven if being told.

5. Waiting – 6. Don’t press through.You must wait; don’t press through. Both have 利涉大川 in title lines.

7. Fighting evil – 8. Union with good.

9. Small beneficial animals – 10. Large dangerous animal.Both have 道.

11. Greatness – 12. Refrain from greatness.Both have: 小往大來/大往小來, 拔茅茹以其彙 and 包承小人/包荒.

13. Friends – 14. Great possessions.People and things can be both harmful and helpful for us.

15. Make do with what you have – 16. Don’t stay with what you have.Both have 鳴.

17. Follow other people – 18. Don’t follow other people (repeating their mistakes).

19. Keep an eye on – 20. Observe.Fifth line in both says it is alright for a wise person to oversee or observe something.

21. Work – 22. Adorn.Work is hard but necessary. Adornment is an easy way to win small gains. Both have feet 趾 in line1.

23. Decay – 24. Again.“No more times” – “more times”.

25. Be prepared for the unpredictable – 26. Control unpredictable forces.

27. The right kind – 28. Too much.The wrong kind or too much of a kind are both detrimental.

29. Inside – 30. Light.Inside dark – outside light.

31. Completing – 32. Duration.Completing things requires commitment for long time.

33. Retreat – 34. Great power.You must retreat if you have insufficient power to overcome the resistance—You can go aheadwhen there is sufficient power.

35. Progress on your own part – 36. Progress of others.

37. Family – 38. Opposition.Unity and disunity.

39. Obstruction – 40. Freedom.Both hexagrams start with 利西南 and are about staying free and unhindered by going away fromtrouble. Title lines have 蹇利西南 / 解利西南.

41. Decrease – 42. Increase.益之 is in both H41 line 2 (increasing) and H42 line 2 (being increased). 益之 occurs again in bothhexagrams, line 5. The sentence 或益之十朋之龜弗克違 is in both H41 line 5 and H42 line 2.

43. You are determinate – 44. Others are determinate.臀無膚其行次且 is in both.

45. People supporting each other – 46. Support from a superior.見大人 is in both title lines.

47. Improving the conditions with great effort – 48. Maintaining and rebuilding.

49. Destabilizing – 50. Solidifying.

51. Fear – 52. Calmness.

53. Gradual development towards marriage – 54. Avoiding the wrong marriage.Both mention marriage 女歸 / 歸妹 in title lines.

55. Don’t worry – 56. Be alert.

57. Depressed – 58. Uplifted.

59. Spreading – 60. Limitation.

61. Inner confidence – 62. Disruption of confidence.

63. After – 64. Before.Both are about crossing the river. H63 title line: 既濟亨小利 H64 title line: 未濟亨小狐.Both have 濡其尾 in line 1 and 濡其首 in line 6. Also both hexagrams have 曳其輪 and 伐鬼方三年.

5. EXAMPLES OF RELATIONS OF LINES OF SAME LEVEL IN THE PAIRS

When taking a look at the increasing qualities of the six lines within a hexagram, and then comparingthem in pairs there is clearly a relation of the meaning of lines of the same level. For example: Thefirst line of H11 and H12 have similarities in their meaning which is related both to their relationshipas a pair, but also to the line level. Two examples of this principle are given below for completehexagram pairs. They should be quite obvious and need no further explanation, if you compare the fulltext in the respective hexagrams.

HEXAGRAM 11 AND 12

0. Great or not.

1. Prepare a sound foundation.

2. Helping weak people.

3. Not everything is perfect.

4. Gain from others.

5. Acting to help good or acting to avoid disaster.

6. An overturning of the situation to the worse or the better.

HEXAGRAM 43 AND 44

0. Getting your way or not.

1. Don’t act if you can’t succeed.

2. Good preparation and wrong preparation.

3. The resistance is too strong.

4. You can only give what is wanted by the other part.

5. Receive good—reject bad.

6. By being hard and bold you achieve what you want.

1 64x7 lines +2 extra in H1 and H2=450.2 Examples of contradicting lines in the same hexagrams: H3 line 2-4. H6 line 2-5, H8 line 3-2, H8 line 2-4, H14 line 0-4, H14 line 2-4,H17 line 2-3, H23 line 3-6, H25 line 1-6, H27 line 5-6, H29 line 4-6, H34 line 3-4, H60 line 1-2.3 63x64 = 4032.4 The earliest evidence of this is in the Shanghai Museum bamboo version (end of the 4th century) where 初 and 上 occurred for thefirst and last line.

TTHE DIFFICULTIES OF UNDERSTANDING THE ZHOU YI

he Zhou Yi consists of 450 lines. Of these, about one fifth of the lines have been particularlydifficult to translate. Some of these would, in fact, have been impossible to translate without a

broader context than the line itself.However, I think that the lines which are most problematic to understand are mostly so because it isdifficult for us to imagine life in the early Zhou dynasty. The practical side of life can for the mostpart be uncovered by archaeologists and historians, and it is usually possible to find informationabout things like chariot parts (H26-2,3), hunting devices (H62-5), animals (H9, H26, H35-4),flowers (H43-5) and plants (H44-5) or rituals (H20). The 鼎 Ding was a bronze cauldron whichmany people today will associate with rituals and being a symbol of wealth (H50-0,2,5,6), but itshould not be forgotten that it was also simply used to cook food in (H50-1,3,4).The Zhou Yi also touches on many everyday affairs such as the crossing of a stream (H63-1), healthconcerns (H47-2), courting (H3-2), divorce (H38-4), relations with friends (H13), enemies (H13-5)and neighbours (H11-4), advice about not to bring work home (H37-5), domestic situations where thehead of the needs to be firm (H37-3), not having enough money (H14-3), making a relationship last along time (H42-6) or about ending it (H40-4). And, of course, people had negative feelings of anxiety(H51), gloom (H30-3), sadness (H30-5), worries (H55), even bi-polarism (H61-3) and, of course,the whole spectrum of positive feelings: Hope (H55-2), enthusiasm (H16), happiness (H58),confidence (H61) and serenity (H52).These feelings are also described in the great variety of poems in the Book of Poetry, the Shi Jing, ofwhich many poems are from roughly the same period as the Zhou Yi. One of these poems—“Don’tPush a Wagon” (K206)—tells you not to push a wagon in front of you (as opposed to dragging itwhere the road dust will stir up behind you). The message in the poem is clearly an advice not toworry, because worrying will cloud your mind. But there are many other wise and profound poems inthe Shi Jing, and they are helpful to read for anyone who finds it difficult to accept the full scope ofthemes in the Zhou Yi.Worrying is also the theme of one of the most difficult hexagrams in the Zhou Yi – number 55. It iscalled 豐 Abundance, but it is actually about not worrying, just like the poem from the Shi Jing: Weworry about our job and duties (line 0), we worry if we are being accepted by others (line 1), weworry when we can’t see what lies ahead of us (line 2), small mishaps makes us vexed (line 3), weworry about our boss (line 4), we worry if we will ever succeed (line 5) and sometimes we are justso un-worried that life passes us by (line 6). I guess when most of us are worried you could say thatwhat we worry about really is if we have abundance in our life. Hexagram 55 is describing theseconcerns in a very precise but still elusive way.H52 is about meditation and H31 is about the ancient concept of internal energy. H30 is about lightwhich is vital and well-known to us in many different ways, but the importance of light is so simpleand banal that it is actually hard to realize. H23 is an analogy about a rotten bed while H48 is ananalogy of a poorly maintained well—the bed is rotting away but the well can be rebuilt. It is easy tosee the meaning after these hexagrams have been translated, but certainly not to begin with. Luckily,several hexagrams such as H10, H13, H14, H41-42, H63-64 and others, are much easier to

understand, and this helps to determine the overall structure and context which is necessary to see inorder to solve the more difficult parts of the Zhou Yi.I believe the main problem in translating the Zhou Yi lies not in understanding the words, but rather inbelieving that someone more than 2500 years ago could hold the complexity of all these ideas andexpress them as clearly as they are, in fact, being presented to us in the Zhou Yi.The Zhou Yi is written with examples from the everyday life in the Zhou period; ordinary eventshappening everyday, but also special events like rituals, war and solar eclipse.An overview of the objects and people mentioned in the lines may help to build a picture of theenvironment of the Zhou Yi:Livestock: Pig, boar, piglets, sheep, goat, oxen, cow, horse, mare and both small and large livestock ingeneral.Game, birds and fish: Deer, pheasants, wild goose, fish and carps, but also tiger, leopard, fox, turtle,crane, falcon and birds in general.Foods: Dried fish, pheasant stew, dried meat, salt cured meat, melon, Goji berries, fruit and wine.Plants: Mulberry, cogon grass, poplar, thorn bush, goji tree, caltrop, vine and pokeweed.Physical objects: A bed, a mat, dried ox-hide string, a jade tablet, an axe, an arrow, weapons, money, askirt, a gown, a belt, silk, a sack, chariots and carriages, shackles, a carrying pole, different cups,bowls, ladles, ritual vessels and a bucket.Different settings: A house, a court yard, a well, a palace, a court, a temple, a city, a narrow lane, theoutskirts, in the wild, in the fields, on the mountain and in the sky.Different types of people: “Small” people, wise people, ignorant people, crazy people, children, women,men, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, robbers, hermits, neighbours, friends, physicians, diviners,shamans, servants, a landlady, soldiers, generals, officials, noblemen, barbarians, enemies,industrious people, superiors, heroes, the king, ancient kings and God.

ETRIGRAMS AND HEXAGRAMS

ver since ancient times, the Chinese have had a love of using systems of numbers to describe theworld and its creation. One well-known example is in the Dao De Jing chapter 42 where it is

said:

道生一。一生二。二生三。三生萬物“Dao gives birth to one. One gives birth to two. Two gives birth to three and three gives birth toall the myriads of things”.

Assuming as I do, that the Zhou Yi was written by a single author as a divination manual, I do notthink it unreasonable to view the text basically as a way of dividing our life in the world into 64 largeparts which can be further divided into 384 hexagram lines. The total number of possible answers theZhou Yi can give is 40961 which represent 萬物 “the ten thousand things”. Then, by using a systemof calculations one of these combinations is randomly chosen as the answer to the situation that isbeing inquired about.

The images representing each of the 64 verses of the Zhou Yi are all made up of six broken orunbroken lines and are therefore called hexagrams. A trigram is a unit of three broken or unbrokenlines and two trigrams combined constitutes a hexagram. Traditionally the eight trigrams have thesame names as the hexagrams in which two identical trigrams are doubled: 1, 2, 29, 30, 51, 52, 57and 58. There are eight possible trigram combinations and 64 possible hexagram combinations.

Trigrams are more often than not associated with the Zhou Yi, but they are, in fact, mentionednowhere in the core text itself and are not used in the calculations.

Both trigrams and hexagrams are in Chinese called gua 卦. The earliest texts where the character 卦is found are from the Warring states period. 卦 occurs in the Poems of Chu 楚辭, the Rites of Zhou 周禮 and the Zuo Zhuan 左轉, which all date from the Warring States period, but 卦 does not occur inthe Shi Jing and has, to my knowledge, never been found on bronzes. 卦 consists of bu 卜 whichmeans “to divine”, and of two 土 one on top of the other thus forming 圭 which is the character for anelongated jade tablet. It is difficult to see how this should have any relevance to divination. However,圭 has always consisted of six lines, and although others may regard 卦 as radical and phonetic Ibelieve the meaning could be “divination with six lines”. Yao 爻 is the character for the lines of a

hexagram. 爻 was also used in older times on bronzes and oracle bones and usually looked like .

There have been theories and legends about the origin of the trigrams and hexagrams, but noconclusive evidence has ever been found about this question in either archaeological material orhistorical texts. However, very old signs have been found which could likely be the precursor forboth the trigrams and hexagrams. The oldest of these signs are simple lines and angles incised onartefacts of wood and antler horn from the Neolithic Period dated to be 6-8000 years old.2 The mostinteresting thing is that they nearly always appear in groups of three or six. The signs look exactly like1, 6 and 8 do in oracle bone script, but because the Chinese numbers 1-4 were written with straightlines in ancient times the straight lines could theoretically be representing the numbers from 1-4.3 Thisis naturally difficult to be certain about. It is, however, certain that the similar signs found on pottery,bones and bronzes from the late Shang- and Zhou dynasties were digits because similar numbers havebeen found in verifiable context. They looked exactly the same and were also written in groups ofthree or six. Therefore it is an actual possibility that the neolithic signs were also numbers, but we arestill in the dark as to their precise use and meaning.

Although these old signs consist of digits and not broken or unbroken lines, as it became the customlater in history, it seems reasonable to assume that they are related to the trigrams and hexagramsbecause there are nearly always three or six in each group of digits. With the knowledge we haveabout the use of the Zhou Yi in later periods, it could be natural to regard them as divination symbols.However, there are no cases of any part of a divination text like the Zhou Yi found in relation to thesymbols on either oracle bones or bronzes. There is no doubt that the symbols found on oracle boneswere divination symbols because we know for certain that this was the purpose of using the bones.

The prognostications made by cracks on oracle bones had, as far as we know, nothing to do withnumerology. Bu 卜 was the character for crack-making, and could be said to resemble a crack. Shi 筮was the character for the method of counting sticks. The lower part 巫 was the character for the“shaman” or person entrusted with contacts to the spirit world. The upper part 竹 was the characterfor bamboo; the meaning was clearly a “shaman” using sticks. There are many cases of 卜 and 筮written side-by-side in early texts, for example in the Shi Jing, Zhou Li and Zuo Zhuan, where theyrefer to crack making and yarrow divination respectively.

Apart from the neolithic hexagram-like signs, more than 120 trigram- and hexagram-like signs writtenon a variety of artefacts were reproduced and described in works by Pu Maozuo and Zhang Zhenglang(Please see the list in Appendix II). The oldest of these artefacts are oracle bones from the late Shangperiod (also found in Shang area4). The latest are bronzes from the early part of the Western Zhouperiod and a pottery pestle from the later part of the Western Zhou.5 81 of these signs consisted of sixnumbers and I will refer to them as “digit-hexagrams” as opposed to the later well-known “linehexagrams”.

Four odd numbers—1, 5, 7, 9—and two even numbers—6 and 8—occur on the excavated itemslisted, but the majority of the combinations include two even and two odd numbers. Not all the

possible numbers produced by a system would necessarily occur in every divination result, but themost frequent combination is clearly 5, 6, 7 and 8. The yarrow sticks method used from the WarringStates period onwards randomly produced the numbers 6, 7, 8 and 9 and was based on 49 sticks.However, the numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 recorded on the items listed in Appendix II could, in fact, havebeen produced with a similar yarrow sticks method based on 45 sticks instead (for furtherexplanation please see the chapter The Yarrow Sticks Method).

It is only logical that 2, 3 and 4 were never used in digit-hexagrams because in a row it wasimpossible to discern them from each other because they were written with straight lines. This meansthat only 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 were used—four odd and two even.

When broken and unbroken lines were used in Zhou Yi divination in the Warring States period, theywere produced by two even and two odd numbers calculated with a yarrow sticks method and wecould assume that in the late Shang and early Zhou the digit-hexagrams were also produced with ayarrow method based on two even and two odd numbers. However, it would seem that more odd thaneven numbers were used in some of the hexagrams in Appendix II. There are only three known casesof 9 among the hexagrams. They occur in hexagrams incised on two oracle bones; one from the Shangperiod, and one from the Western Zhou period. In the two hexagrams on the Shang turtle plastron 1, 6,7, 8 and 9 were used, but not 5. On the Western Zhou ox bone 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9 were used, but not 7.All in all, it is clear that the counting system used for divination in the Shang and Western Zhou periodwas not the same as that of later times. There could have been more than one system and, in fact, wecan only guess that yarrow sticks were used to produce the numbers.

Although no part of any divination manual has been found in relation to either oracle bones orbronzes, one of the excavated ox bones from the Western Zhou is particularly interesting. It has threelines of hexagram numbers with six digits in each line written next to three lines of text with eight,five and six characters. If the text and numbers were connected it could be a clue to the understandingof the system used to produce the digit-hexagrams. Edward L. Shaughnessy translates the three linesas prayers for an unnamed person.6 But if we regard the two characters which Pu Maozuo suggest tobe read as 商 and 禱 as two different prayers or offerings and 甶 as a name or title, it could perhapsalso be interpreted as divination questions. It was apparently not uncommon that both crack makingand yarrow sticks divination were recorded at the same time. The interesting thing about thisparticular bone is that the three lines of numbers at first seem to be directly connected to the text.

Often, the subject, the divination answer, and a record of what really happened was all incised on theoracle bones and this seems to me precisely to be the case with this bone. But the three lines of textwritten for the crack making also seem to be connected to the three digit-hexagrams because theystand next to each other. The last line could possible be the record of what really happened.

The three digit-hexagrams consist of the numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8.

翌日甲寅其商甶瘳

八七五六八七

其禱甶又瘳

八六七六八八

我既商禱甶又

八七六八六七

Subject: Will the praying next Jia-Yin day [make] Fu recover?7

8-7-5-6-8-7.

Divination: The prayer for Fu [will work], he will recover.

8-6-7-6-8-8.

Record of what happened: After we prayed Fu recovered.

8-7-6-8-6-7.8

The writings on the oracle bones are extremely interesting; they could perhaps be divination questionsinquiring into the outcome of things, or perhaps they could be prayers for good things to happen. But,in fact, we still know too little about the early religious practice of the Zhou people to come to anysafe conclusions.

However, to me, some of the hexagrams on excavated artefacts are rather obviously written in pairs.These examples are very important for the understanding of how the numbers were produced. If someof the hexagram numbers found on bones and bronzes were considered “changing” numbers, like ZhouYi divination in later times, then some proportion of these divination results would have been writtenin pairs. Some of these would naturally have several changing numbers and it would therefore beimpossible to see if they belonged together in a pair. But if only one, two or three lines were changingnumbers, it would be easier to see if the second hexagram was derived from the first because then the

majority of numbers would be the same. There are, in fact, several such hexagram pairs in the list inappendix II:

Some of these signs could have been used for ornamentation, but in general it is certain that thesegroups of digits were written for the purpose of divination. Yet, there is not even a single line of textfrom a divination manual accompanying any of them. However, the absence of related divinationmanual text could perhaps tell us that the diviners and readers had a common external reference. Thediviners, who produced the numbers, as well as the owners and other readers of the bronzeinscriptions, must have had a way of interpreting them.

The hexagrams are not only found on exquisite items belonging to nobles and kings, but are also foundon more common everyday items. The extant artefacts with trigrams and hexagrams must be just a tinyfragment of what really existed in the Shang and Zhou period; there could easily have been manythousands of these inscriptions. The oracle bones were buried soon after they were produced, but thebeautiful bronzes were used and displayed for many years and the inscriptions were shown to theowner’s guests for generations. This means that either there is a possibility that everybody had thesame conception of the meaning of the numbers or simply that they all referred to the same divinationtext.

As described in the chapter ‘The Yarrow Sticks Method’, the digit-hexagrams and line-hexagrams areboth based on numbers. Without knowing the number that produced each line or adding some sort ofmarking, the line-hexagrams can only point to the 64 hexagram verses, not to the individual lines. Thisis because it is the numbers that determine the changing lines. It is impossible to determine if a line ischanging without knowing the number that produced it because four different numbers, two even andtwo odd, are needed for changing hexagrams. However, the 64 line-hexagrams are simple and easilyrecognizable symbols, maybe they were merely simplifications of the original digit-hexagrams?

Speaking of the Zhou Yi, there had to be a method to find a particular verse in the bamboo scrollwhich corresponded to the six digits obtained with the yarrow sticks. But the six digits do not directlyrefer to a specific position in the sequence of the 64 verses of the Zhou Yi. If there were no line-hexagrams, the six digits should have been written at the top of the line on the bamboo slip. It wouldhave been rather difficult to find the right combination of numbers among the 450 lines. My guess is,that the digit-hexagrams were converted to line-hexagrams because it was much more convenient tosearch for a graphic image which stands out from the text when looking for a specific hexagram versein a long bamboo scroll. The difference is not hard to see in this comparison of two versions ofhexagram 58:9

There is no doubt that the numbers on bones and bronzes were hexagrams used for divination and itseems very likely that they were a precursor for the line-hexagrams. But we are still in the dark aboutseveral things:

Firstly, it could be assumed that the simplest unit, the trigram, was invented first. There is, however,nothing substantial in the material indicating whether the trigrams or hexagrams came first.

Secondly, the fact that both digit-hexagrams and line-hexagrams were based on numbers and wereboth symbols used for divinatory purposes indicate a relationship. However, because there are nodivination texts like the Zhou Yi found with direct connection to the digit-hexagrams there is, in fact,no proof that they were the basis for the line-hexagrams.

Thirdly, if the digit-hexagrams and line hexagrams really were related we don’t know exactly whenthe hexagram numbers were converted to broken and unbroken lines. Besides a single pottery itemwith digit-hexagrams from the later part of the Western Zhou, the latest digit-hexagrams on bronzesare from the earlier part of the Western Zhou. The earliest line-hexagrams that we know of are thosein the excavated bamboo version of the Zuo Zhuan from around 340 BCE.10 Thus, there is a gap ofseveral hundred years from late Western Zhou to early Eastern Zhou with no excavated artefacts witheither digit-hexagrams or line-hexagrams. Even if we assume that the earliest Zhou Yi divinationrecord in the Zuo Zhuan (671 BCE) is genuine, it could originally have had digit-hexagrams that wereconverted to line-hexagrams when the Zuo Zhuan was written.

Oracle bone with three hexagrams of which two are obviously a pair with line 2 and 5 changing:757666 - 787676. (Drawing from Pu Maozuo p. 438-39)

Bronze Ding with trigram numbers 7-5-8 in the lower left corner of the text (史斿父鼎 Zhang Zhenglang#22). Exhibited at the Imperial Palace Museum, Beijing. (Rubbing from Luo Zhenyu chapter 3, p. 18).

1 63x64 plus the title line of each of the 64 hexagrams which comprises a total divination answer if there are no changing lines..

2 Niu Qingbo 牛清波, p. 60-62.3 If the straight lines were grouped in two, three or four instead of being read one by one like they could be in later times, they couldtheoretically be representing the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.4 濮茅左:楚竹書《周易》研究,下編 p. 435-439.5 濮茅左:楚竹書《周易》研究,下編 p. 435-485.6 Unearthing the Changes, p. 13-14.7 甶 means “a ghost mask”, but is perhaps a name here. It could mean “Shang’s ghost-mask bearer”.8 濮茅左:楚竹書《周易》研究,下編 p. 450.9 The characters are seal-script, but not necessarily the kind the Zhou was originally written with.10 Cao Jinyan: Zhejiang daxue cang zhanguo chujian, p. 6, strip 19-21.

TDIVINATIONS RECORDED IN THE ZUO ZHUAN AND GUO YU

wenty two cases of Zhou Yi divinations were recorded in the two historical works the Chun QiuZuo Zhuan 春秋左轉 and the Guo Yu 國語. The divination records in the Zuo Zhuan were stated

to be written in accounts from between 672 BCE and 488 BCE and the three accounts from the GuoYu between 637 BCE and 606 BCE.

For many years, there has been an on-going discussion about the authenticity and reliability of the ZuoZhuan. The core of the problem was that if the Zuo Zhuan was written after the book burning in theQin dynasty in 213 BCE there would probably not have been adequate source material left and theZuo Zhuan would then to some extend have been written on the basis of hearsay and maybe evenfiction. Bernhard Karlgren concluded in his 65 pages article about the authenticity of the Zuo Zhuanthat “It is later than the year 468 and in any case anterior to 213 BC, probably to be dated between468 and 300 BC.”1

And in fact he was right: A bamboo version of parts of the Zuo Zhuan bought from a foreign collectorwas in 2009 acquired by Zhejiang University who published a book about the discovery in 2012. Thefind consisted of 160 bamboo strips of approximately one chi 尺 which was 23 cm in the Zhoudynasty. The strips have been carbon-14 tested to be from approximately 340 BCE—only 130 yearsafter the last accounts recorded in it.2

This means that the Zuo Zhuan seems to be a much more reliable historical source than previouslyassumed. But even if we accept the text as genuine there are still many questions to ask: How muchcan we rely on the historical information given and for what purpose was it written?

For the purpose of investigating the Zhou Yi this highly complicated discussion is, in fact, of lesserimportance. The divination records were in any case very likely written on the basis of theknowledge of the Zhou Yi which people had at the time when the Zuo Zhuan or its sources werewritten. This is of great importance because the Zuo Zhuan is without doubt still the earliest sourcefor understanding the Zhou Yi that we have. But the credibility of the information given in the ZuoZhuan has increased tremendously after the publication of the Zhejiang Museum version.

In the Shanghai Museum version of the Zhou Yi the unbroken lines are drawn straight and horizontal— and the open lines are drawn like 八. In the Zhejiang museum Zuo Zhuan the hexagram lines aredrawn with unbroken and broken straight horizontal lines like — and – –. In one example of adivination record from the Zhou Yi in the Zhejiang version there are characters missing, the firsthexagram drawing is wrong and the other turned upside down. But it is still not difficult to see that itis the story of the lady Mu Jiang (See example 11 below).3

The yarrow method 筮 is mentioned in most of the records in the Zuo Zhuan as the way the hexagramsand lines were produced. However, a few of the divination cases are simply citations or just areference to the Zhou Yi, or maybe even to another divination method:

Case no. 9 does not mention the Zhou Yi directly (筮之...其卦遇) but is only referring to hexagram 24復 and cites a text that seem unrelated to the Zhou Yi.

Case no. 13 is merely a reference to the Zhou Yi (周易) without an actual citation. Case no. 18mentions the Yi (易卦) and three hexagram names (雷, 乾 and 大壯) but no citation.

Guo Yu case no. 3 does not mention the Zhou Yi directly (筮之也，遇) but is referring to twohexagrams (乾之否). The citation, or interpretation, seems unrelated to the Zhou Yi.

The citations from the Zhou Yi given in the Zuo Zhuan are nearly all identical with the receivedversion of the Zhou Yi, there are only two exceptions: One is an insignificant difference of a plantname in case 11. The other, case 5, also has small differences, but with no significant impact inmeaning. It seems that a few characters were just added later in an attempt to clarify the meaning.There are only two short citations from the Zhou Yi in the Guo Yu and they are also identical with thereceived version.

This reveals a clear picture showing that the received version was the general version in use between672 BCE and 488 BCE. This is extremely valuable in order to determine the right approach for atranslation. I have underlined the citations from the Zhou Yi in the extracts from the Zuo Zhuan below.

The first excavated version of the Zhou Yi with line numbers is the Shanghai Museum bamboo textfrom the 4th century BCE. There is no line numbering mentioned in the divination records in neitherthe Zuo Zhuan nor the Guo Yu. However, this does not necessarily mean that the Zhou Yi had nonumbering in this period.

The method used to produce the divination answers will be described in the chapter ‘The YarrowSticks Method’.

DIVINATION RECORDS FROM THE ZUO ZHUAN 左轉

(1) DUKE ZHUANG 莊公 YEAR 22 (672 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 20 GUAN LINE 4 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 12 FOU

The Marquis Li of Chen asked a diviner from Zhou about the fate of his son, Jingzhong. The answerwas line 4 of hexagram 20 and it was recorded in the text exactly as in the received version. Thediviner deduced quite a lot about the son’s brilliant future from this single line, but didn’t comment onthe following hexagram no. 12.

陳厲公，蔡出也，故蔡人殺五父而立之，生敬仲，其少也，周史有以周易見陳侯者，陳侯使筮之，遇觀之否，曰，是謂觀國之光，利用賓于王，此其代陳有國乎，不在此，其在異國，非此其身，在其子孫，光遠而自他有耀者也，坤，土也，巽，風也，乾，天也，風為天於土上，山也，有山之材，而照之以天光，於是乎居土上，故曰，觀國之光，利用賓于王，庭實旅百，奉之以玉帛，天地之美具焉，故曰，利用賓于王，猶有觀焉，故曰，其在後乎，風行而著於土，故曰其在異國乎，若在異國，必姜姓也，姜，大嶽之後也，山嶽則配天，物莫能兩大，陳衰，此其昌乎，及陳之初亡也，陳桓子始大於齊，其後亡也，成子得政。

(2) DUKE MIN 閔公 YEAR 1 (661 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 3 TUN LINE 1 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 8 BI

This divination was made for a person called Bi Wan 畢萬 who was asking about taking a position asan official.4 The changing line from H3 and the title line from H8 were not cited, but the diviner saidthat it was auspicious because H3 was “solid” and H8 was “entering”: 曰: “吉，屯固比入”. Whatcould perhaps be the diviner’s understanding of the meaning of each of the six lines in H3 was alsorecorded: 震為土，車從馬，足居之，兄長之，母覆之，眾歸之，六體不易.

畢萬筮仕於晉，遇屯之比，辛廖占之，曰，吉，屯固比入，吉孰大焉，其必蕃昌，震為土，車從馬，足居之，兄長之，母覆之，眾歸之，六體不易，合而能固，安而能殺，公侯之卦也，公侯之子孫，必復其始。

(3) DUKE MIN 閔公 YEAR 2 (660 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 14 DA YOU LINE 5 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 1 QIAN

This case was recorded in the period of Duke Min but was a divination about Duke Huan’s son whowas called Chengji. The result was H14 line 5 changing to H1, but the text of Zhou Yi was not cited atall; the diviner seemed to rely mainly on other methods such as the tortoise shell, and a sign in theboy’s hand.

成季之將生也，桓公使卜，楚丘之父卜之，曰，男也，其名曰友，在公之右，間于兩社，為公室輔，季氏亡則魯不昌，又筮之，遇大有之乾，曰，同復于父，敬如君所，及生，有文在其手曰友，遂以命之。

(4) DUKE XI 僖公 YEAR 15 (645 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 18 GU

The marquis of Qin was planning to invade the state of Jin, so he asked the diviner Tu Fu 徒父 toconsult the oracle about the invasion. The result was H18 with no changing lines and Tu Fu said itwas auspicious: “Cross the river and the chariots of the enemy will be defeated”. Asked for furtherinformation, Tu Fu said to the Marquis that it was indeed auspicious; the enemy would suffer threedefeats, and he would capture the Lord of Jin since the hexagram was 蠱 Gu. “A thousand chariotswill attack and there will still be a thousand left; you will catch a fox too, which must refer to theirharmful devious leader”. There are two clear references in the account to the title line of H18: Thenecessary crossing of the river and the mentioning of three days—which could be the three attacks.Furthermore, there is some reference to the trigrams of H18 which are wind below and mountainabove. “The correct part of Gu is wind, the regrettable part is mountain”. The diviner took this to be asymbol of the autumn, as an analogy for victory, where “…we harvest their fruit and take [their treetrunks] for timber”.

晉侯之入也，秦穆姬屬賈君焉，且曰，盡納群公子，晉侯烝於賈君，又不納群公子，是以穆姬怨之，晉侯許賂中大夫，既而皆背之，賂秦伯以河外列城五，東盡虢略，南及華山，內及解梁城，既而不與，晉饑，秦輸之粟，秦饑，晉閉之糴，故秦伯伐晉，卜徒父筮之，吉，涉河，侯車敗，詰之，對曰，乃大吉也。三敗，必獲晉君，其卦遇蠱。曰，千乘三去，三去之餘，獲其雄狐。夫狐蠱，必其君也，蠱之貞，風也，其悔，山也，歲云秋矣，我落其實，而取其材，所以克也，實落材亡，不敗何待。

(5) DUKE XI 僖公 YEAR 15 (645 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 54 GUI MEI LINE 6 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 38 KUI

Duke Xian planned to marry away his daughter Bo Ji to the Marquis of Qin and, therefore, inquired ofthe oracle about it. He received H54, The Marrying Woman, with line 6 changing to H38 Opposition.The diviner said it was not auspicious, quoting the line slightly different than the received version andreversed, but still with nearly the same meaning: 士刲羊亦無衁也 女承筐亦無貺也 as opposed to女承筐無實 士刲羊無血 of the received version. 衁 is apparently only known in this sentence of theZuo Zhuan and no other extant texts. It would seem 衁 was merely a copying mistake of merging thetwo characters 血 and 亡 which as two separate characters would mean “letting the blood out”. 筐亦無貺 means “nothing in the bag to give”. 也 was not used in earlier times but is inserted in thesentence. Also 亦 is used twice in the line which it is not in the received version. The citation isslightly different, but all in all there is no difference in meaning.

After this part, the diviner seemed to address the theme of opposition or conflict of H38, in a longdreadful scenario, but without direct citations from the hexagram. There was, however, also includeda short citation from H26 line 2: 輿說輹.

晉獻公筮嫁伯姬於秦，遇歸妹之睽，史蘇占之，曰，不吉，其繇曰，士刲羊，亦無衁也，女承筐，亦無貺也，西鄰責言，不可償也，歸妹之睽，猶無相也，震之離，亦離之震，為雷為火，為嬴敗姬，車說其輹，火焚其旗，不利行師，敗于宗丘，歸妹睽孤，寇張之弧，姪其從姑，六年其逋，逃歸其國，而棄其家，明年，其死於高梁之虛。

(6) DUKE XI 僖公 YEAR 25 (635 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 14 DA YOU LINE 3 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 38 KUI

The Marquis of Jin inquired if it was wise to help King Xiang of Zhou against his rebellious brotherwho had driven him out of the country. He received the answer H14 line 3, changing to H38. But only“A Duke [is able to afford an] offering to the Son of Heaven” 公用亨于天子 was cited and not therest of the line “small people can’t” 小人弗克. The Marquis of Jin went to help the King.

公曰，筮之，筮之，遇大有之睽，曰吉，遇公用享于天子之卦也，戰克而王饗，吉孰大焉，且是卦也，天為澤以當日，天子降心以逆公，不亦可乎，大有去睽而復，亦其所也，晉侯辭秦師而下，三月，甲辰，次于陽樊，右師圍溫，左師逆王。

(7) DUKE XUAN 宣公 YEAR 6 (603 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 55 FENG LINE 6 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 30 LI

This case is about a divination made by Prince Bo Liao and is about a person called Man Man whowished to become a minister. The text of the lines and hexagrams are not recorded, only that Bo Liaoconsidered Man Man to be corrupt and without virtue. It is impossible to determine whether this wasan interpretation of the line in H55 or not.

鄭公子曼滿，與王子伯廖語，欲為卿伯廖告人曰，無德而貪，其在周易豐之離，弗過之矣，間一歲，鄭人殺之。

(8) DUKE XUAN 宣公 YEAR 12 (597 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 7 SHI LINE 1 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 19 LIN

This case is about a general disobeying his orders and thereby endangering the whole state. I aminclined to believe that the hexagram line was merely a citation to make a point. Line 1 of H7 is cited

exactly as in the received version: 周易有之: 在師之臨曰，師出以律，否臧凶。 In this case 之 isvery clearly a genitive particle: “The Army’s line which is leading to Overseeing”.

(9) DUKE CHENG 成公 YEAR 16 (575 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 24 FU

This case is about a battle strategy. The answer was H24, but the text was not cited. The divineradvised a strategy in ways that seem completely unrelated to the text of Zhou Yi.

公筮之，史曰吉，其卦遇復曰:“南國蹙，射其元，王中厥目，國蹙王傷，不敗何待”。公從之......

(10) DUKE XIANG 襄公 YEAR 9 (564 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 52 GEN LEADING TO 8 八

This case is a divination about the fate of a lady named Mu Jiang 穆姜 who was imprisoned in theEastern Palace and who died there. When she was placed in the Eastern Palace, she consulted theZhou Yi and got the answer 遇艮之八 “H52 leading to 8”. The diviner said that it meant H17.According to the method described in the chapter concerning the yarrow method, the diviner shouldhave only cited from the line mentioned, line 2, without considering H17 at all because 8 does notchange. If H52 should change to H17 there should have been 5 changing lines to take into account. Butthe diviner only said that this meant Mu Jiang would get out soon—which she didn’t believe. Shecited four characters from the title line of H17 元亨利貞 which she apparently believed to be fourvirtues that she had not lived up to and, therefore, she would die in prison.

穆姜薨於東宮，始往而筮之，遇艮之八，史曰，是謂艮之隨，隨其出也，君必速出，姜曰，亡，是於周易，曰，隨元亨利貞，咎，元，體之長也，亨，嘉之會也，利，義之和也，貞，事之幹也，體仁足以長人，嘉德足以合禮，利物足以和義，貞固足以幹事，然故不可誣也，是以雖隨無咎，今我婦人而與於亂，固在下位，而有不仁，不可謂元，不靖國家，不可謂亨，作而害身，不可謂利，棄位而姣，不可謂貞，有四德者，隨而無咎，我皆無之，豈隨也哉，我則取惡，能無咎乎，必死於此，弗得出矣。

(11) DUKE XIANG 襄公 YEAR 25 (548 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 47 KUN LINE 3 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 28 DA GUO

This case is a divination for a man called Wu Zi who wanted to marry a widow named Jiangbelonging to the same clan. For that reason, the marriage was advised against. Wu Zi asked the ZhouYi and the answer was H47 line 3 changing to H28. The diviner said it was all auspicious. A secondopinion was given by the minister Chen Wen Zi who interpreted the hexagrams by the trigram symbolsto be inauspicious. Line 3 of H47 was cited exactly like the received version with the exception thatthe plant Puncture Vine was written 蒺梨 in the Zuo Zhuan, instead of 蒺蔾 in the received version.

齊棠公之妻，東郭偃之姊也，東郭偃臣崔武子，棠公死，偃御武子以弔焉，見棠姜而美之，使偃取之，偃曰，男女辨姓，今君出自丁，臣出自桓，不可，武子筮之，遇困之大過，史皆曰吉，示陳文子，文子曰，夫從風，風隕妻，不可聚也，且其繇曰，困于石，據于蒺梨，入于其宮，不見其妻，凶，困于石，往不濟也，據于蒺梨，可恃傷也，入于其宮，不見其妻，

凶，無所歸也。

(12) DUKE XIANG YEAR 襄公 28 (545 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 24 FU LINE 6 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 27 YI

This story is about the wrong conduct of the ruler of Chu who demanded that the ruler of Zhenghimself should pay a visit instead of sending an envoy. It is unclear whether the line is a citation as akind of proverb or an actual divination. H24 changing to H27 is mentioned 復之頤, but only the firstthree characters 迷復凶 of line 6 were cited. All are written exactly like the received version.

周易有之，在復之頤曰，迷復凶，其楚子之謂乎，欲復其願，而棄其本，復歸無所，是謂迷復，能無凶乎。

(13) DUKE ZHAO 昭公 YEAR 1 (541 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 18 GU

This is a case where a physician was called to treat the Marquis of Jin who was ill. The physician’sdiagnose was of too many visits to the women’s chambers and prescribed restraint. It is not recordedif the physician made a divination and there is no citation; it was only recorded that “In the Zhou Yi issaid: ‘Women infatuate men, wind comes down the mountain’, this is called destructive influence,they are both the same.” However, there is no such sentence in the Zhou Yi but the trigrams of H18 areWind under Mountain. I would say the meaning was that cold wind from the mountains was thoughtdetrimental like over indulgence in sex was believed, by the physician, to be.

在周易:“女惑男，風落山，謂之蠱，皆同物也”。

(14) DUKE ZHAO 昭公 YEAR 5 (537 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 36 MING YI LINE 1 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 15 QIAN

This is the longest account of the result of a Zhou Yi divination in the Zuo Zhuan. It is a divinationmade by a man called Zhuang Shu 莊叔 about his son Mu Zi 穆子. He showed the result to a divinercalled Chu Qiu 楚丘 who gave a very detailed and sinister interpretation. The answer was H36 line 1changing to H15. Every character of the line is explained, and cited, precisely as the receivedversion. Also, some trigram theory is applied to the interpretation in a way where only the lowertrigrams of both H36 and H15 are compared. Oddly, H30 is also included in the interpretation, but itis difficult anywhere to see a reason for mentioning H30.

穆子之生也，莊叔以周易筮之，遇明夷之謙，以示卜楚丘，曰，是將行，而歸為子祀，以讒人入，其名曰牛，卒以餒死，明夷，日也，日之數十，故有十時，亦當十位，自王已下，其二為公，其三為卿，日上其中，食日為二，旦日為三，明夷之謙，明而未融，其當旦乎，故曰為子祀，日之謙當鳥，故曰明夷于飛，明之未融，故曰垂其翼象，日之動，故曰君子于行，當三在旦，故曰三日不食，離，火也，艮，山也，離為火，火焚山，山敗，於人為言，敗言為讒，故曰有攸往，主人有言，言必讒也，純離為牛，世亂讒勝，勝將適離，故曰其名曰牛，謙不足，飛不翔，垂不峻，翼不廣，故曰其為子後乎，吾子亞卿也，抑少不終。

(15) DUKE ZHAO 昭公 YEAR 7 (535 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 3 ZHUN LINE 1 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 8 BI

This account is about some ministers trying to establish a pretext to appoint the second son of theMarquis as successor instead of the elder son who had deformed feet. Only three characters from H3line 1 is cited, 利建侯, and they are similar to the received version.

衛襄公，夫人姜氏無子，嬖人婤姶生孟縶，孔成子夢康叔謂己，立元，余使羈之孫圉與史苟相之，史朝亦夢康叔謂己，余將命而子苟，與孔烝鉏之曾孫圉，相元，史朝見成子，告之夢，夢協，晉韓宣子為政，聘于諸侯之歲，婤姶生子，名之曰元，孟縶之足不良，能行孔成子以周易筮之曰，元尚享衛國，主其社稷，遇屯，又曰，余尚立縶，尚克嘉之，遇屯之比以示史朝，史朝曰，元亨，又何疑焉，成子曰，非長之謂乎，對曰，康叔名之，可謂長矣，孟非人也，將不列於宗，不可謂長，且其繇曰，利建侯，嗣吉，何建，建非嗣也，二卦皆云子其建之，康叔命之，二卦告之，筮襲於夢，武王所用也，弗從何為，弱足者居，侯主社稷，臨祭祀，奉民人，事鬼神，從會朝，又焉得居，各以所利，不亦可乎，故孔成子立靈公，十二月，癸亥，葬衛襄公。

(16) DUKE ZHAO 昭公 YEAR 12 (530 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 2 KUN LINE 5 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 8 BI

This divination result was obtained by a general called Nan Kuai 南蒯 who was planning a revolt.The text of line 5 in H2 黃裳元吉 was cited precisely as the received version.

南蒯枚筮之，遇坤之比曰，黃裳元吉，以為大吉也，示子服惠伯曰，即欲有事何如，惠伯曰，吾嘗學此矣，忠信之事則可，不然必敗，外彊內溫，忠也，和以率貞，信也，故曰黃裳元吉，黃，中之色也，裳，下之飾也，元，善之長也，中不忠，不得其色，下不共，不得其飾，事不善，不得其極。外內倡和為忠；率事以信為共；供養三德為善。非此三者弗當，且夫易，不可以占險，將何事也，且可飾乎，中美能黃，上美為元，下美則裳，參成可筮，猶有闕也，筮雖吉，未也。

(17) DUKE ZHAO 昭公 YEAR 29 (513 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 1 QIAN

This passage is not a divination record, but citations from the Zhou Yi related to dragons: A dragonwas reportedly seen in the vicinity and, therefore, Xian Zi 獻子 asked Cai Mo 蔡墨 about dragons.Cai Mo explained that dragons live in water and cited from hexagram 1 and 2:

“In Zhou Yi there is [an explanation] of it:

乾’s line which is leading to 姤 says: ’A dragon at the bottom of the sea can’t be of any use. (Line1)

乾’s line [which is leading to] 同人 says: ‘The dragon is seen on the field’.

(Line 5) 乾’s line [which is leading to] 大有 says: ‘A dragon flying in the sky’. (Line 2)

乾’s line [which is leading to] 夬: ‘A dragon forcing through its will, will regret it’. (Line 6)

乾’s line [which is leading to] 坤 says: ‘A group of dragons is seen, they have no leader, but thatis good’. (Line 7)

Furthermore, 坤’s line [which is leading to] 剝 says: ‘Dragons fighting out in the open’.

If they had not been observed from morning till evening who would have been able to describethem?”

Although this is not a record of a divination, it is especially interesting because Cai Mo enumeratedmore than one single line in the way he did, by naming all the seven lines that he mentioned after thehexagrams they lead to. This is a very clear indication that 之 was a genitive particle in all records ofthe Zuo Zhuan related to the Zhou Yi.5 This is further explained in the chapter ‘The Yarrow SticksMethod’.

All characters of the six lines mentioned and the names of the following hexagrams are cited exactlylike the received version.

龍，水物也，水官棄矣，故龍不生得，不然，周易有之，在乾之姤曰，潛龍勿用，其同人曰，見龍在田，其大有曰，飛龍在天，其夬曰，亢龍有悔，其坤曰，見群龍無首吉，坤之剝曰，龍戰于野，若不朝夕見，誰能物之﹖

(18) DUKE ZHAO 昭公 YEAR 32 (509 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 34 DA ZHUANG

In this account, the Zhou Yi hexagram 34 seems to be mentioned just to make a point and is probablynot an actual divination result.

“In the Yi hexagrams there is thunder above Heaven: This is Great Power, Heavens Way.”

在易卦，雷乘乾曰，大壯，天之道也。

(19) DUKE AI 哀公 YEAR 9 (488 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 11 TAI LINE 5 LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 5 XU

This story is about a situation where allies of the state Zheng were uncertain if it was wise to helpZheng against the Song state which was invading the small state. After having applied several othermethods of divination, Yang Hu 陽虎 asked the Zhou Yi and received H11 line 5 changing to H5. Line5 is about Emperor Yi (reigned 1105-1086 BCE) who married away a daughter for the sake of goodrelations. The diviner said that the answer was good for Song and that they should not intervene. Thiswas because around 500 years earlier, after the downfall of the Shang dynasty, the eldest son ofEmperor Yi, Qi of Wei, became the ruler of the Song state. He arranged good marital relationshipsbetween Song and Zheng. “If Emperor Yi’s eldest son arranged good marriage relations [betweenSong and Zheng in the past], it will be fortunate for us to keep peace”. The cited characters areidentical with the received version.

陽虎以周易筮之，遇泰之需曰，宋方吉不可與也，微子啟，帝乙之元子也，宋，鄭，甥舅也，祉祿也，若帝乙之元子，歸妹而有吉祿, 我安得吉焉，乃止。

DIVINATION RECORDS FROM THE GUO YU 國語

(1) FROM THE JIN SECTION 晉語四 (637 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 3 ZHUN AND HEXAGRAM 16 YU BOTH LEADING TO 8 八

The son of the Duke of Jin divined with the Zhou Yi whether he himself would become the ruler ofJin. It seems that this was asked two times. The answers he received were 得貞屯、悔豫，皆八也。”Obtained correct Tun [H3] and regrettable Yu [H16], both [with an] 8”. It is unclear what 貞and 悔 means, but it could possibly be indications of good or bad omens. H3 title line: 元亨悔利貞，勿用有攸往 and H16 title line: 利建侯行師 are both exactly like the received version. Thesymbols of the three different trigrams that are present in the two hexagrams were also taken intoaccount.

晉語四: 公子親筮之，曰：「尚有晉國。」得貞屯、悔豫，皆八也。筮史占之，皆曰：「不吉。閉而不通，爻無為也。」司空季子曰：「吉。是在《周易》，皆利建侯。不有晉國，以輔王室，安能建侯？我命筮曰『尚有晉國』，筮告我曰『利建侯』，得國之務也，吉孰大焉！震，車也。坎，水也。坤，土也。屯，厚也。豫，樂也。車班外內，順以訓之，泉源以資之，土厚而樂其實。不有晉國，何以當之？震，雷也，車也。坎，勞也，水也，眾也。主雷與車，而尚水與眾。車有震，武也。眾而順，文也。文具，厚之至也。故曰屯。其《繇》曰：『元亨利貞，勿用有攸往，利建侯。』主震雷，長也，故曰元。眾而順，嘉也，故曰亨。內有震雷，故曰利貞。車上水下，必伯。小事不濟，壅也。故曰勿用有攸往，一夫之行也。眾順而有武威，故曰『利建侯』。坤，母也。震，長男也。母老子強，故曰豫。其繇曰：『利建侯行師。』居樂、出威之謂也。是二者，得國之卦也。」

(2) FROM THE JIN SECTION晉語四 (636 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 11 TAI LEADING TO 8 八

Returning to his homeland, the new Duke of Jin was met by Dong Yin. The Duke asked whether heshould proceed and cross the river. Dong Yin had asked the Zhou Yi about the matter and obtained theanswer H11 changing with an eight 得泰之八. The trigrams Earth above and Heaven below weretaken into consideration. There was only citation from H11 where 小往大來 was cited precisely asthe received version.

晉語四: 十月，惠公卒。十二月，秦伯納公子。及河，子犯授公子載璧，曰：「臣從君還軫，巡于天下，怨其多矣！臣猶知之，而況君乎？不忍其死，請由此亡。」公子曰：「所不與舅氏同心者，有如河水。」沈璧以質。董因迎公于河，公問焉，曰：「吾其濟乎？」對曰：「歲在大梁，將集天行。元年始受，實沈之星也。實沈之墟，晉人是居，所以興也。今君當之，無不濟矣。君之行也，歲在大火。大火，閼伯之星也，是謂大辰。辰以成善，后稷是相，唐叔以封。《瞽史記》曰：嗣續其祖，如穀之滋，必有晉國。臣筮之，得泰之八。曰：是謂天地配亨，小往大來。今及之矣，何不濟之有？且以辰出而以參入，皆晉祥也，而天之大紀也。濟且秉成，必霸諸侯。子孫賴之，君無懼矣。公子濟河，召令狐、臼衰、桑泉，皆降。晉人懼，懷公奔高梁。呂甥、冀芮帥師，甲午，軍于廬柳。秦伯使公子縶如師，師退，次于郇。辛丑，狐偃及秦、晉大夫盟于郇。壬寅，公入于晉師。甲辰，秦伯還。丙午，入于曲沃。丁末，入絳，即位于武宮。戊申，剌懷公于高梁。

(3) FROM THE ZHOU SECTION 周語下 (606 BCE)

HEXAGRAM 1 QIAN LEADING TO HEXAGRAM 12 FOU

A divination about the return of Duke Cheng was made in Jin. The answer was H1 changing to H12but there are no citations even remotely close to any line in the Zhou Yi; we can only assume that it isan interpretation. If H1 should change to H12, there must be three changing lines, but there is noindication that this has been taken into consideration.

成公之歸也，吾聞晉之筮之也，遇乾之否，曰：『配而不終，君三出焉。』一既往矣，後之不知，其次必此。且吾聞成公之生也，其母夢神規其臀以墨，曰：『使有晉國，三而畀驩之孫。』故名之曰『黑臀』，于今再矣。襄公曰驩，此其孫也。而令德孝恭，非此其誰？且其夢曰『必驩之孫，實有晉國。』其卦曰：『必三取君于周。』其德又可以君國，三襲焉。吾聞之大誓，故曰『朕夢協朕卜，襲于休祥，戎商必克。』以三襲也。晉仍無道而鮮胄，其將失之矣。必早善晉子，其當之也。」頃公許諾。及厲公之亂，召周子而立之，是為悼公。

1 Bernhard Karlgren: On the Authenticity and Nature of the Tso Chuan, p. 65.2 Cao Jinyan: Zhejiang daxue cang zhanguo chujian 2012.

3 Cao Jinyan: Zhejiang daxue cang zhanguo chujian, p. 6, strip 19-21.4 HYDCD gives this meaning for 筮仕 but this is the only example in all the early texts of Chinese Text Project.5 This was immediately obvious to me when I first read this account and I was pleased to find out later that Richard Rutt had concludedthe same in his book (p. 155).

TTHE YARROW STICKS METHOD

he many hexagrams and trigrams that have been found on bones and bronzes from the late Shangand early Zhou periods were without doubt divination symbols and the hexagrams were likely

produced with yarrow sticks. However, it is not clear exactly how they were produced or why it wasyarrow that was used. The method could, in fact, have been performed with any type of thin sticks.The character for yarrow 蓍 is not known on oracle bones or bronzes. The oldest text where 蓍 can befound seems to be the poem 下泉 in the Shi Jing (K153) where nothing is mentioned about divination.However, yarrow stalk divination is mentioned in the Li Ji as a virtue of the ancient kings:

The kings of old handled the yarrow stalks and the tortoise-shell, they arranged the sacrifices,gave offerings of silk for the burials, prayed solemnly, and set up statutes and standards. In thisway the country came to have ceremonies.1

The first known description of the yarrow sticks method is given in the Attached Remarks 繫辭 ofthe received version of the Yi Jing. The Attached Remarks was also found in the Mawangdui silkversion of the Yi Jing—which is from before 168 BCE—but the description of the yarrow sticksmethod was not included. The symbolism found in the description of the yarrow sticks methodindicates that it could have been written in the Han period.2 This, however, does not exclude thepossibility that the method was invented much earlier.

The well-known, and simpler, coin method is not as old as the yarrow method, but dates back at leastto the 7th century CE.3

Today, a convenient table is used to find the hexagram numbers. It is unlikely that the diviners of theZhou dynasty used such a table. But if the hexagram images were drawn before each hexagram text, itwould not have been difficult to browse through the scroll to find the right hexagram.

Both the coin and yarrow method make it possible that each of the six lines can change to theopposite. For this reason, there will always be a varying number of 0-6 changing lines. However, thefirst thing you notice when reading the divination records from the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu is that itseems that only one hexagram or one single line was considered at the time of these records, and therewere no citations from any “following” second hexagram. Gao Heng 高亨 (1900-1986) attempted toexplain the one-line hexagrams in his book 周易古經通說 in the chapter 周易筮法新考. The theoryis often called “the Nanjing rules” and is based on the Heaven and Earthly number 55 mentioned inthe Attached Remarks (see the translation and explanation below).4 I myself find the idea of using thenumber 55 in this way very plausible, but I agree with critics that there is, in fact, no actual proof forit.

The fact is that there is not one single instance of more than one changing line in the divination

records in the Zuo Zhuan and the Guo Yu. There will always be some divinations that have nochanging lines at all, and there are a few among these records. In fact, all the divinations in the ZuoZhuan could have been produced with a yarrow sticks counting method that yielded either no lines oronly a single changing line. In the Guo Yu there is one case (no. 3) which could theoretically havethree changing lines. Although the result of this yarrow divination was 乾之否, the line cited is notrelated to the Zhou Yi at all. This case may not be a Zhou Yi divination, 易 is not mentioned directly,and it could possibly have been made with another divination text like the Gui Cang which have thesame titles as the Zhou Yi.5

I believe the statistic over-representation of only one or no changing lines in the divinations in theZuo Zhuan and Guo Yu is a clear indication that there existed a method of calculating yarrow sticksfor Zhou Yi divination that was different from the later well-known method designed to give 6, 7, 8 or9 for several changing lines.

With the information given in the Attached Remarks about the yarrow sticks method, it does not seempossible that this method should be able to always produce either one or no changing lines. Becausethe numbers of the changing lines—6 and 9—are written at the beginning of every line in the text ofZhou Yi it seems to be a deliberate choice to have only one changing line in the cases recorded in theZuo Zhuan and Guo Yu, perhaps for the sake of simplicity of interpretation. Of course, we don’t knowif the first versions had 6 and 9 written as a part of the text, but the versions that we know of did. Wecan also say that a common yarrow sticks method was in general use at the time of the records in theZuo Zhuan because the records were clearly produced by a similar method, at different times, bydifferent diviners and in different places, and this is a strong indication of an on-going andwidespread tradition.

16 of the divination results were recorded with 之 connecting two hexagram titles like 師之臨. It is,however, rather evident that 之 was simply a genitive particle. X 之 Y would mean “X’s line thatwould lead to Y”. In case 5 and 14 the “following” hexagram was indirectly taken into considerationin the interpretation, but it was not actually cited. In fact, there is not a single citation in the Zuo Zhuanrecords from any “following” hexagram. Case 8 is a very clear example showing that 之 is a genitiveparticle. “在師之臨曰” is obviously referring only to the citation of the first line of 師 hexagram 7“師出以律，否臧凶” because nothing from 臨 H19 is cited. However, the strongest argument that 之is a genitive particle is to be found in case 17 where no less than seven lines are mentioned in thisway to explain about dragons. If it had been an actual record of a divination, there could have beendoubt because we can’t know exactly what method was used. The fact that case 17 is not an actualdivination, but citations used in a description of dragons, makes it much more useful. Today, wewould have used the line numbers, but Cai Mo clearly used the following hexagram as designator forall of the seven lines that he used in his explanation about dragons.

Only in case 5 and 14 was the following hexagram taken into consideration, and without directcitations. Therefore, the divination records in the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu seem to disprove theexistence of “changing hexagrams” in the original Zhou Yi divination method. However, I still thinkthere are reasons to believe there were changing hexagrams because would it not have been much

easier to just say “line one” instead of “X 之 Y”? And moreover, if the hexagrams had never had theability to change into a “following” one, why would anyone even think about the second hexagram(Y) at all? Perhaps in this period it had just become the custom to cite single lines in the form of “X之 Y”? And maybe it had simply been the custom to disregard the message of the following hexagramfor the sake of simplicity? I believe the conclusions in the chapters ‘Trigrams and Hexagrams’ and‘Structure and Context in the Zhou Yi’ proves that consideration of only one line was not in theoriginal design of the divination method. But from the time when the text was written until the firstrecords of the Zuo Zhuan a few hundred years had passed and much could have changed already.

The absence of any reference to the method used in the Zuo Zhuan and elsewhere leaves us with theexplanation from the Attached Remarks as being the earliest description of a yarrow sticks method.6

Translation of the method described in the Attached Remarks.

“The number of abundance is 50. Of these 49 [sticks] are used.

Divide into two [heaps] to represent duality. Put one [stick] aside to represent trinity.

Draw fours to represent the four seasons.

Place the remainder in the space between the fingers to represent the intercalary month.

In 5 years there are two intercalations, therefore [repeat the counting in fours] two [more] timesand place the remainder in the space between the fingers and hold them.

The numbers of Heaven are five, and the numbers of Earth are five.

These five positions added to each other, the result is 25 and 30 respectively, so the number ofHeaven and Earth is 55.

This is what completes the changes and what sets in motion the spirits of the forefathers.

Qian’s sticks are 216, Kun’s sticks are 144. Altogether 360. This matches the days of a year.

The sticks of the two parts are 11,520. This matches the number of the myriads of things.

Consequently, four operations complete a change. 18 alternations complete the hexagrams.”

The mentioning of the four seasons and intercalations are probably purely symbolical and could, infact, have been added to the practical method later.

Besides the actions, there are some clues to be found in the numbers that have been mentioned:

The Heavenly and Earthly numbers are clearly odd and even numbers 1-10:7

• The Heavenly numbers are 1+3+5+7+9=25.

• The Earthly numbers are 2+4+6+8+10=30.

• The first hexagram 乾 is produced by counting 216 sticks.

• The second hexagram 坤 by 144 sticks.

• All 64 hexagrams are produced by counting 11,520 sticks.

We also know from the text of Zhou Yi, that we have to reach the numbers 6 or 9 for changing lines.

But, in fact, we find nothing anywhere directly indicating the use of the numbers 7 and 8 forunchanging lines which are also required to reach a calculation as the divination answer.

These are the necessary actions extracted from the text:

• 49 sticks are divided in two heaps. One stick is put aside.

• Draw fours from both heaps and put the remainders aside.

• Repeat this two more times.

• Four operations complete a change.

• Eighteen operations complete the hexagram (three heaps of sticks that are counted six times).

From this information, a fairly simple method can be reconstructed that will give 6, 7, 8 or 9 toproduce a line:

1. 49 sticks are divided in two heaps.

2. One stick is put aside.

3. One heap is counted in fours and the remainder put aside.

4. The heap that was first put aside is also counted in fours and the remainder is likewise put aside.

5. Repeat step 1-4 two more times, three times in all, using only the sticks that have not been putaside.

6. Count how many groups of four there are left; it will be 6, 7, 8 or 9.

7. Make a note. This produced one line out of six.

There are several obvious problems in the text:

1. Does 故再扐 mean “two times” or “two more times”? This depends on what is meant by “fouroperations”. However, the fourth operation must be the final counting of the remaining sticks in foursbecause the system only works with two more times, three in all, and this when done six times gives18 operations as stated in the text.

2. The text does actually not describe counting the remaining sticks in fours to reach 6, 7, 8 or 9.However, although technically only a theory, I find the practical mathematical necessities describedby Richard Rutt very convincing.8

The numbers 7 and 8 are not mentioned anywhere, only 6 and 9 are mentioned in the lines of the ZhouYi. But this method works well to produce hexagrams with changing lines. Moreover 7 and 8 fitexactly with the information that we have.

3. The sentence 二篇之策 seems to mean “the sticks of the two parts”. As described in the chapter onversions, Du Yu, who discovered the ‘lost Jinshu version’, also referred to two parts “《周易》上下篇. This means that the Zhou Yi could possibly have been divided in two scrolls for practicalreasons. If so, 二篇 would be referring to “the whole text”. The sentence 二篇之策 would thus mean“[The total number of counted ]sticks [needed to produce the 64 hexagrams] of the whole text”.

4. The practical significance of the number 55 is not described exactly.

天數五，地數五，五位相得，而各有合。天數二十有五，地數三十，凡天地之數五十有五。

此所以成變化而行鬼神也。

“The numbers of Heaven are five, and the numbers of Earth are five.

These five positions added to each other, the result is respectively 25 and 30 so the number ofHeaven and Earth is 55.

This is what completes the changes and sets in motion the spirits of the forefathers.”

The number of Heaven and Earth seems to be the conclusion of the previous actions, a finalcalculation.

5. In the records of the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu three of the cases were obtained with an 8. The threerecords were written in the form of “hexagram-name leading to number” like: 艮之八. The most

common way in the Zuo Zhuan would be “name leading to name” like 艮之屯. The three cases are:

1. Zuo Zhuan no. 10: “Obtained Gen [H52] leading to 8” 遇艮之八. According to the diviner thisshould change to H17.

2. Guo Yu no. 1: “Obtained divination Zhun [H3] and regret Yu [H16], both 8” 得貞屯、悔豫，皆八也。

This seems to be two different answers to the same question.

3. Guo Yu no. 2: “Obtained Tai [H11] changing to 8” 得泰之八。

If the hexagram lines were meant to change to another hexagram, the number 8 would seem not to havebeen a possibility because 8 is not a changing number. Therefore, a line obtained with an 8 cannothave the designation “name going to name” like 艮之屯. This could only be done with 6 or 9 because7 and 8 do not change and thus leads nowhere. In these cases 8 seems simply to be a marker of acertain line. 7 could likely have been so too, it is probably just a coincidence that there is no casesdescribed among these divination records.

There are no ancient texts directly describing the use of the number of Heaven and Earth 55, nor amethod to obtain a hexagram with an 8 (or 7).

Gao Heng’s proposed method is based on the number 55. This makes it possible to obtain a line withan 8 and it is actually very simple:

Step 1. The six numbers obtained with the sticks to produce the six lines are added to each other.For example 6+8+7+6+9+8 (hexagram 39)=44.

Step 2. The result is subtracted from the number of Heaven and Earth: 55-44=11.

Step 3. The lines are then counted from the bottom up and down again if necessary, until reachingthe number—in this case 11—which is line 2 of H39 and this comprises the whole answer of thedivination.

If the final line’s number is 6 or 9 the line will get the designation “name 之 name”. This isbecause 6 and 9 are changing lines leading to a following hexagram.

If the final line’s number is 7 or 8 the lines will have the designation “name 之 7/8”. This is because7 and 8 do not change to a following hexagram.

In both cases only the line is interpreted as the whole answer. With the exception of Guo Yu case 3 allthe divination cases from the Zuo Zhuan and the Guo Yu could have been produced by using thismethod.

To the left two examples of two unchanging divination results (8 and 7) and to the right two changingdivination results (9 and 6). To the left of each hexagram are the numbers that produced the lines. Thegroup of numbers to the right of each hexagram is the counting method by Gao Heng.

Although it was used by many different diviners in different areas over a long span of time, themethod used to produce the divination records in the Zuo Zhuan and the Guo Yu were likely the samefor all the cases. Gao Heng’s method is only a theory, but it is simple, it can be applied to thedivinations in the Zuo Zhuan and the Guo Yu and it is based on the method in the Attached Remarks.

However, even if it really was the method used for the divinations recorded in the Zuo Zhuan I wouldnot consider it likely to be the oldest yarrow method, but a simplification. Although there are no othercontemporary descriptions of calculations like this, I believe that the digit-hexagrams found on oraclebones could have been produced by a different yarrow method. Possibly even a method producingchanging hexagram lines as described in the chapter ‘Trigrams and Hexagrams’. The most frequentcombination of digits in the excavated digit-hexagrams is 5, 6, 7, 8 instead of 6, 7, 8, 9 as it becamethe standard later on. But if 45 sticks were used in just the same way as the method with 49 sticks theresults would be either 5, 6, 7 or 8.

With regards to the explanation in the Attached Remarks it is clear that some details of the method aremissing in the description. This is, however, not a big problem because the practical actionsnecessary to reach 6, 7, 8 and 9 and the number of 18 operations provides us with the missing detailsindirectly. In practicality the method works nicely to produce hexagrams with a varying number ofchanging lines. Whether it is intentional or not it is practical that the single stick is put away for eachround of counting the sticks because it is very helpful to keep track of the three rounds of counting.

The method explained in the Attached Remarks could, theoretically, be the basis of the method used inthe divination records of the Zuo Zhuan which, with the extra “layer” of counting described by Gao

Heng, would produce only one single line for the answer in any case. One line was obviously easierto interpret and this could have been the main reason.

There are, in fact, no direct textual explanations of changing hexagram lines. However, as explainedearlier, there are several hexagrams found on oracle bones and bronzes which seem to be pairs.Furthermore, there are indirect references to following hexagrams produced by changing lines in theearliest divination records. This may not constitute solid proof, but I believe it to be quite convincing.

The explanation from Attached Remarks part 9

繫辭上 - 傳第九章

大衍之數五十，其用四十有九。

分而為二以象兩。

掛一以象三。

揲之以四以象四時，歸奇於扐以象閏。

五歲再閏，故再扐而後掛。

天數五，地數五，五位相得，而各有合。

天數二十有五，地數三十，凡天地之數五十有五，

此所以成變化而行鬼神也。

乾之策，二百一十有六。

坤之策，百四十有四。

凡三百有六十，當期之日。

二篇之策，萬有一千五百二十，當萬物之數也。

是故四營而成易，十有八變而成卦。

SELECTED WORD DEFINITIONS

衍 Yan3. K197a: Flow over, flow out, lowland, go to excess, abundant, extensive.

大衍之數 Bent Nielsen’s entry on Da Yan Zhi Shu gives a detailed discussion.9 I believe that thereason there is one more stick than needed could be a symbol of abundance or simply that it is goodto carry an extra stick in case one gets lost or broken. In any case it has no practical bearing on thecalculation.

掛 Gua4. K879u: Suspend. Seems to mean “put aside”.

揲 Die2. K633l: Take and measure. Obviously refers to the counting.

奇 Ji1. K1s: Strange, extraordinary, odd (number), unique, surplus, supernumerary, irregular.

扐 Le4. HYDCD: Place between the fingers.

位 Wei4. K539a: Place of rank, position as ruler.

合 He2. K675a: Join, unite, collect, a mate, answer, agree with, to close, shut.

1 禮記–禮運:故先王秉蓍龜,列祭祀,瘞繒,宣祝嘏辭說,設制度,故國有禮...

2 The connection made in the description between the practical operations and 大衍之數 number of abundance, 閏 intercalarymonth and 天數 and 地數 the numbers of Heaven and Earth would seem to be typical for the Han period.3 Bent Nielsen, p.121-122; Huo Zhu Lin Fa.4 Summaries of this idea in English can be found in Richard Rutt p. 170-172 and in Edward L. Shaughnessy’s dissertation “TheComposition of the Zhou Yi” p. 83-87.

Also Shih-Chuan Chen describes this method in the article “How to Form a Hexagram and Consult the I Ching”.5 Gui Cang was based on the hexagram titles from the Zhou Yi. It is briefly described in the chapter ‘Versions of the Zhou Yi’.6 The method described by Richard Wilhelm was based on Zhu Xi’s understanding of it. It is clearly not consistent with the description inthe Attached Remarks and it does not produce the necessary numbers 6, 7, 8 , 9 , and the numbers have to be manipulated in order tomake the method work. Richard Wilhelm: The I Ching or Book of Changes, p. 721-723.7 This is quite obvious and was proposed already by Gao Heng.8 Richard Rutt p. 158-162.9 Bent Nielsen, p. 39-43.

TTHE SCRIPT

he main body of extant texts from the Shang and Zhou periods were incised on bone or cast inbronze. However, the most common writing medium of this time was undoubtedly bamboo strips

that were bound with strings. They have of course all perished, but the character for such books 冊and also the character for brush 聿 have been found on both Shang and early Zhou bronzes.1 Also, ahistorical reference that the Shang used bamboo books exists in the Duoshi chapter of the Shang Shu:

尚書 - 多士: “… 殷先人有冊有典，殷革夏命”.

“… your forefathers of the Yin dynasty had bamboo books and documents describing how theYin overtook the mandate to rule from the Xia.”

The excavated bamboo copies of the Zhou Yi have been dated to the Warring States and Han period.If the Zhou Yi is as old as the earliest records of the Zuo Zhuan or maybe even older, we can assumethat the script would have been closer to the types of script that were found on bronzes from thisperiod than to the oracle bone script. The oracle bone script was not the everyday script because thecharacters were incised on the hard bone; they were often simplified and curves were converted tostraight lines. The characters written as ornamentation on the bronzes from the Shang and Zhou periodwere often cast with beautifully rounded and extraordinary elaborate characters. It could be assumedthat the writing on bamboo strips was less artistic, but there exist no examples of brush writing fromthe early Zhou period.

There is no information to be found in historical texts about the length of the bamboo strips written inthe early Zhou period. Excavated bamboo strips from later periods vary in length from 20 to 70 cmand are 0.6–1 cm wide. One strip can contain about 45 characters, but many of the strips are onlypartially filled out. If the excavated Zhou Yi in the Shanghai Museum had been complete, a roughestimate would be that it had an average of 35 characters per strip. The received version has 4933characters. If we assumed that the original bamboo version was close to this number, the scroll wouldthen have been made up of an estimated 140 bamboo strips of 44 cm each 6 mm wide.2 The completescroll would thus have been approximately 100 cm long and bound with thread.

1 Qiu Xigui: Chinese Writing, p. 63.2 馬承源: 上海博物館藏戰國楚竹書 vol. 三 p. 133.

CINTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSLATION

lassical Chinese was never a spoken language and we don’t know much about the vernacular ofthe early Zhou period. Although the written language was far removed from the spoken, the

spoken was, of course, the basis for the written. So the written language was meant to convey thoughtsconceived in minds that were thinking in the vernacular. My point is that we should strive to translatethe very condensed sentences in early Classical Chinese in the same way that we would translate anyother text that conveys human thoughts and ideas. This may require inserting a few words inparenthesis now and then because we need to “re-inflate” the condensed sentences in order to makethe transition to how we read, write and understand today. Furthermore, ancient Classical Chinesehad much fewer written words than we have today. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to stretch themeaning of a character to express a particular line of translation. This can be done without deviatingfrom the core meaning of the word, and this should be evident when browsing the glossary.

Without a clear idea of the context it can be especially difficult to translate short lines in the Zhou Yi.Hexagram 58, in particular, has very short lines and is a good illustration of this problem. Thereprobably exists no other language that has wider possibilities of interpretation than early ClassicalChinese; the dangers of inserting words in brackets are obvious, and if we allow ourselves to insertany supporting words into sentences we need to be absolutely certain of the context.

I believe that the Zhou Yi was written in the plain every day written language of the early Zhouperiod. But it is of course difficult to translate; the structure of the text is not readily obvious and themeaning of the lines often seems banal when, in fact, it is always very profound. The earliestscriptures we have are incised on bone or cast in bronze. But the oracle bone texts were mostly verysimple, and the statements and historical accounts on bronzes were made for special occasions andwere possibly not representing the everyday written language. What about all the other more ordinarytexts written on bamboo that were lost: Poems, myths, messages, war strategies, deeds and so on? Wedon’t know much about those texts, but it is important that we consider the possibility that there couldhave been much more than the simple texts that we know of.

Early Classical Chinese didn’t have many grammatical particles, both the subject and the object ofsentences were frequently omitted and grammar was often expressed with subtle tweaks of sentencesand word order. But if we have a contextual framework in which to work, I do then believe we canfind most solutions to the problems of translating the Zhou Yi in dictionaries and grammars relevantfor early Classical Chinese.

GLOSSARY

Besides the translation, a glossary is provided where all characters are explained. I have alsoincluded the very common characters—because nothing is straightforward in this very ancient text. If

a character is not found in the glossary under the hexagram, it can be found in the list of frequentlyoccurring characters and grammatical particles in appendix I. I suggest paying special attention to thechapter ‘元亨貞 Yuan, Heng and Zhen’.

I have mainly used two dictionaries: Bernhard Karlgren’s Grammata serica Recensa (K) and HanyuDa Cidian (HYDCD). All definitions from Karlgren is included, but only the most relevantdefinitions from HYDCD. When these two dictionaries have not been sufficient, I have addedillustrative examples from other ancient texts and dictionaries.

Definitions are thus all chosen from relevant dictionaries and supported by examples from roughlycontemporary texts, but I am well aware that definitions are often debatable when translatingClassical Chinese. My choices of definitions are therefore in every case based on the context andstructure of the text.

Many previous translations are based on irrelevant dictionaries, inadequate comparisons with othercontemporary texts, the logic of the internal structure of the text has widely been overlooked and, ingeneral, translations of the Zhou Yi lack a full presentation of the arguments behind the chosendefinitions. If the reader have any reservations about a certain part of this translation, I suggestreading the relevant arguments and dictionary entries in the glossary before making a conclusion.

RARE CHARACTERS

In a few cases the dictionaries had no acceptable explanations. This is, for instance, the case with thecharacter 姤 in H44 which is very rarely used in early texts and the meaning can only be found bydetermining the context of the hexagram itself. This is also the case with 拯馬 which I believe is theword for “a work horse”, but it does not appear in a single early text. It is not likely to be amiscopying because it occurs in both H36 and H59 in the same context as an image of strength. Whenthere was no help from dictionaries and without the possibility of comparison with other texts I havelet the context determine the meaning of the words. All comments to rare characters can be found inthe glossaries.

INTERPRETATION

I have added my own conception of the meaning of every single hexagram line in cursive script to theversion of the translation placed at the end of the book. I hope this will help the reader to understandthe basic message of the lines, but please consider it no more than my way of describing it; the bestthing is to understand the central meaning of each line itself.

Hexagram numbers

Hexagram numbers are often referred to as H+number.

The first line of each hexagram is referred to as “the title line” or “line 0”.

The first of the hexagram lines 初 is referred to as “line 1”.

Then follows line 2, 3, and 5.

The top line of the hexagrams 上 is referred to as “line 6”.

CHINESE TEXT PROJECT

Chinese Text Project is an extremely useful database of ancient Chinese texts. The numbers ofoccurrences of words I have given in the glossary may change over time because the database isconstantly growing. However, the section of the oldest texts, which I have been consulting, are notlikely to have many major additions.

GENDER

I have a few times been unable to render the translation gender-neutral. It is a very old text and I hopeI will be forgiven for writing “he” and “him”.

SUBJECT

Although this is mostly not indicated directly, the lines are often translated using “you” as the subject.This is naturally because every single line in the Zhou Yi is a divination answer directed to theenquirer.

RHYMES

Although there might be a few sentences in the Zhou Yi with deliberate rhyming, it is certainly notconsistent throughout the text, and I have ignored rhyming in my translation. If any words really didrhyme, I believe they would merely be lines from poems and songs used by the author of the Zhou Yito make a point. I believe this is the case in hexagram 25 line 3.

PUNCTUATION

I have deliberately chosen not to add punctuation marks to the Chinese text. Punctuation is notnecessary for those who are able to understand the text and I would like to give readers who are notsinologists an idea of how simply, in fact, the Zhou Yi was written.

I元 亨 貞 YUAN, HENG AND ZHEN

believe that it would be impossible to come to see an outline of both the context and the structureof the Zhou Yi without a correct translation and understanding of the three characters 元, 亨 and

貞.

元亨利貞 have since ancient times been viewed as four virtues. The first time we hear of thisconception is in a record of a divination in the Zuo Zhuan.1

Searching the internet for “元亨利貞” (with quotation marks) gives almost a million hits and inEnglish “Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen” gives almost 20.000 hits. The search results offer an infinite varietyof interpretations which I will not even begin to recount. The translations by Kunst, Shaughnessy andRutt will give the reader a basic idea of the problems and different views regarding these fourcharacters.

元亨利貞 as a unit occurs only six times in the Zhou Yi. It is therefore somewhat odd that thecombination of these four characters has been given so much attention when, in fact, they occur innumerous other combinations: 元 27 times, 亨 47 times, 利 119 times and 貞 111 times. In thisdiscussion, I will disregard 利 because it presents no problem whatsoever in the translation.

元, 亨 and 貞 have been translated in many different ways in Zhou Yi translations:

元 Yuan is often translated as “prime” or “great”. However, “great” is the theme of hexagram 11written with 泰 for “greatness” and furthermore both 大 and 碩 is used in the text for “big” and“large”. “Prime” seems not to be the most logical meaning of 元 in the Zhou Yi but rather “original”or “basic” which has a variety of valid synonyms.

亨 Heng is often translated as “sacrifice” or “success”. 亨 Heng can mean both “sacrifice” and“success”, but certainly also can be stretched to mean “to go smoothly” and “go well”. Theconnection seems to be that a sacrifice is a way of making things go well.

貞 Zhen is in other translations often translated as “determination” or “to divine”. 貞 Zhen does ofcourse mean “to divine”, but “determination” is the theme of hexagram 43 written with the characterguai 夬, and there is, in my opinion, no justification to be found anywhere for 貞 meaning“determination”. In fact, the quite commonly used meaning of 貞 “correct” is most often the case inthe Zhou Yi. From the very beginning my own understanding of 貞 has been “to ask of the oracle howto correct what is not in order”. This understanding has been based mainly on context. Shaughnessycites Zheng Xuan (C.E. 127-200) who described it as “to inquire into the correctness of someactivity”.2

I consider the following meanings for the three characters to be relevant in the Zhou Yi:

元 Yuan: Original, basic, foundation, fundamental.

亨 Heng: To sacrifice, a sacrifice, go well, to achieve success, to go smoothly.

貞 Zhen: To divine, divination, to correct, to act correctly.

DICTIONARY ENTRIES AND EXAMPLES

元 Yuan. 27 occurrences. K257a: Head principal, supreme, great, eldest, primary, fundamental, good.

Example from the Zhou Yi: H1 line 0 乾元亨利貞: “The basic [purpose] of the male is to makethings go well, so it will be of benefit to correct [things].”

亨 Heng. 47 occurrences / 享 Xiang. 3 occurrences.

Karlgren 716b: Sacrificial offering, feast, enjoy, penetrate. HYDCD: Understand, smoothly,successfully. Both Hanyu Da Cidian and Karlgren says 亨 and 享 are identical, the differentpronunciations are modern; in Tang times the two variants were still used promiscuously.

However, in H41 line 0, H42 line 2 and H47 line 2 享 is used with the “extra” horizontal strokeinstead of 亨 and 用 is then placed just before (用享). It is obvious that 享 means “to make asacrifice” in these three cases. But also in H14 line 3, H17 line 6 and H46 line 4 is it clear that 用亨,here without the stroke, means “to make a sacrifice”. This is also the case with 亨 in H45 line 0.This may not be direct evidence, but perhaps an indication of the possibility that there was adistinction between 亨 and享 in earlier times.

All other occurrences of 亨 means “go well”, “go smoothly”, “success” or “successfully”.

Example from the Zhou Yi: H1 line 0: 乾元亨利貞: “The basic [purpose] of the male is to make[things] go well, so it will be of benefit to correct [things]”.

貞 Zhen. 111 occurrences. Karlgren 834g: Verify, read off an oracle, divination inquiry, straight,correct, pure, proper. HYDCD: Unswerving personal integrity, high moral, chastity, honesty, correctpath 正軌, correct way 正道, rectify, correct. (Being stable is also mentioned, but the example isfrom the Zhou Yi).

An example from HYDCD:

【艱貞】 謂遭逢艱危而能守正不移。 《易‧明夷》： “明夷， 利艱貞。 ” 孔穎達 疏：“時雖至闇， 不可隨世傾邪， 故宜艱難堅固， 守其貞正之德。

“Although it has become dark times we can’t give in and let everything collapse. Therefore weshould be strong in difficult times, guard our correctness and purify our moral.”

“守其貞正之德” 貞 is explained here by Kong Yingda as a noun like “correctness” or “correctbehaviour”.

In this example from the Zhou Yi H1 line 0 I have translated the line as if it had the particles 之 and也: 乾[之]元亨[也]利貞 “The basic [purpose] of the male is to make things go well, so it will be ofbenefit to correct [things].”

When 元 亨 and 貞 are translated in the way I propose, it makes a drastic difference from othertranslations. Please compare the following two examples:3

TITLE LINE OF HEXAGRAM 19 臨元亨利貞至于八月有凶

My translation: “To oversee [things] is a basic requirement of making things go well. It will bebeneficial to [ensure that everything] is correct. Otherwise, when the eighth month arrives there willbe misfortune [of a bad harvest].”

Shaughnessy: “The forest: Prime receipt; beneficial to determine, arriving at the eighth month thereis inauspiciousness.”

Rutt: “Supreme offering. Favourable augury. Until the eighth moon, disastrous.”

Wilhelm: “Approach has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. When the eighth month comes,there will be misfortune.”

Karcher: “Nearing. The Source of Success: an Advantageous Trial. Harvesting. Ending this in theeighth moon: Trap! The Way closes.”

TITLE LINE OF HEXAGRAM 3 屯元亨利貞勿用有攸往利建侯

My translation: “Building up is the foundation of success. It will be beneficial to correct things. Donot have a [specific] objective [yet], but build up alliances.”

Shaughnessy: “Hoarding: Prime receipt; beneficial to determine. Do not herewith have someplace togo; beneficial to establish a lord.”

Rutt: “Supreme offering. Favourable augury. Not for use when there is somewhere to go. Favourablefor appointing to lordships”

Wilhelm: “Difficulty at the beginning works supreme success, furthering through perseverance.Nothing should be undertaken. It furthers one to appoint helpers.”

Karcher: “Sprouting and Massing. The Source of Success: an Advantageous Trial. Harvesting. Makean offering and you will succeed. Do not use having a direction to go. Advantageous to install lordsas helpers. Harvesting.”

1 Please see case 10 in the chapter “Divinations recorded in the Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu”.2 Shaughnessy further describes the etymology of 貞 in Unearthing the Changes, p. 3.3 Please note that some characters are different in the MWD version used by Shaughnessy. 元亨利貞, however, are the same.

TRANSLATION OF THE ZHOU YI WITH COMMENTS AND

GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY CONTAINING 800 WORDS

1 - 乾 The Masculine2 - 坤 The Feminine3 - 屯 Building Up4 - 蒙 Ignorance5 - 需 Waiting6 - 訟 Dispute7 - 師 The Army8 - 比 Uniting9 - 小畜 Raising Small Livestock10 - 履虎尾 Stepping on the Tiger’s Tail11 - 泰 Greatness12 - 否 Refraining From13 - 同人 Fellows14 - 大有 Great Possessions15 - 謙 Modest Means16 - 豫 Enthusiasm17 - 隨 Following18 - 蠱 Harmful Ways19 - 臨 Overseeing20 - 觀 Observing21- 噬嗑 Chewing22 - 賁 Adornment23 - 剝 Decay24 - 復 Returning25 - 无妄 The Unforeseen26 - 大畜 Raising Large Livestock27 - 頤 Nourishment28 - 大過 Great Excess29 - 坎 Pits30 - 離 Light31 - 咸 Completing32 - 恆 Duration33 - 遯 Withdrawing34 - 大壯 Great Power35 - 晉 Progress36 - 明夷 Enlighten the Unenlightened37 -家人The Family38 - 睽 Opposites39 - 蹇 Obstruction40 - 解 Freedom41 - 損 Decrease42 - 益 Increase43 - 夬 Determination

44 - 姤 Rejection45 - 萃 Gathering46 - 升 Moving Upwards47 - 困 Pressure48 - 井 The Well49 - 革 Change50 - 鼎 The Tripod51 - 震 Thunder52 - 艮 Stilling53 - 漸 Gradual Development54 - 歸妹 The Marrying Woman55 - 豐 Abundance56 - 旅 The Traveller57 - 巽 Yielding58 - 兌 Joy59 - 渙 Dispersing60 - 節 Moderation61 - 中孚 Inner Confidence62 - 小過 A Little Too Far63 - 既濟 After the Crossing64 - 未濟 Not Yet Crossed

1 - 乾 THE MASCULINE

乾元亨利貞The basic nature of the male is to make things go well, therefore, it will be of benefit to correctthings.

初九﹕潛龍勿用Beginning 9: A dragon at the bottom of the sea can’t be of any use.

九二﹕見龍在田利見大人Second 9: A dragon is seen on the field. It is of benefit to see a great person.

九三﹕君子終日乾乾夕惕若厲无咎Third 9: The wise person is active all day long, and is even on guard in the evening. It would seemthis could be harmful but is [in this case] not a mistake.

九四﹕或躍在淵无咎Fourth 9: Some are jumping about in the deep pool. This is not wrong.

九五﹕飛龍在天利見大人Fifth 9: A dragon flying in the sky. It will be beneficial to see a great person.

上九﹕亢龍有悔Top 9: A dragon forcing through its will will regret it.

用九﹕見群龍无首吉All lines 9: A group of dragons is seen. They have no leader, but that is good.

GLOSSARY

Edward L. Shaughnessy writes in Before Confucius – Chapter 7: The Composition of “Qian” and“Kun” Hexagrams of the Zhouyi, that the lines about dragons are inspired from the moving positionsof the Dragon star constellation at the time the Zhou Yi was written. I find his explanation veryplausible; the emergence of an increasingly larger part of the Dragon constellation follows thegrowing season from early spring where no crops are active yet, over summer to harvest where alldisappears.

Concerning 坤 Kun, hexagram 2, the first line is about the coming of frost and the sixth line is again

about dragons. In the lines in-between are mentioned sacks and yellow skirts. It would seem logicalthat 坤 was describing the opposite of 乾, the non-productive winter, but it seems this is not the case,and the explanations given by Shaughnessy for 坤 are much less clear than for 乾. However, I can stillwarmly recommend reading this chapter in Shaughnessy’s book.

乾 Gan1 / Qian2. K140c: Gan1: Dry. Qian2: Heaven, heavenly. HYDCD: The sun, Heaven, the sky,father, husband, male, vigorous, active, dry, the void.Qian 乾 and Kun 坤 could seem to have relation to the well-known concept of Yang 陽 and 陰 Yin.Yang and Yin are simply opposites of anything, and not restricted to gender. This is clearly not thecase with Qian and Kun in the Zhou Yi: Although there is no direct reference to man and woman, Ibelieve, from my understanding of the context of the lines, that the hexagrams Qian and Kun aredescribing personal qualities and attitudes that are either “masculine” or “feminine”.

潛 Qian2. K660n: Go in water, wade, to lie at the bottom of the water, sink in, be soaked in, hide,secretly.

龍 Long2. K1193a: Dragon. Loan for: grace, favour, mixed black and white colour, variegated.

終日 Zhong1 ri4. HYDCD: All day, long time.

夕 Xi1. K796a: Evening, night.

惕 Ti4. K850i (Not to be confused with 720e’): Grieved, fear, respect. HYDCD: Guard against,alert, grieved. Occurs in H1, H6 and H43 obviously as meaning “watchful”.

或 Huo4. K929a: Some, someone, something, possibly, perhaps.Because of the dragons in the other lines, it seems logical that it is a dragon jumping and diving inthe deep pool. But I would still keep in mind that this is a divination manual and that, as such, theline describes dragon-like qualities of activity and creativity. I believe that 或 is referring to“someone” or “some” jumping about, thus describing that playful activity is a good thing.

Yue4. K1124f: Leap, jump.

淵 Yuan1. K367a: Abyss, deep, deep sound of the drum. The graph has ‘water’ and a drawing of anabyss.

飛 Fei1. K580a: To fly.

天 Tian1. K361a: Heaven, to brand on the forehead. HYDCD: Top of the head, punishment bytattooing the face, heaven, natural, innate.

亢 Kang4. K698a: Neck, throat. Loan for: lift, high, overbearing, excessive, screen, protect, defend,obstruct, oppose, equal. HYDCD: Throat, high, arrogant, rude, firm, wilful, excessive, protect, lift,

resist.

群 Qun2. K459d: Flock, herd, class, group, all, sociable.

首 Shou3. K1102a: Head, foremost, to display, turn the head towards. HYDCD: Head, leader, thefirst.

Note that hexagram 1 and 2 both have one line more than the rest of the hexagrams. The extra line inH1 starts with 用九 and in H2 it starts with 用六. There are no sources before the Han dynastyindicating the use of these two extra lines.1

We can only assume that they are meant to be considered instead of the following hexagram when alllines of either H1 or H2 are changing.

1 The extra line of H1 is mentioned in The Zuo Zhuan Duke Zhao year 29. But it is just a general reference to dragons.

2 - 坤 THE FEMININE

坤元亨利牝馬之貞君子有攸往先迷後得主利西南得朋東北喪朋安貞吉The basic nature of the female is to make things go smoothly by correcting things with a [mild]attitude like the one of a mare. The wise person has a goal; first confused but [no longer] after findinga master. It can be of advantage to make friends in the South West, but then you can lose your friendsin the North East. [You must help keep] peace [between them] so that all is correct and good.

初六﹕履霜堅冰至Beginning 6: If you walk on hoarfrost, solid ice will soon come.

六二﹕直方大不習无不利Second 6: If you are straight, square and large, even without practice there is nothing that you can’tmake a gain from.

六三﹕含章可貞或從王事无成有終Third 6: Even though hiding [your] splendour you can correct things. You undertake an assignment forthe King. Without fulfilling it [yourself others] will finish it.

六四﹕括囊无咎无譽Fourth 6: It is no mistake to keep the sack closed, but you will get no credit [for what is in it].

六五﹕黃裳元吉Fifth 6: [Wearing] a yellow skirt is basically a good thing.

上六﹕龍戰于野其血玄黃Top 6: Dragons fighting out in the open. Their blood is dark yellow.

用六﹕利永貞All lines 6: It will be beneficial to always [be busy] correcting things.

GLOSSARY

坤 Kun1. K421a: Earth. HYDCD: The Earth, woman, female, mother.Qian 乾 and Kun 坤 could seem to have relation to the well-known concept of Yang 陽 and 陰 Yin.Yang and Yin are simply opposites of anything, and not restricted to gender. This is clearly not thecase with Qian and Kun in the Zhou Yi: Although there is no direct reference to man and woman, Ibelieve, from my understanding of the context of the lines, that the hexagrams Qian and Kun are

describing personal qualities and attitudes that are either “masculine” or “feminine”.

牝 Pin4. K566i: Female of animals.

馬 Ma3. K40a: Horse.

迷 Mi2. K598e: Go astray, delude.

主 Zhu3. K129a: Master, lord, host, princess. In H2, H36, H38 and H55.

西南 South West and 東北 North East are used in H2 and H39 simply to describe oppositedirections. In H40 only 西南 is used, obviously to describe where not to go. It seems unlikely to methat the meaning was “to the South and the West” and “to the North and the East” but even if it wasso it would still mean opposite directions.

喪 Sang4. K705a: Mourning, burial, to lose, destroy. HYDCD: Mourning, burial, to lose, destroy,use up, deplete.

朋 Peng2. K886a: A set of cowries (stringed), a peer, equal, comrade, friend, a pair, faction, league.

安 An1. K146a: Peace, peaceful, tranquil, how, where, what.

履 Lü3. K562a: Sandal, to tread, path, dignity.

霜 Shuang1. K731g: Hoarfrost.

堅 Jian1. K368c: Hard, solid, strong.

冰 Bing1. K899b: Ice.

括 Kuo4. K302h: To tie, bind, bring together, end of an arrow.

囊 Nang2. K730l: Sack, bag.

譽 Yu4. K89i: To praise, praise, renown. HYDCD: Praise, reputation, fame.

習 xi2. K690a: To practice flying, to practice, exercise, be familiar with, repeatedly.

裳 Chang2. K725d: Lower garment, skirt.

野 Ye3. K83l. Open country outside cities, rustic, field hut.

血 Xue4. K410a: Blood. HYDCD: In ancient times the term for the blood of sacrificial animals,

later for blood in general, sad tears, blood relationship, red colour, kill and wound, loan for 惕:sympathy, care for. 血 simply means “blood” in H2, H3 and H54. But in H5 it clearly means a“terrible place” and in H9 and H59 “terrible feelings” which I find clearly indicated by thecontext.

玄黃 Xuan2 huang2. There is an example of this in the Shi Jing no. 3 卷耳: 陟彼高岡, 我馬玄黃.“I ascended that high hill, my horse [turned] dark yellow”. Karlgren’s note on this is: “Blackstreaked with sweat and yellow with dust; the parallel with stanza 2 shows that 玄黃 ’black andyellow’ does not mean the horse’s natural colour, but is a result of their labour”. It may not seemrelevant here because this is referring to the dragon’s blood, but the use in this poem indicates that玄黃 was used in some way to explain weariness or exhaustion.2

2 Bernhard Karlgren: The Book of Odes, p. 3-4.

3 - 屯 BUILDING UP

屯元亨利貞勿用有攸往利建侯Building up is the foundation of success. It will be beneficial to correct things. It is of no use to havean objective [yet], but it will be beneficial to build up alliances.

初九﹕磐桓利居貞利建侯Beginning 9: [Unmovable like] a stone sign post, it will be advantageous to stay where you are. Itwill be of advantage to build up alliances.

六二﹕屯如邅如乘馬班如匪寇婚媾女子貞不字十年乃字Second 6: [He tries to] build up [her confidence in him] by driving around [her] in a horse carriage.Although he is not a bandit but a suitor, a woman acting correctly will not agree [because of hisbehaviour], but after a long time she will.

六三﹕既鹿无虞惟入于林中君子幾不如舍往吝Third 6: Having gone to hunt deer without a forester. Only coming into the middle of the forest, thewise person begins to realize that it is better to stop. Going on will cause regret.

六四﹕乘馬班如求婚媾往吉无不利Fourth 6: If he drives a carriage and goes to propose marriage it will go well and whatever he doeswill be of advantage.

九五﹕屯其膏小貞吉大貞凶Fifth 9: To fatten up [livestock] it is correct and good to use light [fodder]. To use heavy [fodder] maybe correct but harmful [for the animal].

上六﹕乘馬班如泣血漣如Top 6: Driving a horse carriage [so fast] it seems the horses weep dripping blood.

GLOSSARY

屯 Tun2 K427a: Accumulate, bring together soldiers as a garrison, to station soldiers, difficult.HYDCD: Assemble, build up, accumulate, assemble soldiers in a garrison, to station soldiers,soldiers stationed as a guard, difficult, tired out. Some examples in HYDCD are from the Yi Jingwhich, for that reason, can’t be used here. In fact, most examples for 屯 in this entry are notconvincing. 屯 occurs three times in the Zhou Yi, all in this hexagram, namely in lines 0, 2 and 5.Line 5 gives a clear indication of the meaning; the line is about fattening of livestock, which is a

form of accumulating or building up.

建 Jian4. K249a: Set up, establish.

侯 Hou2. K113a: Target, (skilled archer, chief:) feudatory prince, princely. HYDCD: Archer’spracticing target, second highest of five ranks of nobility (公、侯、伯、子、男). Rather thanpointing to a specific rank 建侯 seems to mean “establish fiefs with loyal supports” in the Zhou Yi.侯 occurs in H18, H35, 建侯 occurs in H3 and H16.

磐 Pan2. K182g: Rock, big stone. Used in H53 line 2 as noun for “rock”.

桓 Huan2. K164f: Pillar. HYDCD: Signpost, pillar, stay, big.

居 Ju1. K49c: Sit down, dwell, reside in, occupy, settlement, residence, repose, tranquil, satisfied,overbearing, arrogant, comfortable, easily, to hoard, in the end, final particle. In H3, H17, H27,H31, H49 居 means “to stay” as opposed to “go”, in H59 居 means “residence”.

邅 Zhan1. K148i: Turn round. HYDCD: Turn around, revolve.

乘 Cheng2. K895a: To mount, ride, drive, ascend, be on top, above, avail oneself of, to bully, achariot or a team of four horses.

班 Ban1. K190a: Divide, distribute, spread out, scatter, hold back, withdraw (an army), walkhesitantly, classify, arrange, rank, variegated. HYDCD: Doesn’t refer specifically to horses undereither 馬班 or 班 but to “side by side” 並列. Therefore, we should assume the lines are talkingabout a pair of horses.

媾 Gou4. K109e: Second marriage, favour. HYDCD: Second marriage, families interrelated bymarriage. Shuowen says 媾 means 重婚 and 重婚 means marriage between a man and a womanfrom the same clan.

婚媾 Hun1 gou4. HYDCD: Related by marriage. There are very few early texts from before the Handynasty where 婚媾 occurs: In the pre-Qin texts listed in the Chinese Text Project it occurs only inthe 國語 Guo Yu and in the Zhou Yi (H3, H22, H38 and H51) all with the meaning “marriage”.

字 Zi4. K964n: To breed, nurture, to love, fondle, to foster, adolescent’s name, designation. Itranslate 字 as “agree” because “love him” is a little too strong in the context.

既 Ji4 K515c: To complete a repast, to complete, finish, exhaust, all, entirely, particle of perfecttense, since, after.

鹿 Lu4. K1209a: Deer.

虞 Yu2. K59h: Gamester, forester.

惟 Wei2. K575n: Think, namely, it is (copula), only.

幾 Ji3K547a: Small, minute, first signs, near, imminent. HYDCD: Small signs of things appearing,chance, opportunity, almost, nearly, how many, how, what. In the present context, I translate 幾 as“begin to realize”.

不如 Bu4 ru2. HYDCD: Not as good as, not like.

舍 She4. K48a: Lodging house, to rest, stop, to halt, resting place, encampment, a day’s stage, to putdown, deposit, put away, set aside, leave, let off, give, bestow.

膏 Gao1. K1129i: Fat, ointment, grease, moisten, enrich, region below the heart.

泣 Qi4 K694h: Weep.

血 Xue4. K410a: Blood. HYDCD: In ancient times, the term for the blood of sacrificial animals,later for blood in general, sad tears, blood relationship, red colour, kill and wound, loan for 惕sympathy, care for. 血 is in H3, H9 and H59.

漣 Lian2 K213b: Dripping (tears).

4 - 蒙 IGNORANCE

蒙亨匪我求童蒙童蒙求我初筮告再三瀆瀆則不告利貞If ignorant persons shall come to make things go well, I don’t seek out them, they must seek out me.The first time I divine with yarrow stalks and explain the meaning. But if they keep asking two andthree times it is pestering and I don’t answer. [This way of action is] beneficial and correct.

初六﹕發蒙利用刑人用說桎梏以往吝Beginning 6: In order to enlighten ignorant persons, it will be of advantage to punish them and to warnthem that shackles [can be used] and if they go on [like this] they will regret it.

九二﹕包蒙吉納婦吉子克家Second 9: It is good to envelop an ignorant person [with support]; if you present your son with a wifehe can establish a family.

六三﹕勿用取女見金夫不有躬无攸利Third 6: Do not choose a woman who has no self-control when she sees a rich man. There will be noadvantage in having plans [with such a woman].

六四﹕困蒙吝Fourth 6: To put pressure on someone who is ignorant will just cause regret.

六五﹕童蒙吉Fifth 6: It is good that children are ignorant.

上九﹕擊蒙不利為寇利禦寇Top 9: To beat [anyone because of their] ignorance is not useful. [Only] for a bandit is it useful to bebrutal to other bandits.

GLOSSARY

蒙 Meng2. K1181a: To cover, be covered (ignorant). HYDCD: Cover, to cover, ignorant.

求 Qiu2. K1066a: Seek for, ask. HYDCD: Search for, seek out, look for, ask.

童 Tong2. K1188o: Boy, young man, young person, servant, young animal without horns, bald,without vegetation.

筮 Shi4. K336a: Divination by yarrow stalks (Achillea). Plant radical and shaman=magical sticks.

瀆 Du2. K1023j: Harass. Pestering seems a logical synonym.

發 Fa4. K275c: Throw out (an arrow), shoot, send forth, issue, to manifest, to start, go out, go away,to open, (thrown out:) rapid, rushing.

吝 Lin4. K475t: Regret.

刑 Xing2. K808b: Punish, punishment, law, model, imitate, behaviour.

桎梏 Zhi4 gu4. HYDCD: Fetters and handcuffs.

包 Bao1. K1113a: Wrap, bundle, contain. Possibly a foetus in the mother’s womb.

納 Na4. K695h: To bring in, convey to, present, insert.

家 Jia1. K32a: House, family, keep a household, the graph has pig under roof. HYDCD: House,residence, inside the house or inside the gate, family, household, getting married.

取 Qu3. K131a: Take, take wife, graph has hand and ear. HYDCD: Cut off the left ear of prisonersor game, decapitate, take, receive, easily conquer, achieve by force, catch, get, select, govern, bringunder control, marry, be at a certain distance from, hurry along, tend towards, going towards,heading for.

躬 Gong1. K1006f: Body, person.

困 Kun4. K420a: Tree inside enclosure. Obstruct, distress, exhaust, anxiety, fatigue. HYDCD:Original character for 梱 (tie, bind), hard pressed, besiege, difficulty, critically ill, exhausted,weary, live in seclusion, same as 睏 (be hard pressed).

寇 Kou4. K111a: To rob, robber, invader, bandit.

禦 Yu4. K60p: Withstand, refractory, a match, opponent, stop, hinder, prevent. HYDCD: Ban, keepout, guard against, being brutal.

5 - 需 WAITING

需有孚光亨貞吉利涉大川Waiting with confidence in glory and that things will go smoothly is correct and good, but it will bebeneficial to cross the great river [to get ready].

初九﹕需于郊利用恆无咎Beginning 9: Waiting at the outskirts. It will be advantageous and no mistake to stay here.

九二﹕需于沙小有言終吉Second 9: Waiting at the beach. There will be some talk [about why you don’t go on] but in the end itwill be good.

九三﹕需于泥致寇至Third 9: Waiting in mud, robbers can get to you.

六四﹕需于血出自穴Fourth 6: Waiting in a terrible place, it is better to come out from this cave.

九五﹕需于酒食貞吉Fifth 9: Waiting at a place with wine and food is correct and good.

上六﹕入于穴有不速之客三人來敬之終吉Top 6: [While waiting in] a cave three unexpected guests come in. Treat them respectfully and therewill be a good end to things.

GLOSSARY

需 Xu1. K134a: Tarry; wait.

郊 Jiao1. K1166n: Vicinity of a city, suburb, outlands, suburban altar and sacrifice. HYDCD: Anarea within a circumference around the capital, 100, 50, 30 or 10 里 (1里 = 300 paces) dependingon the size of the country.

沙 Sha1. K16a: Sand. Graph shows grains of sand and water. HYCD: Beach.

泥 Ni2. K563d: Mud, mire, impede, obstructed, moistened by dew.

致 Zhi4. K413d: (Cause to come:) transmit, convey, offer, bring about, bring forward, bring to theutmost, hand over, examine, thoroughly, well-made. HYDCD: Causing to come, offer, present,express, convey, communicate, revert, attract, induce, cause, give rise to.

致寇至 occurs in both H5 line 3 and H40 line 3. Because of the context, they are translated slightlydifferently.

血 Xue4. K410a: Blood. HYDCD: In ancient times the term for the blood of sacrificial animals,later this becomes a general term for blood, sad tears, blood relationship, red colour. 血 simplymeans “blood” in H2, H3 and H54. But in H5 it clearly means a “terrible place” and in H9 and H59“terrible feelings” which I find clearly indicated by the context.

穴 Xue2. K409a: Cave, pit, hole.

酒食 Jiu3 shi2. HYDCD: (Alcoholic) drink and food.

速 Su4. K1222i: Invite.

客 Ke4. K766d’: Guest, visitor, stranger.

敬 Jing4. K813a: Reverent, respectful, careful. HYDCD: Respect, respectful, be on guard against,self-depreciatory expression.

6 - 訟 DISPUTE

訟有孚窒惕中吉終凶利見大人不利涉大川In a dispute, [initially] there is confidence, but halt and be cautious at the middle [when things arestill] good. [If you press] all the way through it will go badly. It is advantageous to seek a greatperson’s [advice], but not to cross the great river [with the army].

初六﹕不永所事小有言終吉Beginning 6: Do not prolong cases. If you only talk little about it, it will end well.

九二﹕不克訟歸而逋其邑人三百戶无眚Second 9: You cannot take this matter to court. Turn back and flee, then the people of the 300households of your home town will avoid calamity.

六三﹕食舊德貞厲終吉或從王事无成Third 6: Food that was formerly highly valued [may seem] correct to eat but, [if in fact], it is harmful,we [shouldn’t eat it because we want] things to end well. You are undertaking an assignment for theKing, but it should not be completed.

九四﹕不克訟復即命渝安貞吉Fourth 9: You can’t win this case. Return to attend your assignment and change for peace; this will becorrect and good.

九五﹕訟元吉Fifth 9: [This case you can] take to court, [because] the foundation is good.

上九﹕或錫之鞶帶終朝三褫之Top 9: Someone bestows on you a fine ceremonial belt, but before noon you will be deprived of itthree times.

GLOSSARY

訟 Song4. K1190b: Litigate, quarrelsome, reprimand. GYCD: Argue, dispute.

窒 Zhi4. K413h: To stop up.

惕 Ti4. K850i (don’t confuse with 720e’): Grieved, fear, respect. HYDCD: Guard against, alert,grieved. Occurs in H1, H6 and H43 obviously as “watchful”.

逋 Bu1. K102d’: Escape.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital.

邑人三百 The number is not to be taken literally, it means “many”. But I write the number to givethe reader an idea of the size of an 邑 in the context of Zhou Yi. Three hundred could perhaps bestbe called “a town”. The three hundred people may of course be a reference to only a portion of thehometown, but it seems most logical that the action referred to would endanger one’s whole town.

戶 Hu4. K53a: Door, opening, house, family.

眚 Sheng3. K812i: Film covering the eye, (film covering the moon:) new moon, eclipse, calamity,fault, offence by mishap, diminish, restrict. HYDCD: Corneal opacity, cataract, suffering, hardship,eclipse, mishap. 眚 occurs in: H6 (calamity), H24 (eclipse), H25 (eclipse twice), H51 (calamity)and H62 (calamity).

舊 Jiu4. K1067c: Old (not new), ancient, for a long time, long ago.

德 De2. K919k: Virtue, virtuous, quality, nature, character, disposition. HYDCD: Moral, moralcharacter, conduct, behaviour, personal integrity, proper conduct, kindness.

厲 Li4. K340a: Graph is a scorpion under a cliff. Whetstone, polish, oppressive, cruel, evil, stern,ugly, high, dangerous, a ford, to wet the dress, ends of a sash hanging down, epidemic, stimulate,demon, close to, hedge. HYDCD (37 entries): Encourage, criticize, intense, serious, danger(example is H1).

即 Ji2. K923a: Go to, forthwith, thereupon, etc. HYDCD: Going to eat, just about to, near, close to,to reach.

成 Cheng2. K818a: To achieve, complete, completed, perfect, peace-making, an area of ten lisquare.

命 Ming4. K762a: Order, command, charge, investiture, name designation, denomination, Heaven’swill, life. HYDCD: Order, command, to give orders, command, tell, warn, dispatch, designate,appoint, destiny, Heaven’s will, life, like 名 name, called, call, apply, make use of.

渝 Yu2. K125h: Change. Also appears in H16 line 6.

安 An1. K146a: Peace, peaceful, tranquil, how, where, what.

鞶帶 Pan2 zhong1. HYDCD: A large leather belt used for an ancient ceremonial dress.

朝 Zhong1. HYDCD: Morning, refers to the 辰時 period of the day (7-9 a.m.), dawn, day.

終朝 Zhong1 zhao1. HYDCD: Morning, all day. I have chosen “end of the morning” = “beforenoon”.

褫 Chi3. HYDCD: Taken away by force, deprive.

The sentence 或從王事无成 should, in my opinion, be understood like this: “One is undertaking anassignment for the King [which is a very attractive position to be in], but it should not becompleted [which is illogical, but wise in the present circumstances]”.

I believe this hexagram is more about strife with a neighbouring state than an ordinary case of law.“Crossing the river” to settling a disagreement sounds more like an act of war than merely a personalmatter, and so do “300 households of your home town will avoid calamity”. Also line 4 and 6 couldbe about war.

7 - 師 THE ARMY

師貞丈人吉无咎For the army to act correctly it must have a senior leader, [then the outcome of the battles] will begood and there will be no failure.

初六﹕師出以律否臧凶Beginning 6: The army must set out in the correct order; if not, [the mission] will go wrong.

九二﹕在師中吉无咎王三錫命Second 9: It is good and not a mistake [for the general] to be in the middle of his army. Three timesthe King will award him the command.

六三﹕師或輿尸凶Third 6: It is bad if anyone in the army [needs to be] wheeling corpses away.

六四﹕師左次无咎Fourth 6: It is no mistake if the army [retreats and tries to attack] again on the left [flank instead].

六五﹕田有禽利執言无咎長子帥師弟子輿尸貞凶Fifth 6: There is game in the field, [if you want to catch it], it will be advantageous and of no mistaketo hold your tongue. The senior soldier is commanding troops, the junior is wheeling corpses. [It mayseem] correct [for the junior to be in this position, but it is in fact] bad.

上六﹕大君有命開國承家小人勿用Top 6: A great lord has [been given] an assignment to make the country bigger so it can support itsfamilies. For such a task people of small ability will be of no use.

GLOSSARY

師 Shi1. K559a: Multitude, all, army, chief, director, master. HYDCD: Army unit of 2500 soldiers,army, teacher, mister, study.

丈 Zhang4. K722a: A measure of 10 Ch’i, old man. HYDCD: Unit of length, respectful form ofaddressing elder people.

律 Lü4. K502c: Law, rule, row, rank.

臧 Zang1. K727f’: Good. HYDCD: Succeed.

錫 Xi1. K850n: Tin, give. HYDCD: Tin, grant, grant or bestow special favours or property.

命 Ming4. K762a: Order, command, charge, investiture, name designation, denomination, Heaven’swill, life. HYDCD: Order, command, to give orders, command, tell, warn, dispatch, designate,appoint, destiny, Heaven’s will, life, like 名 name, called, call, apply, make use of.

輿 Yu2. K89j: Vehicle, carriage, carrier, carry on the shoulders. In the context of both line 3 and 5 inH7, it could mean “to carry”, but since bodies are heavy and there may be many, I find it reasonablein this context to translate 輿 as “wheeling” corpses, especially because there are plenty of otherwords that could mean “carry” by hand.

尸 Shi1. K561a: Corpse, lie as a corpse, set forth, to preside, sit motionless, expose a corpse, toarray (an army) in formation.

左 Zuo3. K5a: Left, to the left. Occurs in H7 line 4 and H36 line 2 and 4. In all three cases related topenetrating: The enemy, the thigh and the belly. I believe 左 could refer to “the soft side” or “softpoint”, the idea being that the right side is our strong side, so it would be a bad idea to “attack”there. In H7 line 4 this could refer to a weak point in the enemy’s defence. In H36 line 4 it couldrefer to a way to see into ourselves, where internal powers or dark feelings are hidden.

次 Ci4. K555a: Arrange in order, order, sequel, next in order, second, take a position, to halt, tolodge, lodging place, hut, place, position, haste, hurry.

田 Tian2. K362a: Field, cultivated land, to cultivate land, to hunt, sound of the drum.

禽 Qin2. K651j: Bird, animal, catch, capture.

執 Zhi2. K685a: Seize, hold, grasp, take, shut, obstruct, intimate.

長 Zhang3. K721a: Long, tall, a long time, always, length, measure of length, grow tall, increase,grown.

長子 Zhang3 zi3. HYDCD: Oldest or older brother or sister, to bring up children.

弟子 Di4 zi3. HYDCD: Young people in general, students.

長子 and 弟子 could theoretically point to brothers enrolled in the army. There is, however, nothingin the context referring to family or to whose sons it would be. Therefore, I find it more likely to beexpressions referring to senior and junior soldiers.

帥 Shuai4. K499a: To lead (an army), to direct, arrange, follow to led, obey, imitate, leader of an

army, officer.

君 Jun1. K459a: Lord, prince, princess. HYDCD: General name for everyone with rank above 大夫, duke or prince, person who has been granted a fief, wife of emperor or duke, polite form ofaddress.

開國 Kai1 guo2. HYDCD: Establishing vassals, establishing a state. I believe from the context thatthe meaning is to make a larger country, not to establish vassals.

承 Cheng2. K896c: Lift, to present, to support, assist. HYDCD: Hold or carry in both hands, presentwith respect, bear. In H7, H12, H32 and H54.

8 - 比 UNITING

比吉原筮元永貞无咎不寧方來後夫凶Unite with what is good. But first determine by divining with yarrow stalks whether its basic nature islong lasting, correct and faultless. [If so], you have no peace any place, [because you know] it is badif you are late to get it.

初六﹕有孚比之无咎有孚盈缶終來有它吉Beginning 6: When you are confident [that it is good], it is not a mistake to unite with it. When you areconfident [that it is good] fill pots [with it], so in the end there is some extra left. That will be good.

六二﹕比之自內貞吉Second 6: Uniting with what comes from within is correct and good.

六三﹕比之匪人Third 6: [Don’t] unite with these people, they are bad.

六四﹕外比之貞吉Fourth 6: Uniting with somebody outside is correct and good.

九五﹕顯比王用三驅失前禽邑人不誡吉Fifth 9: To display that he is in unison [with the people] the King hunts on three sides only letting thegame escape through the front. This way, the people of the town will not feel insecure [but regard himas] good.

上六﹕比之无首凶Top 6: Uniting with them without a leader will go badly.

GLOSSARY

比 Bi3. K566g. Compare, equal, similar, combine, unite, assemble, go together with.

原 Yuan2. K258a: Spring, source, origin. HYDCD: Source of a river, basis, foundation, origin,study, research, at first, originally, original.

筮 Shi4. K336a: To divine by Achillea stalks.

寧 Ning2. K837a: Peace, tranquil, serene.

方 Fang1. K740a: Square, region, place, all sides, everywhere, take a place, occupy, side by side,put side by side, on the side. I take the present meaning to be “anywhere” or “any place”.

夫 Fu1. K101a: Man, this, that, the one in question, as to, final particle. HYDCD: General term foran adult man, someone engaged in physical labour, soldier, husband, all, pronoun: He, them or it.This, this one, these. That, that one, those. 夫 appears ten times in the Zhou Yi, all seem to refer to aman. In this particular case, I translate it as “you”: 來後夫凶 “it is bad, if you are late to get it.”

盈 Ying2. K815a: Full, fill.

缶 Fou3. K1107a: Earthenware vessel.

它 Ta1. K4a: Danger, harm, obstacle, another. HYDCD: Other, in addition, extra, ancient characterfor snake. In H8, H28 and H61.

自 Zi4. K1237m: Self, to follow, from.

內 Nei4. K695e: To bring in, interior, inside, inner, in, enter.

匪 Fei3. K579c: Not. HYDCD: A kind of basket, not, bad people.The meaning of 匪 in the Shi Jing is in all cases derived from “not”; “nothing”, “without”, “thereis no”, “no one”. 匪 can, in later texts, also mean “bad people” “bandit” or “robber”. There is,however, no examples of this meaning in the Shi Jing. For that reason, I don’t think the meaning of匪人 can be “bad people” but rather “the wrong people [for you]”.

外 Wai4. K322a: Outside, abroad, exclude.

顯 Xian3. K242a: Display, manifest, bright, illustrious, splendid, clearness, clear norms.

驅 Qu1. K122c: Drive (horses) forward, gallop, hasten, drive out, expel.

前 Qian2. K245a: Before, precede, advance, former.

禽 Qin2. K651j: Bird, animal, catch, capture.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital. InH6, H8, H15, H25, H35, H43, H46 and H48.

誡 Jie4. K990c: Warn, prohibit, to be watchful.

Character by character 比之自內 in line two means: “Unite [with] it from within”. The question is

what “from within” means. I don’t see any way you can connect physically with things from within,whether it be your body or an area. Therefore, I believe that what it refers to is philosophical ratherthan physical: What you unite with, things or people, must be what is a desire that has arisen inyourself. Dont just unite with what others want. 內, “inside”, in line two could be assumed to be acontrast to 外, “outside” in line four. But 外 seems to refer to uniting with things and people outsideyou own circles.

9 - 小畜 RAISING SMALL LIVESTOCK

小畜亨密雲不雨自我西郊Raising small livestock to make [life] go well. Dense clouds that are not giving rain come from ourwestern outskirts.

初九﹕復自道何其咎吉Beginning 9: How can it be a mistake to return to your own way? It is good.

九二﹕牽復吉Second 9: It is good to be led back.

九三﹕輿說輻夫妻反目Third 9: Spokes come off the wagon’s wheel. [It is like when] the husband and wife turn against eachother.

六四﹕有孚血去逖3出无咎Fourth 6: When you have inner confidence it will drive terrible feelings far away so there is nothingwrong.

九五﹕有孚攣如富以其鄰Fifth 9: If you hold your inner confidence it will cause you to be enriched by your neighbour.

上九﹕既雨既處尚德載婦貞厲月幾望君子征凶Top 9: Now it has started raining and you have reached a place [to rest], [you should stay here],valued for your good deeds. To carry the woman on [through this weather] may seem correct but willbe harmful. Furthermore, the moon has just come out, it will be bad for the wise person to go on [atsuch a late time].

GLOSSARY

畜 Xu4. K1018a: Nourish, to rear, cherish, domestic animal, keep, support, to hoard. K1018c-f allrefer to accumulation.

小畜 Xiao xu4. Small livestock (like chicken, duck, goat and sheep).The ancient 六畜 “six livestock” of domesticated animals in China were considered to be dog fromca. 8000 BCE, pig from ca. 6000 BCE, cattle from ca. 2500 BCE, sheep/goat as well as horse fromca. 2400 BCE and chicken from as late as 1300 BCE. The donkey was not introduced in central

China before the Qin dynasty.4

密 Mi4. K405p: Silent, quiet, secret, dense, near, close, make an effort.

雲 Yun2. K460b: Cloud.

雨 Yu3. K 100a: Rain, rain upon.

郊 Jiao1. K1166n: Vicinity of a city, suburb, outlands, suburban altar and sacrifice. HYDCD: Anarea within a circumference around the capital, 100, 50, 30 or 10 里 (1里 = 300 paces) dependingon the size of the country.

道 Dao4. K1048a: Way, road, method, principle, show the way, lead, explain, speak, the graph has“head” and “go”. 道 occurs H9, H10, H17 and H24. I believe in all four cases that it refers to theconcept of “the Way”, that is, “a way of living life”, and not just to “a road”.

牽 Qian1. K366k: Pull, drag, lead, (animals that are lead:) cattle, attach.

輿 Yu2. K89j: Vehicle, carriage. In H9, H23, H26, H34 and H38. It is not possible in the text ofZhou Yi to distinguish a difference between 輿 and 車 (H14, H22, H38 and H47) they are even bothused in H38.

輻 Fu2. K933j: Spokes of a wheel. HYDCD says this also can be written 輹 but there cannot bemuch doubt that 輹 is the axle strut (see H26). Spokes makes good sense here and could also makesense in H26. But it doesn’t make sense in H34 which is nearly the same sentence but with 輿說輹instead of 輿說輻.

妻 Qi1. K592a: Consort, wife, give for wife. The consort being the one wife who is socially theequal (that is, the “mate”) of the husband.

反 Fan3. K262a: Turn, return, bring back, retort, repeat, contrary, on the contrary, to rebel.

目 Mu4. K1036a: Eye, see.

反目 HYDCD: Husband and wife not in harmony, arguing. However, the only pre-Han example isfrom the Zhou Yi itself, and it occurs in no other pre-Han text known to me. From the context it looksfair to assume it means that the husband and wife are not in harmony. But I do not think they arearguing about the wheel—there should not be much reason for that; I think the image of the man andwife has exactly the same meaning as the image of the broken wheel: If the man and wife don’t workfor the same goal they are not a strong unit. Just like spokes of a wheel can only withstand thepressure if none of them are missing.

血 Xue4. K410a: Blood. HYDCD: In ancient times the term for the blood of sacrificial animals,

later for blood in general, sad tears, blood relationship, red colour, kill and wound, loan for 惕:Sympathy, care for. 血 simply means “blood” in H2, H3 and H54. But in H5 it clearly means a“terrible place” and in H9 and H59 “terrible feelings” which I find clearly indicated by thecontext.

去 Qu4. K642a: Go away, leave, put away, eliminate, to take away, remove.

Please note! I have replaced a character in the sentence 血去惕出 in H9 line 4. It is nearly the sameas 血去逖出 in H59 line 6. According to Karlgren, both 惕 and 逖 are pronounced ti and because itis preceded by 去 (send away) and followed by 出 (out) the obvious meaning is to expel something.Therefore, I think there is good reason to believe that 惕 in H9 should have been 逖 as it is in H59.

惕 Ti4. K850i (don’t confuse with 720e’ 愓): Grieved, fear, respect. HYDCD: Guard against, alert,grieved. Occurs in H1, H6 and H43 obviously as “watchful”, here I find that “alarmed” is logical.

逖 Ti4. K856f: Distant, remove. HYDCD: Far, distant, drift apart.

攣 Luan2. K178n: Connect, continue. HYDCD: Linked together, contraction. Shuowen: 係也. (Bind,tie, connect, succeed). 攣 is rare in early texts, but used often in the Yellow Emperors Classic ofInternal Medicine 黃帝內經 where the meaning of 攣 nearly always is “contraction”.The sentence 有孚攣如 occurs in both H9 line 5 and H61 line 5. 孚 is clearly an emotional qualityof inner confidence. In H9 line 5 攣 could mean “a connection” or “a bond” to others because aneighbour will find you confidence-inspiring if you have 孚. But in H61 there is no object for 攣, sothis must yourself “binding” or “tying” this feeling in yourself. For that reason I believe that, inrelation to the emotion of 孚, 攣 means “contracting” or “holding in” the feeling of innerconfidence. Thus I translate 有孚攣如 “If you hold your inner confidence”.

富 Fu4. K933r: Rich, wealth, self-important.

鄰 Lin2. K387i: Group of five families, neighbour, (near one:) assistant.

處 Chu4. K85a: Dwell, stay, keep still, to place, a place.

載 Zai4. K943a’: Conveyance, be conveyed in a carriage, to load, carry, fill, to record, itembusiness, action, start, achieve, year, a load.

幾 Ji1. K547a: Small, minute, first signs, near, imminent, nearly, almost. HYDCD: Indistinctlysmall, signs, opportunity, chance, nearly, almost.

望 Wang4. HYDCD: Gaze into the distance, look far, look up to, admire, prestige, observe, watch,compare, the 15th day of the lunar month, full moon.

幾望 HYDCD: Nearly full moon. Occurs in both H9 and H10.

君子 Jun1zi3. Although nearly all occurrences of 君子 in the Zhou Yi are referring to “the wiseperson”, in this case, I find it to be more logical that it is a respectful form of address: 君子征凶 “Ifyou go on now [at such a late time] it will be bad”. It does not make sense if 君子 is translated “thewise person” because a wise person would not make the mistake described in the line.

3 I have replaced 惕 with 逖, both were pronounced ti in ancient times. This is the only character I have replaced in the entire text.Please see the discussion in the glossary.4 Jing Yuan, Han Jianlin and Roger Blench: Livestock in ancient China. An archaeozoological perspective, p. 84-104.

10 - 履虎尾 STEPPING ON THE TIGER’S TAIL

履虎尾不咥人亨Stepping on the tiger’s tail. The tiger won’t bite the man, it will go well.

初九﹕素履往无咎Beginning 9: If you are unadorned when you walk [along the tiger’s tail] you will not fail.

九二﹕履道坦坦幽人貞吉Second 9: Stepping the Way evenly, the hermit corrects things to be good.

六三﹕眇能視跛能履履虎尾咥人凶武人為于大君Third 6: A weak-sighted person can [still] see [something] and someone with a limp can [still] walk,but if they step on the tiger’s tail, the tiger will bite. The warrior acts for his lord.

九四﹕履虎尾愬愬終吉Fourth 9: By stepping fearfully on the tiger’s tail, it will end well.

九五﹕夬履貞厲Fifth 9: Stepping firmly [on the tiger’s tail] may be considered correct to do, but it is dangerous.

上九﹕視履考祥其旋元吉Top 9: Look when you step [on the tiger’s tail] and observe any signs that [indicate that the tiger will]turn around. [This is the] basic [method to insure things turn out] for the good.

GLOSSARY

履虎尾 Stepping on the tiger’s tale obviously means “doing something that could be dangerous”.

履 Lü3. K562a: Sandal, to tread, path, dignity.

能 Neng2. K885a: A kind of bear, able, can, treat well, endure.

虎 Hu3. 57b: Tiger.

尾 Wei3. K583a: Tail, copulate. HYDCD: Tail, tip, end, edge, brink, periphery. In H10, H33, 63 and64.

素 Su4. K68a: White silk, white, plain, unadorned, in vain, for nothing, as usual, habitually.

道 Dao4. K1048a: Way, road, method, principle, show the way, lead, explain, speak, the graph has“head” and “go”. 道 occurs H9, H10, H17 and H24. I believe that in all four cases it refers to theconcept of “the Way”, not just to a road.

坦 Tan3. K149d: Level, at ease. HYDCD: This example is given as level, even, smooth.

幽 You1. K1115c: Dark, solitary, secluded, to confine. Also in H54.

眇 Miao3. K1158a: Small eyed, peering, weak-sighted, insignificant. Also in H54.

跛 Bo3. K25m: Lame, lean to one side. HYDCD: Lame, limp, lean to one side.

武人 Wu3 ren2. HYDCD: Commander of army troops, brave warrior.Occur in H10 line 3 and H57 line1. In both lines it could mean “commander” but “warrior” is alsoa possibility.

君 Jun1. K459a: Lord, prince, princess. HYDCD: General name for everyone with rank above 大夫, duke or prince, person who has been granted a fief, wife of emperor or duke, polite form ofaddress.

愬 Su4. K769b: Inform, complain, fear. HYDCD: Caution and fear.

考 Kao3. K1041d: High age, old, dead father, father, loan for id. beat, achieve, settle, examine.

夬 Guai4. K312a: Archer’s thimble, divide, make a breach. HYDCD: Resolute, determinate.Archer’s thimble.

祥 Xiang2. K732n: Happy, omen, auspicious, felicitous, a lucky day. HYDCD: Lucky, auspicious,omens of good or bad luck.

旋 Xuan2. K236a: Turn round, to wheel, return, deflect, all round.

The sentence in H10 line 3 眇能視—跛能履 is in H54 split on line 1 and 2.

The sentence 幽人之貞 is in both H10 line 2 and in H54 line 2.

11 - 泰 GREATNESS

泰小往大來吉亨Greatness is when the small goes away and the great arrives. [Life] is good and [things] go well.

初九﹕拔茅茹以其彙征吉Beginning 9: When pulling out grass roots [be sure] to make the whole network of roots [come out];then you can go on and there will be a good outcome [of the harvest].

九二﹕包荒用馮河不遐遺朋亡得尚于中行Second 9: Include the outcasts [of society]. [Just like] when crossing the river you should not go far[ahead] and lose your friends. You will win esteem from walking in the middle [with the others].

九三﹕无平不陂无往不復艱貞无咎勿恤其孚于食有福Third 9: Like there is no plain without a slope, there is no going out without coming back. If youcorrect difficult circumstances so there is nothing wrong, you need not worry. We can be happy if weare confident about sustenance.

六四﹕翩翩不富以其鄰不戒以孚Fourth 6: Don’t go back and forth many times to enrich yourself with help from your neighbour, don’tfeel unsafe but use your own inner confidence.

六五﹕帝乙歸妹以祉元吉Fifth 6: Emperor Yi married away a daughter for the sake of happiness. This is a basic way of makingthings good.

上六﹕城復于隍勿用師自邑告命貞吝Top 6: Do not dispatch the army from the city when the rampart has collapsed into the moat. Tellpeople it may seem correct but they will deeply regret it.

GLOSSARY

泰 Tai4. K316a: Great, excessive, arrogant5, spread out and reach everywhere (based on Karlgrens’understanding of the Zhou Yi), a kind of ritual vessel. HYDCD: Peaceful (please see example 3below), arrogant, wealthy, extravagant, excessive, exaggerate, big, great.Many translations take 泰 to mean “peace”, but there is no textual evidence for this. I will thereforelist a few examples using 泰 from early texts, but besides proper names there are not very manyexamples in pre-Han texts:

1. In Shi Jing K198 it seems to mean “excessive” 昊天泰憮、予慎无辜。 “Vast Heaven is too[hard on me], I truly haven’t committed a crime”.

2. Another example where 泰 clearly means “excessive” is a passage from the 揚子法言 -Yangzi Fayan. This text is, however, from the Han period.《揚子法言 - 孝至卷第十三》 或曰：「食如蟻，衣如華，朱輪駟馬，金朱煌煌，无已泰乎？」曰：「由其德，舜、禹受天下不為泰。不由其德，五兩之綸，半通之銅，亦泰矣。」Yang Zi Fa Yan - The Priority of Filial Devotion. “Someone said: Food as delicate andfinely prepared as little ants, robes as beautiful as paintings, a vermilion wheeled four-horsechariot, and a glittering gold seal with the vermilion silk ribbons—is this not excessive? Yangzisaid: Because of their virtue, Shun and Yu’s inheritance of all under Heaven was not excessive;but if it is not because of one’s virtue, then even five strands of silk and the copper seal of thelowest office is still too excessive.” 63. The example given in HYDCD for 泰 is from the Lun Yu. I see no justification in this textexample for the meaning “peaceful”, but the sentence could, however, work with 泰 as“greatness” or “grand”: 論語: 子曰：君子泰而不驕，小人驕而不泰 “The wise person hasgreatness but is not arrogant, the low person is arrogant but not great.” In this case 泰 isobviously a positive thing.4. In this example from The Great Learning 必忠信以得之，驕泰以失之 I believe that 泰means “self-importance” (considering yourself too big): “One must obtain it by being loyal andtrustworthy. Being arrogant and self-important one will loose it.”7

Some of the six lines could, in fact, be related to the meaning “peace”; peace is a preconditionfor prosperity (line 0), no peace from the weeds if the roots are left in the soil (line 1), amarriage to consolidate peace (line 5), keep peace in an extreme situation (line 6). It is,however, not enough at all to justify it, especially considering there is no textual evidenceelsewhere.Assuming, as I do, that the text is intact, the fact that 泰 is not mentioned in any of the six linesshould actually be helpful in determining the meaning, because I believe the lines in everyhexagram describes different aspects or levels of the overall theme of the hexagrams title. Pleasesee my comment below each hexagram line in H11.I believe the simplest answer to the meaning of 泰 in the Zhou Yi lies in the title line: 泰小往大來 “Greatness is when the small goes away and the great arrives”.

拔 Ba2. K276h: Pull out, rise above.

茅 Mao2. K1109c: Certain kinds of grass.

茹 Ru2. K94r: Madder plant, interlaced roots. HYDCD: Vegetables, grass roots.

彙 Hui4. K524a: Porcupine, category, class. HYDCD: Kind, type, hedgehog.拔茅茹以其彙 are the same in H11 line 1. Character by character it says: Pull-grass-roots-with-its-

彙. But neither “hedgehog” nor “kind” fit in any way. However, the meaning of the line is quite easyto understand; the roots should not be left in the ground when the top is pulled out. Roots have thesame image of being many identical strands as does the image of a hedgehog with its many needles.“Category”, “class” and “kind” also represent the image of many identical things. Therefore, Itranslate 彙 as “a whole network of roots”.

包 Bao1. K1113a: Wrap, bundle, contain.

荒 Huang1. K742e’: Weed covered, incult, waste, desolate, famine, to cover, vast, distant, great,extensive, excessive, throw away, neglect, senile.

包荒: HYDCD: Gives the sentence from the Zhou Yi as example with Wang Bi’s commentary: “能包含荒穢，受納馮河者也” we should be able to include people of low status and cross the riverwith them. But no other contemporary examples are given, so 包荒 may be either wasteland that iscovered with weed, or weak people that are helped.

馮 Feng2. K899d: Walk across a river.

河 He2. K1g: River, especially the Yellow River.

遐 Xia2. K33j: Far, distant.

遺 Yi2. K540m: Leave, reject, leave over, remains, remiss.

朋 Peng2. K886a: A set of cowries (stringed), a peer, equal, comrade, friend, a pair, faction, league.

平 Ping2. K825a: Level, even, a plain, equalize, to be just, calm, regulate, pacify, peace.

陂 Pi2. K25i: River bank, dyke, slope, slanting, oblique, unjust.

艱 Jian1. K480c. Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. HYDCD: Difficult, not easy, live inprivation, dangerous, suffering, loss of relative, foolish, stupid, cautious, be short of.

艱貞 Jian1 zhen1. HYDCD: Stand firm in hard times.

恤 Xu4. K410e: Solicitude, pity, sorrow, anxiety.

其 Qi2. K952a: The original meaning is winnowing basket, loan meanings are: This, that, his, her,its, their, modal particle: will probably, wish that, hope for, aim at. HYDCD: Very many variationsof use as grammatical particle. It could seem logical that 其 meant “our”, or “one’s” in thissentence, but there seems to be no evidence for that use of 其. Pulleyblank describes several goodexamples from early texts of 其 meaning “surely”. In H13 line 3 it seems very obvious that 其means something close to “the”, this could also be the case here.

食 Shi2. 12 occurrences. K921a: Eat, (“eating” of sun and moon:) eclipse, food, give food to. Basedon the context of the line I stretch 食 to “sustenance”.

福 Fu2. K933d: Happiness, blessing. HYDCD: Happiness, benefit, blessing.

翩 Pian1. K246k: Fly about, fly to and fro, flutter.

富 Fu4. K933r: Rich, wealth, self-important.不富以其鄰 also appears in H15 line 5. In H15 I assume from the context that 鄰 is a neighbouringcountry; in H11 it could be any neighbour.

戒 Jie4. K990a: To guard against, be on guard, mistrusting, be ready for, careful, warn, notify,invite, abstinence, fast, press, harass. Also in H62 and H63.

帝 Di4. K877a: Sovereign, emperor, God. HYDCD: God, highest deity, sovereign, Son of Heaven,emperor. 帝 occurs in H11, H42 and H54.

帝乙 Di4 Yi3. 30th generation of Shang kings (Reign 1105-1086 BCE8). Mentioned in both H11 andH54. The following is from the Shi Jing K236 大明 Da Ming and is the story of how 帝乙 married awaya daughter (or perhaps just a daughter of someone in the royal family), she became the mother of thefamous King Wen:

摯仲氏任、自彼殷商、來嫁于周、曰嬪于京。

乃及王季、維德之行。 大任有身、生此文王。

“The lady 仲任 Zhong Ren of 摯 Zhi came from the Shang, she came and married in Zhou; shebecame bride in the capital; and so together with her husband 王季 Wang Ji she practiced thevirtue; 大任 Tai Ren became pregnant and bore this 文王 Wen Wang.”9

歸 Gui1. K570a: Return, go to, to bring to, go as a bride to the new home. HYDCD: A womanmarried away.

妹 Mei4. K531k. Younger sister. HYDCD: Younger sister, sister.

歸妹 Gui1mei4. HYDCD: A young woman about to marry.

祉 Zhi3. K961k: Happiness, prosperity. HYDCD: This particular line and Shi Jing no. 198 is theearly examples given for good fortune, happiness, blessings. Looking at the seven times where 祉occurs in the Shi Jing, it seems the meaning is a kind of happiness and prosperity that is given,bestowed, conferred or received

城 Cheng2. K818e: City wall, to fortify, city.

隍 Huan2. K708j: Moat.

There is an obvious connection between the two first lines of H11 and H12:

Line 1 is in both hexagrams about the roots of weeds, with basically the same meaning but from twodifferent viewpoints.

Line 2 is in both hexagrams about helping weak people. In H11 it is advised in order to achievepeace, in H12 it is advised against.

5 Karlgren’s definition is from the Lun Yu, “arrogant” is probably deduced from this sentence in 子罕 chapter 3: 拜下, 禮也; 今拜乎

上, 泰也 “The rules of ceremony prescribe the bowing below the hall, but now the practice is to bow only after ascending it. That isarrogant”. I find the meaning of 泰 could also be “too easy” since “arrogant” is not supported elsewhere.

6 English translation by Jeffrey S. Bullock: Yang Xiong: Philosophy of the Fa yan: A Confucian Hermit in the Han Imperial Court,p. 183.

7 The Great Learning - chapter X, 14.8 According to the chronology of the Cambridge of China.9 Translation by Bernhard Karlgren. Transcriptions changed to Pinyin.

12 - 否 REFRAINING FROM

否之匪人不利君子貞大往小來Refrain from this. There is no one that does not want gain, but the wise person acts correctly when helets great things go away and settles with the smaller.

初六﹕拔茅茹以其彙貞吉亨Beginning 6: When pulling out grass roots make the whole network of roots [come out]. If you correctthis good [then crops can grow] with success.

六二﹕包承小人吉大人否亨Second 6: To shelter and support small people is good. [However,] by refraining from doing so thegreat man [actually] makes things go well.

六三﹕包羞Third 6: Conceal what is shameful.

九四﹕有命无咎疇離祉Fourth 9: If you have an assignment leaving your farmland is not a mistake but, in fact, a blessing.

九五﹕休否大人吉其亡其亡繫于苞桑Fifth 9: For a great man it can be good to refrain from resting. [If he did rest he would just beworrying] “will they die, will they die?” [He then keeps working], securing the mulberry shoots.

上九﹕傾否先否後喜Top 9: Overturn [the circumstances that make you have to] refrain. First, you have to refrain but lateryou can be happy.

GLOSSARY

否 Fou3. K999e: Not, wrong, bad, obstruct. HYDCD: Negation, not, no, nothing, cannot, wrong, isnot, question particle, blocked, obstructed, like 惡 evil, bad. In H7, H12, H33 and H50.The very first line starts with: 否之 “Refrain from this” and the context of the whole hexagram isclearly to refrain from things that is usually considered good things. Although both 否 and 不 canmean “not”, there must be a difference since both characters occur in the same line: 否之匪人不利.

不 Bu4. K999a: To soar, not.

拔 Ba2. K276h: Pull out, rise above.

茅 Mao2. K1109c: Certain kinds of grass.

茹 Ru2. K94r: Madder plant, interlaced roots.

彙 Hui4. K524a: Porcupine, category, class. HYDCD: Kind, type, hedgehog.拔茅茹以其彙 are the same in H11 line 1. Character by character it says: “Pull-grass-roots-with-its-”彙. But neither “hedgehog” nor “kind” fit in any way. However, the meaning of the line is quiteeasy to understand; the roots should not be left in the ground when the top is pulled out. Roots havethe same image of being many identical strands as does the image of a hedgehog with its manyneedles. “Category”, “class” and “kind” also represent the image of many identical things.Therefore, I translate 彙 as “the whole network of roots”.

包 Bao1. K1113a: Wrap, bundle, contain.

承 Cheng2. K896c: Lift, to present, to support, assist. HYDCD: Hold or carry in both hands, presentwith respect, bear. In H7, H12, H32 and H54.

羞 Xiu1. K1076h: Nourish, viands, to present, diffidence, shame.

離 Li2. K23f: Name of a bird, leave, depart from, to be dispersed, divide, distribute, arrange, meetwith, fasten, attach, pass through, droop, hang down, fall down, light, brilliance.

疇 Chou2. K1090l: Ploughed field, territory.

休 Xiu1. K1070a: Rest, ease, to rest, abide by, desist, good, benefit, blessing, happy, luck, grace,fine excellent. Graph has man and tree.

休否 is mentioned in HYDCD. However, one example is from this line in the Zhou Yi, anotherexample is from Hou Han Shu, and I suspect it is inspired by this line also.

亡 Wang2. K742a: Disappear, exile, die, destroy, not have, not exist, not.

繫 Ji4. K854d: Attach, suspend. HYDCD: Tie or fasten. Occurs in H12 and H44. In this case Itranslate it “securing” because that is what is actually done with the cord.

于 Yu2. K97a. The sentence 繫于苞桑 is somewhat similar to 繫于金柅 in H44; 于 is here not themost common usage of “to”, “at” or “in”. I believe the meaning of 繫于 is “tie in” or “tie up”.

苞桑 Bao1 sang1. HYDCD: Mulberry roots or stems. In line, 5 I translate this as “young mulberryshoots” because they still need support.

傾 Qing1. K828b: Incline the head, incline, turn over, overthrow. HYDCD: Inclined to one side,slanting, tilted, topple, fall over, collapse, harm, injure, overturn, overwhelm, excel.

傾否 is mentioned in HYDCD, but the examples are from much later texts and the meaning doesn’tfit here.

喜 Xi3. K955a: Joy, rejoice.

There is an obvious connection between the two first lines of H11 and H12:

Line 1 is in both hexagrams about the roots of weeds, with basically the same meaning but from twodifferent viewpoints.

Line 2 is in both hexagrams about helping weak people. In H11 it is advised in order to achievepeace, in H12 it is advised against.

13 - 同人 FELLOWS

同人于野亨利涉大川利君子貞If fellows join together out in the wild it will make things go well. It is beneficial to ford the greatriver. It will be beneficial if the wise man acts correctly [out there].

初九﹕同人于門无咎Beginning 9: Fellows at the gate is no mistake.

六二﹕同人于宗吝Second 6: Fellows at the ancestral temple will cause regret.

九三﹕伏戎于莽升其高陵三歲不興Third 9: Fellows hiding their weapons in the bushes, going up in the high hills [to lay low] and notrising for a long time.

九四﹕乘其墉弗克攻吉Fourth 9: It is good that even though they are crawling on the city wall they can’t attack.

九五﹕同人先號咷而後笑大師克相遇Fifth 9: Fellows first cry and howl, but afterwards they smile. Generals can meet [after the battle].

上九﹕同人于郊无悔Top 9: There are no sad feelings if there is fellowship [when you are out] in the outskirts.

GLOSSARY

同 Tong2. K1176a: Together, join, assemble, agree, identical, same, assorted, make uniform, takepartake in, harmony, pitch-pipe.

野 Ye3. K83l. Open country outside cities, rustic, field hut.

門 Men2. K441a: Gate, door, to attack a gate.

宗 Zong1. K1003a: Ancestral temple, ancestor, clan, to honour, summer audience with the feudalprinces. It is unlikely that 宗 should mean “the clan”.The context of the other lines is clearly about fellows meeting at physical locations: 野, 門, 宗, 高陵, 墉 and 郊, except line 5 where they meet after the battle, but it is probably near a battle field.

Therefore, 宗 should also be a physical location—the ancestral temple.

伏 Fu2. K935a: Lie down, prostrate, throw down, submit, be hidden, ambush.

戎 Rong2. K1013a: Weapon.

莽 Mang3. K709a: Grass, weeds, jungle.

其 Qi2. K952a: The original meaning is a winnowing basket, loaned meanings are: This, that, his,her, its, their, modal particle: will probably, wish that, hope for, aim at. HYDCD: There are verymany variations of usage as grammatical particle. Pulleyblank describes examples for the use of 其as “the”. In line 3 it seems very obvious to me that 其 means “the”, this is also the case in line 4.

高陵 Gao1 ling2. HYDCD: High hills, a grave.

歲 Sui4. K346a: Year, harvest.

興 Xing2. K889a: Rise, start, begin.

乘 Cheng2. K895a: To mount, ride, drive, ascend, be on top, above, avail oneself of, to bully,chariot, team of four horses.

墉 Yong1. K1185z: Wall. HYDCD: City wall. The Zhou capital was surrounded by a city wall withslanting sides made of pounded earth and clay.10

攻 Gong1. K1172e: To work at, apply oneself to, well-worked, solid, attack.

號咷 Hao2 tao2. HYDCD: Howl and wail.

大師 Da4 shi1. This can mean “great armies” or “great leaders”. “Great leaders” seem mostlogical in the context, because it would seem odd to have two armies smiling together after a deadlybattle.

師 Shi1. K559a: Multitude, all, army, chief, director, master. HYDCD: Army unit of 2500 soldiers,army, teacher, master, study.

相 Xiang1. K731a: Look at, see, (look to:) assist, assistant, minister, aid, a kind of time-beatinginstrument, appearance, quality, mutually.

郊 Jiao1. K1166n: Vicinity of a city, suburb, outlands, suburban altar and sacrifice. HYDCD: Anarea within a circumference around the capital, 100, 50, 30 or 10 里 (1里 = 300 paces) dependingon the size of the country.

10 Hsu and Linduff: Western Chou Civilization, p. 46.

14 - 大有 GREAT POSSESSIONS

大有元亨The foundation of having great possessions is that things go well.

初九﹕无交害匪咎艱則无咎Beginning 9: Have no contact with what is harmful, wrong or whatever you can be blamed for. Evenin hard times stay blameless.

九二﹕大車以載有攸往无咎Second 9: Using a large wagon to carry [many things] is not wrong when you have a purpose with it.

九三﹕公用亨于天子小人弗克Third 9: A Duke [can afford to] make an offering to the Son of Heaven, people of small means can’t.

九四﹕匪其彭无咎Fourth 9: Not [wanting] to have grandness is no mistake.

六五﹕厥孚交如威如吉Fifth 6: It will turn out well if the confident manner with which you connect to others is awe-inspiring.

上九﹕自天祐之吉无不利Top 9: It is blessed from Heaven so it will turn out good, and everything about it is beneficial.

GLOSSARY

I understand 大有元亨 in the title line like this: 大有[之]元亨[也].

大 Da4. K. 317a: Great, greatly.

有 You3. K995o: Have, there is, (having=) rich.

害 Hai4. K314a: To hurt, to be hurt, damage, harm, disadvantage.

匪 Fei3. K579c: Not. HYDCD: A kind of basket, not, bad people.The meaning of 匪 in the Shi Jing is in all cases derived from “not”; “nothing”, “without”, “thereis no”, “no one”. 匪 can, in later texts, also mean “bad people” “bandit” or “robber”. There is,

however, no examples of this meaning in the Shi Jing. For that reason, I don’t think the meaning of匪 in line 1 can be “bad” but rather “wrong [for you]”.

艱 Jian1. K480c: Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. Also occurs in: H11 line 3, H14 line 1, H21line 4, H26 line 3, H34 line 6 and H36 line 0.

大車 Da che1. HYDCD: A two wheeled ox cart, as opposed to the smaller two wheeled carriagesor chariots.

載 Zai4. K943a’: Conveyance, be conveyed in a carriage, to load, carry, fill, to record, itembusiness, action, start, achieve, year, a load.

公 Gong1. K1173a: Father, prince, public, impartial, just, palace. HYDCD: Fair, impartial, just,public, state, country, royal court, public affairs, respectful way to address elderly and superiors,term for dukes and princes in the Eastern Zhou period.

天子 Tian1 Zi3. HYDCD: Son of Heaven—the King.

用 Yong4. K1185a: Use, employ, by, implement, to offer in sacrifice. HYDCD: Use, employ, apply,implement, put into action, govern, manage, suitable for, appropriate, applicable, action, function,expenses, need, must, require, like 使, make, like 唯 or 只有 only, alone (the example is from 後漢書 but this usage of 用 is very obvious in the present context).

彭 Peng2. K750a: Forceful, overbearing, sound of bang! HYDCD: Grand, magnificent appearance.

厥 Jue2. K301c: Stone, his, hers, its, their.

交 Jiao1. K1166a: To cross, exchange, hand over, contact, join, have relations with. HYDCD: Twoparties come into contact, join, meet, mixed, crisscross, overlap, make friends with, associate with,contact, mutually, each other.

威 Wei1. K574a: Terrifying, terrified, to overawe, majesty, dignity, to fear, loathe. HYDCD:Majestic, awe, awe-inspiring, dignified, honour. 威 appears in both H14 line 5 and H37 line 6 inseemingly the same meaning.

祐 You4. K995l: Help, blessing.

15 - 謙 MODEST MEANS

謙亨君子有終By making things go well with modest means the wise person can finish [the task].

初六﹕謙謙君子用涉大川吉Beginning 6: With modest means the wise person wades the great river.

六二﹕鳴謙貞吉Second 6: Tell others enthusiastically to correct things for the better in spite of modest means.

九三﹕勞謙君子有終吉Third 9: Working hard with modest means the wise person can finish the job.

六四﹕无不利撝謙Fourth 6: Everything is beneficial. Direct [the troops so they utilize the] modest means [that theyhave].

六五﹕不富以其鄰利用侵伐无不利Fifth 6: Don’t enrich yourself with the help of your neighbouring [country]. It will [simply] be ofadvantage to assault it, it will be all gain.

上六﹕鳴謙利用行師征邑國Top 6: Tell others enthusiastically [that even though it seems] insufficient it will be beneficial to sendthe army forth and attack the [neighbouring] country and its cities.

GLOSSARY

謙 Qian1. K627f: Modest. HYDCD: Modest, insufficient.In this context, the meaning of 謙 is clearly not “being modest”. Therefore, I translate 謙 as “modestmeans”.

用 Yong4. K1185a: Use, employ, by, implement, to offer in sacrifice. HYDCD: Use, employ, apply,implement, put into action, govern, manage, suitable for, appropriate, applicable, action, function,expenses, need, must, require, like 使, make, like 唯 or 只有 only, alone. In the context of line 1“by” seems appropriate.

鳴 Ming2. K827a: Cry of birds or animals, to sound. Graph is a bird and mouth. Also appears in

H16 line 1 where it clearly means “bragging” or at least “explaining enthusiastically”, in H61 line2 鳴 is obviously a crane’s call. In H15 line 6 I believe the meaning of 鳴 to be “tellenthusiastically”, because the context is to do an extremely great task with small means i.e.: attack awhole country with a small army. H15 line 2 is less obvious, but also here I believe 鳴 to mean “tellenthusiastically”.

勞 Lao2. K1135a: Toil, merit. HYDCD: Work, labour, hard work, tired, fatigue.

撝 Hui1. K27l: To signalize, manifest. HYDCD: Cut open, split, direct (troops), wave hand. ShuoWen: Split, crack, point with the hand. 撝 is, in fact, a rare character in ancient texts. Going throughall occurrences of 撝 in the pre-Han texts of Chinese Text Project I find there is only reason toconsider “to wave” (hand, weapon, banner etc.) and “to direct” (troops etc. with movement of handor banner) and “wave” can be ruled out in this context.

富 Fu4. K933r: Rich, wealth, self-important.

侵 Qin1. K661c: (Sweep over:) invade, usurp.

伐 Fa2. K307a: Strike, hew, cut, attack, punish.

不富以其鄰 also appears in H11 line 4.

Line 4 无不利撝謙 seems to mean: “Everything is of benefit, direct modestly”. 无不利 is onlyoccurring in line 4 and 5 in this hexagram. But what is it that is only of benefit? Line 5 and 6 areclearly both about war with neighbouring countries and 无不利 must be an advice that it is possibleto conquer the enemy with small means—in this case a small army. Line 0-3 could, in fact, also beabout preparing for an attack. The theme of war is of course just an analogy for any such situation inlife, but it is necessary to view these lines in the right context to be able to translate them. “Direct[the troops] modestly” makes no sense and neither does “direct [the troops] with small means”.“Direct [the troops so they utilize the] small means [they have to carry out the attack]” seems tobe the only possibility.

16 - 豫 ENTHUSIASM

豫利建侯行師Enthusiasm. It will be beneficial to establish fiefs and send the army forth.

初六﹕鳴豫凶Beginning 6: It is bad to be so enthusiastic that you are bragging.

六二﹕介于石不終日貞吉Second 6: Protected behind rocks, but don’t stay there all day, [go on and] correct things for thebetter.

六三﹕盱豫悔遲有悔Third 6: Staring ahead enthusiastically brings regret. To be tardy likewise brings regret.

九四﹕由豫大有得勿疑朋盍簪Fourth 9: From enthusiasm come great things. If you have no doubt, why would friends not [gatheraround you like hair around] a hairpin?

六五﹕貞疾恆不死Fifth 6: Correct the problem of the disease you had for a long time but didn’t die from.

上六﹕冥豫成有渝无咎Top 6: Things are dark now, but enthusiastically complete the task; things will change and there willbe nothing wrong.

GLOSSARY

豫 Yu4. K83e: Elephant, slow and deliberate like an elephant, think beforehand, take precautions,joy, happy, amusement, recreation, satisfied. HYDCD: Peace and happiness, happy, joyous, cheerfuland light-hearted. “Elephant” or “deliberately slow” seems to be inappropriate here, “happy”,“cheerful” or “light-hearted” does not suit very well either, but if the meaning is stretched to“enthusiasm” it seems to make very good sense. The context of the hexagram is, in my opinion, soclear that it can precisely determine the meaning of 豫 as “enthusiasm”.

建 Jian4. K249a: Set up, establish.

侯 Hou2. K113a: Target, (skilled archer, chief:) feudatory prince, princely. HYDCD: Archer’s

practicing target, second highest of five ranks of nobility (公、侯、伯、子、男). Rather thanpointing to a specific rank 建侯 seems to me to mean “establish fiefs with loyal supporters” in theZhou Yi. 侯 occurs in H18, H35, 建侯 occurs in H3 and H16.

介 Jie4. K327a: Armour, scale (of animals), protect, assist, assistant, rely on, boundary, border,inserted between, contiguous to, great, enlarge, increase, solid, determined, firm, small, cut the feet,obliquely, sudden. The graph is a drawing of a man protected by armour made of strips. HYDCD:Boundary, limit, to separate, in between, introduce, rely on, armour. I find it obvious that 介 occursin H16 line 2 in the meaning “protected”, in H35 line 2 in the meaning “protective” and H58 line 4meaning “ward off”.

石 Shi2. K795a: Stone, rock.

盱 Xu1. K97u: Lift the eyes and regard, stare. HYDCD: Look upward, open eyes wide.

遲 Chi2. K596d: To tarry, walk slowly, slow, long, wait.

由 You2. K1079a: Proceed from, from, go along, to follow, compliant, through, cause, reason,freely, at ease, prolong, a shoot from a tree.

疑 Yi2. K956a: To doubt, suspect, hesitate, as if, appearing as, to fear, to fix on, settle, stand still,stop.

朋 Peng2. K886a: A set of cowries (stringed), a peer, equal, comrade, friend, a pair, faction, league.

盍 He2. K642n: (Join, unite) why, why not. HYDCD: Why, what, how, why not. Karlgren’sdefinitions “join” and “unite” are only based on the Zhou Yi.

簪 Zan1. K660g: Hairpin, quick, rapid. HYDC: Hairpin, join together. Both Karlgren and HYDCDassume the meaning “quick” from the Zhou Yi itself and give no other examples. “Join together” istaken from an example where a gown or jacket is “joined” in the front. But this was done with afibula, which resembles a hairpin—so this definition in the dictionaries is not really enough to saythat 簪 means anything but “hairpin”. This line is lost in both the Fuyang and Xiping versions, butthe Shanghai Museum version has the same character. 簪 is used 81 times in all the Pre-Qin and Hantexts found in Chinese Text Project, besides a few names and titles, all are referring to a hairpin orfibula. However, the context is rather obvious so I translate 簪 as “[gather like hair around] ahairpin”.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 and H58.

死 Si3. K558a: Die, death.

冥 Ming2. K841a: Dark, darkness, darken, cover. HYDCD: Night, evening, dim, dusky.

成 Cheng2. K818a: To achieve, complete, completed, perfect, peace-making, an area of ten lisquare.

渝 Yu2. K125h: Change.

17 - 隨 FOLLOWING

隨元亨利貞无咎To follow is a fundamental way to become a success. [To follow] can be beneficial if you actcorrectly doing nothing you can be blamed for.

初九﹕官有渝貞吉出門交有功Beginning 9: When a government official is transferred to a new place [his duty is to] correct thingsfor the better. There will be good results if he goes out and interacts with [people].

六二﹕係小子失丈夫Second 6: If you bind yourself to the child, you lose the grown man.

六三﹕係丈夫失小子隨有求得利居貞Third 6: If you bind yourself to the grown man you lose the child. If you just follow you will get whatyou seek. It will be beneficial to stay and correct things.

九四﹕隨有獲貞凶有孚在道以明何咎Fourth 9: To follow something and capture it may be correct or it may be bad. But if you let innerconfidence light up your way, how can you be doing a mistake?

九五﹕孚于嘉吉Fifth 9: It will be good to have confidence in what [really] is excellence.

上六﹕拘係之乃從維之王用亨于西山Top 6: You seize and tie it so that it must follow. Bind it and the King will use it as sacrifice on theWestern Mountain.

GLOSSARY

隨 Sui2. K11g: Follow, to conform to, obsequious, foot.

官 Guan1. K157a: Official’s residence, office, public charge, official, officer, function, to function.

渝 Yu2. K125h: Change.

門 Men2. K441a: Gate, door, to attack a gate.

交 Jiao1. K1166a: To cross, exchange, hand over, contact, join, have relations with. HYDCD: Twoparties come into contact, join, meet, mixed, crisscross, overlap, make friends with, associate with,contact, mutually, each other.

功 Gong1. K1172d: Work, effort, achievement, result, merit. HYDCD: Contribution, service, credit,merit, achievements, succeed, success, effect, result, a day’s work.

係 Ji4. K876c: Bind, connect, succeed. HYDCD: Tie, tie up, bind, bind someone with cord. In H17,H29 and H33. H29 seems to be the literal meaning of “bound” with ropes. But in both H17 and H33the meaning is figurative “to be dependent upon”.

丈 Zhang4. K722a: A measure of 10 Ch’i, old man. HYDCD: Unit of length, respectful form ofaddressing elder people.

居 Ju1. K49c: Sit down, dwell, reside in, occupy, settlement, residence, repose, tranquil, satisfied,overbearing, arrogant, comfortable, easily, to hoard, in the end, final particle. In H3, H17, H27,H31, H49 居 means “to stay” as opposed to “go”, in H59 居 means “residence”.

道 Dao4. K1048a: Way, road, method, principle, show the way, lead, explain, speak, the graph has“head” and “go”. 道 occurs H9, H10, H17 and H24. I believe in all four cases that it refers to theconcept of “the Way”, a way of living life, and not just to a road.

明 Ming2. K760a: Light, bright, intelligent, enlightenment, discernment, eye-sight, seeing,perception, (making clear:) agreement, contract.

嘉 Jia1. K15g: Good, excellent, happy, approve, gratify. In H17, H30 and H33.

拘 Ju1. K108p: Grasp, seize.

維 Wei2. K575o: To tie, bind together, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, but, only, aparticle, to be. HYDCD: Tying rope, corner, nook, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, tie,fasten, bind, connect, link, as a result of, with, only alone, by one self, a form word with no realmeaning, to be. In H17 (tie), H29 (guiding), H35 (only) and H40 (only by one self).

18 - 蠱 HARMFUL WAYS

蠱元亨利涉大川先甲三日後甲三日Harmful [ways]. What we basically want is for things to go well. It is of benefit to cross the greatriver. [Prepare] for three days before commencement, and after [settle on the other bank] for threedays.

初六﹕幹父之蠱有子考无咎厲終吉Beginning 6: When handling the father’s harmful ways, it is not wrong if the son is critical. It may beunpleasant, but in the end all will be well.

九二﹕幹母之蠱不可貞Second 9: When handling the mother’s harmful ways, you can’t correct her.

九三﹕幹父之蠱小有悔无大咎Third 9: When handling the father’s harmful ways, there is some regret [on your part], but it is not abig mistake [that he did].

六四﹕裕父之蠱往見吝Fourth 6: If you invest in [what is actually] harmful ways of your father, you will meet deep regret.

六五﹕幹父之蠱用譽Fifth 6: When handling the father’s harmful ways, praise him [for what he did right].

上九﹕不事王侯高尚其事Top 9: Do not serve king or lords; take your service even higher.

GLOSSARY

蠱 Gu3. K52a: Noxious vermin in the food, in the stomach, noxious influences, seduction, madness,business, affair. Graph has vessel and insects. HYDCD: Parasite in the belly, moth in cereals,poisonous insect, harmful intense heat, tempt, seduce, lure, dazed, bewildered. One example inHYDCD is a story in the Zuo Zhuan which describes a sickness caused by too much sexual activity.Furthermore this hexagram is also used in HYDCD as example for the meaning 事 “cases” or“matters”, (correcting the matters of the father). The common theme of all this seems to besomething detrimental or destructive; harmful things or harmful actions. In light of the rather clearcontext in the hexagram text I translate 蠱 as “harmful ways”. So 父之蠱 means “what is ruined bythe harmful ways of one’s father”: The father may still consider old methods good enough, but the

son wants to use new and better ideas.

甲 Jia3. K629a: Cyclical character, shell, buffcoat. HYDCD: Outer layer of plants (like skin, barkor peel), tortoise shell, scale, armour, the first day of the 旬 xun week (For a description of 旬seeDavid N. Keightley p. 39-43). I am very reluctant to translate 先甲 or 後甲 as “the Jia day”or“before/after the first week day”, because this would make it a specific day, and there would be noreason for this in the Zhou Yi, like there would be in oracle bone charges recording specific events.Because of the nature of the lines of the entire Zhou Yi where the message of the lines describeprinciples or general lines of action, I believe this line should be applicable to the start of anything,but done in the right way, not in a harmful way. It is not mentioned in the dictionaries that 甲 shouldmean “starting day” in general but only “the starting day of the 旬 xun week”. I see, however, noother possible meaning of 甲 in this context than “starting day”.

幹 Gan4. K140d: Stem, framework, skeleton, body, substance, occupations, duties, carry out,perform, well-curb. HYDCD: Trunk, stem, body, source, origin, carry out, be engaged in, handlethings, being capable and resourceful. “Carry out” and “handle” does not carry the meaning ofimproving or correcting. From the context I believe 幹 means “to handle in a more capable andresourceful way”.

考 Kao3. K1041d: High age, old, dead father, father, beat, achieve, settle, examine. HYDCD: Highage, deceased father, achieve, accomplish, critically examine, be in charge of an examination,coordinate, knock.

母 Mu3. K947a: Mother.

裕 Yu4. K1202h: Ample, abundant, liberal, indulgent. HYDCD: Richly endowed, rich, make rich.

譽 Yu4. K89i: To praise, praise, renown. HYDCD: Praise, reputation, fame.

侯 Hou2. K113a: Target, (skilled archer, chief:) feudatory prince, princely. HYDCD: Archer’spracticing target, second highest of five ranks of nobility (公、侯、伯、子、男). 侯 occurs inH18, H35, H3 and H16.

尚 Shang4. K725a: Upwards, high, admirable, superior, to place over, above, exalt, approve,esteem higher, prefer, ascend, surpass, add to, (consider high and desirable:) wish, would that, still,yet. The graph may have been a drawing of a house with roof ridge.

高尚 Gao1 shang4. HYDCD: First example is this sentence; maintain being noble and unsullied,unsullied high moral integrity, unsullied ambition and purpose, uphold, venerate, lofty, sublime,having high significance.

事 Shi4. K971a: Serve, service, office, occupation, affair, to practice, sacrifice, functionary.HYDCD: Official rank, post, duty, responsibility, occupation, affair, matter, thing, business, duties

of the emperor or feudal lords, undertakings, achievements, ability, talent.

The translation of the title line is certainly not about an ordinary crossing of a wagon over a river—like it is in H63 and H64. Although the six hexagram lines are not at all related to warfare, I find itobvious that the title line is about an army crossing the river under fire, since a normal crossingwouldn’t need so much time before and after. Military campaigns in this area would often involvecrossing of rivers. For an army it would take preparation before, and some time to settle on the otherbank afterwards, before going on with the invasion.

19 - 臨 OVERSEEING

臨元亨利貞至于八月有凶To oversee [things] is a basic requirement of making things go well. It will be beneficial to [ensurethat everything] is correct. Otherwise, when the eighth month arrives there will be misfortune [of abad harvest].

初九﹕咸臨貞吉Beginning 9: To oversee that all is going the correct way will be good.

九二﹕咸臨吉无不利Second 9: To oversee all is good, then all will be beneficial.

六三﹕甘臨无攸利既憂之无咎Third 6: You want to be comfortably overseeing things, [but if you overlook things in this way]nothing can reap a benefit. [Having to keep an eye on everything all the time] makes you sad, but youcan’t really be blamed for that.

六四﹕至臨无咎Fourth 6: When overseeing things, be certain to reach all to make sure there are no faults.

六五﹕知臨大君之宜吉Fifth 6: To oversee with wisdom is fitting and good for a great man.

上六﹕敦臨吉无咎Top 6: It is good to oversee that things are solid, then there will be no failure.

GLOSSARY

臨 Lin2. K669e: Approach, go to, look down on, oversee. HYDCD: From up looking down, stayhigh look deep, keep watch on, keep a lookout over, supervise, administer, send an expeditionagainst: invade, attack, force, defend, arrive, be present, arrive, reach, face, confront, encounter.

八月 Ba1 yue4. The eighth month was a harvest month, the main crop was millet. For information onthe agricultural schedule of the late Shang period, see David N. Keightley page 10-13.

咸 Xian2. K671a. All, unite, complete, everywhere. Graph has mouth and some kind of battle-axe:An assembly, troop of warriors under command. HYDCD: All, in all, harmony, amity, concentric, be

of one heart, universal, general, overall, comprehensive.

甘Gan1. K606a: Sweet. Graph is a mouth with something in it. HYDCD: Sweet, delicious food,delicious, tasty, fine. 鬆緩 relax, slacken, calm down; the example is from the Guan Zi.

既 Ji4. K515c: To complete a repast, finish, end, all, entirely. HYDCD: Food used up, end, end of,lose, miss, all entirely, already, soon, before long, since, now that, indicates juxtaposition.

憂 You1. K1071a: Grief, grieved, suffering. HYDCD: Worried, anxious, misery, fear, dread.

君 Jun1. K459a: Lord, prince, princess. HYDCD: General name for everyone with rank above 大夫, duke or prince, person who has been granted a fief, wife of emperor or duke, polite form ofaddress.

宜 Yi2. K21a: Sacrifice to the deity of the soil, right, proper, beseem, approve, adjust, liable to.HYDCD: An ancient sacrifice, cooked food, suitable, proper, fit, ought to, should, of course, nowonder, probably, seemingly.

敦 Dun1. K464p: Solid, thick, earnest, generous, staunch, strong, versed in, lie thick on.

20 - 觀 OBSERVING

觀盥而不薦有孚顒若Observe while the hand washing ritual is done. [Even though the main event] of the sacrificial animalhas not yet been laid out you must watch [this minor event] intently with inner confidence.

初六﹕童觀小人无咎君子吝Beginning 6: To see things like a child is not a mistake for the small person, but for the wise person itbrings regret.

六二﹕闚觀利女貞Second 6: To peep without being seen is beneficial and correct for a woman.

六三﹕觀我生進退Third 6: Observe one’s own life whether to retreat or advance.

六四﹕觀國之光利用賓于王Fourth 6: To observe the glory of a land it will be beneficial to be the king’s guest.

九五﹕觀我生君子无咎Fifth 9: Observing one’s own life is not a mistake for the wise person.

上九﹕觀其生君子无咎Top 9: Observing other people’s lives is not a mistake for the wise person.

GLOSSARY

觀 Guan1. K158i: See, look, regard, cause to see, show, aspect, a scene, a sight. HYDCD: Watch,view, observe, inspect, survey.

盥 Guan4. K161a: Wash the hands. Graph has water and hands. HYDCD: Wash hands.

薦 Jian4. K477a: Grass, fodder, straw mat, to place on a bedding of straw, set forth, present, repeat,repeatedly. The graph is a drawing of an animal placed on straw. HYDCD: Forage grass, straw mat,offer, respectfully present, 獻牲 offer animal sacrifice.

顒 Yong2. K124p: Great, dignified. HYDCD: Main part, important person, grand appearance,respectful, admire, look up to, stare, look forward to. I choose to translate it as “intently” here.

若 Ruo4. K777a: Agree, conform to, accord with, approve, concordant, compliant, like, as, likethis, such, thus, if, and, or, you. HYDCD: Along, submit to, yield to, good, select, if, like this, cancompare with, to, so, such, thus, towards, yours, their, like this, this, seem, seemingly, as if, as for,or, perhaps, maybe, and, as well, and then, a form word with no real meaning.Pulleyblank doesn’t list a single example of 若 at the end of a sentence, but in the HYDCD there arethree relevant examples of 若 at the end of a sentence and this also occurs seven times in the ShiJing.There are six instances of 若 being placed at the end of a sentence in the Zhou Yi. They have themeanings of “it would seem”, “like”, “thus”, “as if” and occurs in H20, H30, H55, H57 and H60. Insome cases, I see no other possibility than to translate it as an adverb, that is, with a ..ly ending like“intently”, “respectfully” etc.

闚 Kui1. K875d: To peep, to pry, to spy. HYDCD: To peep through cracks or from a hidden place,to pry, to spy. In H20 and H55.

生 Sheng1. K812a: Live, bear, be born, produce, fresh (as greens), (living creature:) sacrificialanimal.

進退 Jin4 tui4. HYDCD: Advance and retreat.

光 Guang1. K706a: Light, bright, brilliant, glory. HYDCD: Ray of light, light, brightness, honour,glory, magnificent, the level of culture and etiquette.

賓 Bin1. K389a: Guest. HYDCD: Guests, visitors, to respect, to honour, to esteem, be a guest.

21- 噬嗑 CHEWING

噬嗑亨利用獄Chewing is to make things go well, [just like] to file a lawsuit can be beneficial.

初九﹕履校滅趾无咎Beginning 9: Walking with foot fetters will cause deep [marks] in your feet, but you have not made amistake [walking anyway].

六二﹕噬膚滅鼻无咎Second 6: Chewing the flesh you got your nose too deeply into it, but this is not a mistake.

六三﹕噬腊肉遇毒小吝无咎Third 6: Chewing salted meat you get poisoned which is slightly regrettable, but you can’t really beblamed for doing it.

九四﹕噬乾胏得金矢利艱貞吉Fourth 9: Chewing dried meat-bone you find a bronze arrow [in it]. It is beneficial to correctproblems for the better.

六五﹕噬乾肉得黃金貞厲无咎Fifth 6: When you chew dried meat you find a piece of gold. It is correct [to eat such tough meat] buthard. However, it is not a mistake to do so.

上九﹕何校滅耳凶Top 9: It is bad if you carry [a too heavy load with] a yoke as it will cut into your ears.

GLOSSARY

噬 Shi4. K336c: To bite, reach, come to.

嗑 Ke4. K642p: To shut, laugh.

獄 Yu4. K 1215a: Trial (at court), lawsuit, prosecution, litigation, prison. Graph is two dogs andspeech; dogs barking at each other. HYDCD: Contest a lawsuit, controversy, lawsuit, punishment,prison, charges.

校 Jiao4. K1166i: Foot fetters. For line six see 何校 he2 jiao4 below.

膚 Fu1. K69g: Skin, pork, cut meat, fine, beautiful, admirable. HYDCD: Skin or meat of humans oranimals, meat used for sacrifice.肉 is used in H21 for “meat”. Skin of cow can’t be eaten, so I assume 膚 is “fat pork with skin”.But it is also a possibility that 膚 is referring to “crackling” which could naturally have been adelicacy as it is today.

滅 Mie4. K294b: To drown, extinguish, destroy. HYDC: Extinguish, put out, submerge, drown, bury,disappear, vanish. In both line 2 and 6.

鼻 Bi2. K521c: Nose.

腊 La4. K798g: Dried meat, intense, extreme. HYDCD: Dried meat, making dried meat, extreme. 膚is probably pork with skin, 腊 should according to the dictionaries be dried meat, 乾胏 is driedmeat bone and 乾肉 is dried meat. I believe, however, that there must be a difference between 腊and 乾肉. From the context it is clear that dried meat 乾肉 is hard work to chew, but there is areward from the nutrition (the gold) in the meat. 腊 is described as being poisonous, which driedmeat is not. The poison could only be salt in the meat. So although the dictionaries do not mention it,I believe that 腊 is “salt cured meat”.

肉 Rou4. K1033a: Meat, flesh, fleshy, full.

毒 Du2. K1016a: Poison, poisonous, hate, to direct, govern, nourish.

乾 Gan1 / Qian2. K140c: Gan1: Dry. Qian2: Heaven, heavenly.

胏 Zi3. K. 554g: Slice of dried meat with bone in it.

矢 Shi3. K560a: Arrow, set forth, display, to marshal, to swear, make a solemn declaration, dung.The graph is a drawing of an arrow. In H21 line 5 黃金 could theoretically mean “a piece of gold”.But most likely it means “a bronze arrow head”, because why would anyone hunt with a goldenarrow? I also assume that 黃矢 in H40 line 2 and 金矢 in H21 line 4 was an arrow with a bronzehead.

黃金 Huang2 jin1. HYDCD: Copper, bronze, gold, wealth, money.

艱 Jian1. K480c. Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. HYDCD: Difficult, not easy, live inprivation, dangerous, suffering, loss of relative, foolish, stupid, cautious, be short of.

艱貞 Jian1 zhen1. HYDCD: Stand firm in hard times.

何He2. K1f: Carry, which, what, how, why, where. HYDCD: The ancient form of 荷 “to carry onshoulders”.

何校 He2 jiao4. HYDCD: A cangue. Kong Yingda’s commentary to this sentence: 何,謂擔何.“Carrying a load on a carrying pole.”

耳 Er3. K981a: Ear.

Note that all six lines are about “working on meat”; line 2, 3, 4 and 5 is to chew meat and line 1 and 6is about damage to the flesh of our own body.

22 - 賁 ADORNMENT

賁亨小利有攸往To be elegant can help make things go well. It is a small thing to do, but can be beneficial when thereis somewhere you want to go.

初九﹕賁其趾舍車而徒Beginning 9: Adorn your feet, leave the carriage and walk.

六二﹕賁其須Second 6: Adorn your beard.

九三﹕賁如濡如永貞吉Third 9: Adorn [yourself so fine] that you seem to be always glistening. This is correct and good.

六四﹕賁如皤如白馬翰如匪寇婚媾Fourth 6: Simply adorned he comes [swift] as if [flying] on a white, winged horse. [She can see] he isnot a bandit but a suitor.

六五﹕賁于丘園束帛戔戔吝終吉Fifth 6: The roll of silk you brought for adornment in the burial site is not impressing. This isregrettable, but in the end, you will have good luck.

上九﹕白賁无咎Top 9: It is no mistake to be adorned simply.

GLOSSARY

賁 Bi4. K437a: Ardent, brave, great, brilliant, ornate. The graph may depict a flowering plant.HYDCD: Elegance, adornment, looking magnificent.

舍 She3. K48a: Lodging-house, to rest in, stop, to halt, resting-place, encampment, a day’s stage, toput down, deposit, put away, set aside, leave, let off, give, bestow.

車 Che1. K74a: Carriage, chariot. The character is simply a drawing of a carriage seen from above.In H14, H22, H38 and H47.

徒 Tu2. K62e: Go on foot, foot soldier, follower, adherent, servant, common people, multitude,

mere, only, bare, naked.

須 Xu1. K133a: Beard, wait, what is needed, necessary, to exact, supply, aid, a short while.

濡 Ru2. K134f: Moisten, soak, wet, glossy.

皤 Po2. K175r: White, big, bulging. HYDCD: White, big bellied, a frog’s white belly.

白 Bai2. K782a: White, bare, clearly understand, declare, report. HYDCD: Has 45 other definitionsbut the very first is plain, ordinary, common.

翰 Han4. K140f: Pheasant feather, wing, to fly, high, drawn-out (sound), white, prop up, support,ornaments on sides of coffin. HYDCD: Red pheasant, general reference to fowls, feather, wing,high.There is a clear example in the Shi Jing Karlgren no. 263 常武: 王旅嘽嘽、如飛如翰 “The King’stroops, were numerous, they were as if flying, as if winged”. 皤 seems to be used here to avoidrepetition of 白. The main point is that this is obviously a suitor in spite of the very plain adornment.Even the horse is plain without colour, but the suitor is stylishly swift. From the context of simpleadornment the term “white horse” clearly does not have the same positive image as in our presentday culture. 翰 also occurs in H61.

媾 Gou4. K109e: Second marriage, favour. HYDCD: Second marriage, families interrelated bymarriage. Shuowen says 媾 means 重婚 and 重婚 means marriage between a man and a womanfrom the same clan.

婚媾 Hun1 gou4. HYDCD: Related by marriage. There are very few early texts from before the Handynasty where 婚媾 occurs: In the pre-Qin texts listed in the Chinese Text Project it occurs only inthe 國語 Guo Yu and in the Zhou Yi (H3, H22, H38 and H51) and all have the meaning of marriage.

丘 Qiu1. K994a: Hill, mound, village, district, great, waste, ruins. HYDCD: Hill, grave, tomb,raised paths between fields.

園 Yuan2. K256b: Garden. HYDCD: Garden, royal burial ground.

束 Shu4. K1222a: Bind, tie together, bundle. Graph is a drawing of a bundle.

束帛 Shu4 bo2. HYDCD: A bundle of silk given as present when proposing marriage. However, 束帛 occurs in many ancient texts where it is clearly not confined to being used for engagementpresent, but also for other purposes of presents and offerings.

戔 Jian1. K155a: Damage, nocuous, lost chapter, accumulated. Graph has dagger-axe doubled.HYDCD: Few, less, shallow, simple, easy, whittle, cut.

戔戔 Jian1jian1. HYDCD: Indicate small and simple or small and narrow.

In line 5 several questions arise:

1. Is someone walking in hills and gardens 丘園?

2. Is he or she adorned with a modest roll of silk 束帛?

3. Or, is he or she adorned and carrying a modest gift of silk?

Because the previous line is about a suitor 束帛 could be assumed to be an engagement present. Butthis doesn’t explain why the scene should take place in hills and gardens. Gardens are usually notlocated on hills, and gardens and hills have no logical connection otherwise. However, both 丘 and園 can refer to a grave. Therefore, it is a possibility that 丘園 is referring to a burial site, in whichcase the roll of silk would be the adornment for the grave or be a burial sacrifice just like in thefollowing part from the Liji 禮記-曾子問 (translation by James Legge):

孔子曰：「卿、大夫、士從攝主，北面，於西階南。大祝裨冕，執束帛，升自西階盡等，不升堂，命毋哭。祝聲三，告曰：『某之子生，敢告。』升，奠幣于殯東几上，哭，降。眾主人、卿、大夫、士，房中，皆哭不踴。盡一哀，反位。遂朝奠。小宰升舉幣。

“Confucius said, ‘The high nobles, Great officers and (other) officers, following the chief(minister), who takes charge of the government for the time, (should collect) at the south of thewestern steps, with their faces towards the north. (Then) the Grand officer of prayer, in his courtrobes and cap, bearing in his hands a bundle of rolls of silk, will go up to the topmost step, and(there), without ascending the hall, will order the wailing to cease. Mournfully clearing his voicethree times, he will make announcement (to the spirit of the deceased ruler), saying, “The son ofsuch and such a lady has been born. I venture to announce the fact.” He will then go up, and placethe silks on a stool on the east of the body in the coffin, wail, and descend. All the relatives ofthe deceased who are there (at the mourning), the high nobles, the Great and other officers, (withthe women) in the apartments, all will wail, but without the leaping. When this burst of sorrow isover, they will return to their (proper) places, and proceed forthwith to set forth the mourningofferings to the dead. The minor minister will ascend, and take away the bundle of silks.”

23 - 剝 DECAY

剝不利有攸往[When something is] decaying it will not be useful to have further plans [with it].

初六﹕剝牀以足蔑貞凶Beginning 6: A bed decaying because its feet are [rotting] away. [Trying to] correct this is no good.

六二﹕剝牀以辨蔑貞凶Second 6: A bed decaying because its frame is [rotting] away. [Trying to] correct this is no good.

六三﹕剝之无咎Third 6: To let it decay is not a mistake.

六四﹕剝牀以膚凶Fourth 6: It is bad if the bed is decaying because of the leather [that covers it is causing rot].

六五﹕貫魚以宮人寵无不利Fifth 6: [Give] a string of fish as a favour to the people of the palace. Then none of them will not behelpful to you.

上九﹕碩果不食君子得輿小人剝廬Top 9: A large fruit not eaten. The wise person acquires a carriage, the small man’s hut falls apart.

GLOSSARY

剝 Bo1. K1228a: Cut, flay, peel, to pluck, lay bare, to ruin, break. HYDCD: Split, crack, whittle,flay, peel, fall off, uncovered, exposed. There are three instances of 剝 in the Shi Jing: Karlgren no.154, 209 and 210 all related to food: Pluck (dates), flay (sacrificial animals) and peel (gourds).The common denominator of all these definitions is clearly an image of things disintegrating bit bybit. Most of them, however, do not apply to a wooden bed. Wood rots easily if placed on a dampfloor, the hide covering the bed is causing rot, the large fruit is rotting and a wooden hut also fallsapart from rot. A more generally applicable term is, I believe, “decay”.

牀 Chuang2. Presumably a variant of 床. HYDCD: A bed.The indications of wood in both parts of the character 牀 makes me assume that it is a wooden bed,as opposed to a heated clay bed, a Kang. The wood radical 木 is an indication of a wooden objectand 爿 is a tree trunk or a bamboo stem split in half. It would be useful to have a more precise

description of a bed in this particular period, but the nearest I could find are the images from theHan period as given below.

以 Yi3. 23 occurrences. K976b: Take, use, treat as, employ, by, because, in order to, along with,together with. But only using these exact definitions for 以 will be too limited; 以 could rather besaid to be a “particle of instrumentality”. That is, 以 is used “to engage (somebody or something) asan instrument.”11

足 Zu2. K1219a: Foot, enough, sufficient, to add, to heap.

蔑 Mie4. K311a: Destroy, extinguish, not have, not. HYDCD: Very small, fine, tiny, light, trifling,trivial, slight, abandon, cast aside, perish, die out, without, not have, there is not, like 末 (end orminor details), silent, speechless. In both line 1 and 2 I translate 蔑 as “away”.

辨 Bian4. K219b: Divide, distinguish, discriminate, distribute. HYDCD: Differentiate, distinguish,different, not alike, distinct, clear about, obvious, all around, all over, the frame of a bed (thishexagram is the only example, it has Wang Bi and Kong Yingda’s comments).From the context, I find it reasonable to assume that 辨 is the frame of a bed. There is, to myknowledge, no other textual evidence. The only things supporting Wang Bi and Kong Yingda’scomments seem to be the mention of the bed and its parts; its feet 足 and the hide 膚 on top.Furthermore, nearly any bed has two lengthwise beams. This would resemble the character’s imageof two sides divided.

膚 Fu1. K69g: Skin, pork, cut meat, fine, beautiful, admirable. HYDCD: Skin or meat of humans oranimals, meat used for sacrifice. I assume this is simply a cow or sheep hide put on top of the bedfor comfort.

貫 Guan4. K159a: Perforate, go through the centre of, pass a string through, to string, tightly boundtogether with, intimate with, to serve, be familiar with, practice, used to, usage. The graph shows astring passed through cowries.

魚 Yu2. K79a: Fish.

宮 Gong1. K1006a: Dwelling-house, palace, apartment, temple, name of a note of the gamut.

宮人 Gong1 ren2. Literally “people of the palace”. HYDCD: Concubines or maids of the palace,the king’s entourage, the king’s personal assistants. From the context it is difficult to know who isgiving the favour. A string of fish seems to be a small thing and the receiver would thus not be veryinfluential. However, Maria Khayutina mentions a few cases of food as gifts:

“The king ordered Guoshu to call Xing. He granted him one receptacle of lamb meat. On the dayyichou the king was in Gouling. He gave a feast [and] offered wine. He ordered Captain Shou tocall Xing. He bestowed on him one receptacle of pork […]”.12

We don’t know the social status of the receiver, but the gift of meat was, after all, given by the king.This indicates that a string of fish could also be a relatively fine gift. I can be no more precise thanto translate 宮人 as “people of the palace”.

寵 Chong3. K1193p: Devoted, a favour. HYDCD: Bestow a favour on.

碩 Shuo4. K795e: Large, great, sizeable, weighty.

果 Guo3. K351a: Fruit, result, effect, (when it comes to the result:) really, in the

end, bring to result, (go to the bitter end:) determined, courageous.

廬 Lu2. K69q: Hut, inn, to lodge. HYDCD: A simple home away from the city, a simple cottage.

Scene from the Han dynasty with a wooden bed at top left. (Fu, Xihua II, pl. 81, fig. 118).

Bed (4), large bed (5), mat (6) and chair (1-3) from the Han dynasty (Sun Ji, p. 221).

11 Wu Sue-mei: Instrumentality: The Core Meaning of the Coverb Yi 以 in Classical Chinese.12 Maria Khayutina: Royal Hospitality and Geopolitical Constitution of the Western Zhou Polity, p. 9.

24 - 復 RETURNING

復亨出入无疾朋來无咎反復其道七日來復利有攸往Returning [from a journey] that went well; you went out and came back unharmed. When friends havecome and all went well, they turn back and return to their own way. Then, after seven days they returnagain. It is beneficial to have a destination to go towards.

初九﹕不遠復无祇悔元吉Beginning 9: [If you only go] a short distance and return with nothing, you will merely regret it, sinceyour original [purpose was to achieve something] good.

六二﹕休復吉Second 6: Return to rest is good.

六三﹕頻復厲无咎Third 6: Having to return several times may be hard, but is no mistake.

六四﹕中行獨復Fourth 6: Walk among others, return alone.

六五﹕敦復无悔Fifth 6: Return with a solid result, then there will be nothing to regret.

上六﹕迷復凶有災眚用行師終有大敗以其國君凶至于十年不克征Top 6: If you return [to the battle ground] with an unfocused [attack], it will go badly. If there is anatural disaster or an eclipse and the army is being sent forth [in spite of this], it will end with a greatdefeat caused by the country’s lord [who gave the order]. This will be bad; for a very long time youcannot attack.

GLOSSARY

復 Fu4. K1034d: Return, report, reply, repay, recall, restore, recommence, repeat, again.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 and H58.

朋 Peng2. K886a: A set of cowries (stringed), a peer, equal, comrade, friend, a pair, faction, league.

反 Fan3. K262a: Turn, return, bring back, retort, repeat, contrary, on the contrary, to rebel.

道 Dao4. K1048a: Way, road, method, principle, show the way, lead, explain, speak, the graph has“head” and “go”. 道 occurs H9, H10, H17 and H24. I believe in all four cases that it refers to theconcept of “The Way”, a way of living life, and not just to a road.

遠 Yuan3. K256f: Far, distant, keep far from, leave.

祇 Zhi3. K867i: Earth spirit, only. HYDCD: Earth spirit, fit, suitable, appropriate, only, merely.

悔 Hui3. K947s: Repent, regret.

休 Xiu1. K1070a: Rest, ease, to rest, abide by, desist, good, benefit, blessing, happy, luck, grace,fine, excellent.

頻 Pin2. K390a: River bank, shore, on the brink of, close to, urgent, repeatedly, frequently, severaltogether.

獨 Du2. K1224i: Alone, only.

敦 Dun1. K464p: Solid, thick, earnest, generous, staunch, strong, versed in, lie thick on.

迷 Mi2. K598e: Go astray, delude. HYDCD: Confused, get lost, lose direction.

災 Zai1. K940a: Disaster, calamity, injury, misfortune. HYDCD: Natural disaster, calamity, disaster,crime, error, endanger.

眚 Sheng3. K812i: Film covering the eye, (film covering the moon:) new moon, eclipse, calamity,fault, offence by mishap, diminish, restrict. HYDCD: Corneal opacity, cataract, suffering, hardship,eclipse, mishap. In H6 (calamity), H24 (eclipse), H25 (eclipse twice), H51 (calamity) and H62(calamity). Note that the meaning of 眚 is “eclipse” in both H24 line 6 and H25 line 6.

災眚 Zai1 sheng3. HYDCD: Disaster, suffering, calamity.

用 Yong4. K1185a: Use, employ, by, implement, to offer in sacrifice. HYDCD: Use, employ, apply,implement, put into action, govern, manage, suitable for, appropriate, applicable, action, function,expenses, need, must, require, like 使, make, like 唯 or 只有 only, alone.

敗 Bai4. K320f: Ruin, ruined, destructive, break, defeat, become defeated.

其 Qi2. 109 occurrences. K952a: Original meaning is winnowing basket, loan word meanings are:

This, that, his, her, its, their, modal particle: will probably, wish that, hope for, aim at. Pulleyblankhas several good examples from early texts of 其 meaning “surely”. Although Han Fei Zi is a fewhundred years younger than the Zhou Yi Pulleyblank shows a good example of 其 meaning “the” (p.80;268). I believe “the” is exactly the meaning of 其 in H24 line 6.

國 Guo2. K929o: State, country, capital city.

君 Jun1. K459a: Lord, prince, princess. HYDCD: General name for everyone with rank above 大夫, duke or prince, person who has been granted a fief, wife of emperor or duke, polite form ofaddress.

25 - 无妄 THE UNFORESEEN

无妄元亨利貞其匪正有眚不利有攸往The basic [remedy] to make unforeseen situations go well is to correct [beforehand] whatever is notin order. During an eclipse it will not be of advantage to go towards any destination.

初九﹕无妄往吉Beginning 9: To go without knowing exactly where is good.

六二﹕不耕穫不菑畬則利有攸往Second 6: Do not plough when the field is ready for harvest and do not break soil that is alreadybroken; but it will be fruitful to have in view a goal to go towards.

六三﹕无妄之災或繫之牛行人之得邑人之災Third 6: An unexpected disaster. A tied-up ox. A passer-by’s gain. The resident’s misfortune.

九四﹕可貞无咎Fourth 9: This can be corrected so it has no faults.

九五﹕无妄之疾勿藥有喜Fifth 9: For an unforeseen illness don’t use medicine, there will be happiness.

上九﹕无妄行有眚无攸利Top 9: You go on without knowing exactly where to, but in [the darkness of] an eclipse there isnowhere beneficial to go.

GLOSSARY

妄 Wang4. K742g: Lawless, extravagant, foolish, rude, reckless, false, not. HYDCD: Random,lawless, illegal, unreal, ordinary, not. Shuo Wen: 妄: 亂也; disorder, confusion. 妄 does not occur inthe Shi Jing.If the basic meaning of 妄 is “disorder” or “confusion” 无妄 should mean “no disorder” or “noconfusion”. However, the definitions given for 无妄 by HYDCD is “unexpected”, “mishap” and“unforeseen”. This is based both on the context of this hexagram and a paragraph in the Zhan GuoCe where 无妄 is used several times unambiguously in the meaning “unexpected” and“unpredictable”.13

正 Zheng4. K833j: Straight, correct, right, to correct, regulate. HYDCD: Straight, upright, honest,

correct, proper, in good order, right, to correct, put right.

眚 Sheng3. K812i: Film covering the eye, (film covering the moon:) new moon, eclipse, calamity,fault, offence by mishap, diminish, restrict. HYDCD: Corneal opacity, cataract, suffering, hardship,eclipse, mishap. 眚 occurs in: H6 (calamity), H24 (eclipse), H25 (eclipse twice), H51 (calamity)and H62 (calamity). Note that the meaning of 眚 is “eclipse” in both H24 line 6 and H25 line 6.

耕 Geng1. K808a: To plough. 井 “a well” was also the term for a certain area of arable landbelonging to one village; in this character combined with 耒 “plough”. HYDCD: Plough, till, sow.

穫 Huo4. K784h: To reap, cut. HYDCD: Reap, harvest crops.

菑 Zi1. K969d: Break soil, recently broken field. HYDCD: A field tilled for the first time (a newfield), open up wasteland.

畬 She1. K82f: Field in the third year of cultivation. HYDCD: New field in its third year ofcultivation, plough a field so it becomes ripe for use.

災 Zai1. K940a: Disaster, calamity, injury, misfortune. HYDCD: Natural disaster, calamity, disaster,crime, error, endanger.

或 Huo4. 16 occurrences. K929a: Territory, state, some, someone, something, possibly, perhaps,either-or. HYDCD: Someone, somebody, some, sometimes, anybody, perhaps, also, often,conjunction “if”, the ancient form of 國.

繫 Ji4. 854d: Attach, suspend. HYDCD: Tie, tie up, fasten, suspend.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital.Occurs in H6, H8, H15, H25, H35, H43, H46 and H48. For the sake of prosody, I translate 邑人 tomean“the people of the town”, as “residents”.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 and H58.

藥 Yao4. K1125p: Medicinal plant, medicine, to cure, peony.

喜 Xi3. K955a: Joy, rejoice.

There is an obvious connection between H24 line 6 and H25 line 6: the meaning of 眚 is “eclipse” inboth hexagrams. The other three instances of 眚 are the meaning “calamity”.

The composition of line 3 looks like a four-character poem: 无妄之災或繫之牛行人之得邑人之災.It can be broken up in four parts, each with 之 as genitive particle on the third place. In the poems ofthe Shi Jing it is often so that certain characters intentionally occur in a certain pattern or are repeatedon the same place in the lines.

无妄之災 an unexpected misfortune

或繫之牛 a tied-up ox

行人之得 the passer-by’s gain

邑人之災 the resident’s misfortune

The line doesn’t seem to rhyme but sounds and looks like a poem. I suspect this could be a verse froma then well-known folk song or poem used in the same way that we say “c’est la vie” or “that’s life”.I try to retain some of the prosody in the translation.

13 戰國策 - Zhan Guo Ce, 楚策, 楚四, 楚考烈王無子 chapter 12.

26 - 大畜 RAISING LARGE LIVESTOCK

大畜利貞不家食吉利涉大川When raising large livestock it will be beneficial to keep them correct and not let them eat inside thefamily compound, then it will turn out good. [Horses and oxen] can be of benefit to us when we crossthe wide river.

初九﹕有厲利已Beginning 9: If you have an unpleasant feeling [of danger] it will be best to stop.

九二﹕輿說輹Second 9: The axle strut comes off the carriage.

九三﹕良馬逐利艱貞曰閑輿衛利有攸往Third 9: Fine horses compete; it will be beneficial to rein them, correct them by talking [to them] andto have a barrier on the wagon for protection. It is beneficial to have a destination to go towards [sowe need the horses to work well].

六四﹕童牛之牿元吉Fourth 6: A pen for the young oxen is a basic thing if it should turn out good.

六五﹕豶豕之牙吉Fifth 6: A castrated boar’s teeth are a good thing.

上九﹕何天之衢亨Top 9: What is Heaven’s Way? To make things go well!

GLOSSARY

畜 Xu4. K1018a: Nourish, to rear, cherish, domestic animal, keep, support, to hoard.

大畜 Da4 xu4. Big livestock (pigs, horses and oxen). HYDCD only cites commentaries to the ZhouYi: the firm manner in which you raise large livestock.The ancient 六畜 “six livestock” of domesticated animals in China were considered to be dog fromca. 8000 BCE, pig from ca. 6000 BCE, cattle from ca. 2500 BCE, sheep/goat as well as horse fromca. 2400 BCE and chicken from as late as 1300 BCE.14 The donkey was not introduced in centralChina before the Qin dynasty.

家 Jia1. K32a: House, family, keep a household, the graph has pig under roof. HYDCD: House,residence, family, household, becoming married, inside the house or inside the gate. 不家食 doesnot likely refer to “inside the house”, but rather “inside the gate”. Large animals would of coursebe a menace close to the house.

厲 Li4 is explained in detail in the list of frequently occurring characters. 有厲利已 is a case whereit is difficult to choose the right definition. To decide if “danger” or “unpleasant feeling” is best itis necessary to review all 27 occurrences in the text. “Danger” could work, but is not a verycommon meaning of 厲 in the Zhou Yi, and I am afraid it would over-simplify the message of theline. I believe “unpleasant feeling” is better. It is about stopping when there are signs of danger—before the danger is imminent. A bully with uncontrollable strength will be likely to overlook thesesigns.

已 Yi3. K977a: Cease, end, stop, achieve, particle denoting past tense, already, dismiss, abstainfrom, excessive, final particle, oh!

輹 Fu4. K1034g: Support under the box of a carriage resting on the axle and holding it in position.Kang Xi Zidian: A piece of wood fastening the axle to the carriage box. In the dictionary 釋名 ShiMing (200 CE) the word for clogs 屐 was also the name of the wooden part that holds the axle inplace. Other names mentioned in the Shi Ming are 伏兔 (squatting hare), 伏 and 輹. An ancientChinese clog had two tooth-like protrusions underneath the sole to keep the feet above the mud andthis form resembles the 輹. The axle would be fastened with leather or rope to the wooden 輹. Inrelation to H26 line 2 this is, of course, a vulnerable part if a wagon is driving too fast. In relation toH34 line 4 it is the image of two small but extremely strong carriage-parts holding all the weight ofcargo and people. (Please see drawing below of 伏兔 from Sun Ji: Handai wuzhi wenhua ziliaotushuo p. 114). The 伏兔 is described in detail in Wu Hongsong 吳紅松: Zai Lun Hua Hun, p. 29-94.

豶 Fen2. K437r: Gelded pig. HYDCD: Castrate a boar.

良 Liang2. K735a: Good. HYDCD: Able and virtuous, kindhearted, good, fine, excellent, big (whenbig is fine like fruits etc.).

逐 Zhu2. K1022a: Pursue, drive out, contest. Graph has pig, boar and foot (go).

艱 Jian1. K480c. Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. HYDCD: Difficult, not easy, live inprivation, dangerous, suffering, loss of relative, foolish, stupid, cautious, be short of.

艱貞 Jian1 zhen1. HYDCD: Stand firm in hard times. I choose the word “rein” because it isspecific for horses and is the same as to control and be firm. Kong Yingda’s comment on themeaning of 艱貞:“Although it has become dark times we can’t give in and let everything collapse. Therefore weshould be strong in difficult times, guard our correctness and purify our moral.”

曰 Yue1. K304a: Say, a particle. HYDCD: Say, call or be called, is, a preposition; owing to,because of, auxiliary word.

閑 Xian2. K192a: Bar, barrier, enclosure, obstruct, guard against, protect. Graph has door andwood.

輿 Yu2. K89j: Vehicle, carriage, carrier, carry on the shoulders. HYDCD: Carriage, chariot.

衛 Wei4. HYDCD: Defend, guard, protect.

牿 Gu4. K1039l: Pen, stable, hobble (tie the front legs together).

豶 Fen2. K437r: Gelded pig.

豕 Shi3. K: 1238f: Pig, swine, boar.

牙 Ya2. K37a: Tooth. HYDCD: Tooth, bite, tooth-like things, male.

衢 Qu2. K96d: Street.

何 He2 is usually an interrogative, which I believe it is in the case of line 6. But 何 can, accordingto HYDCD, also mean “to carry on the shoulders” which is the case in H21 line 6.

14 Jing Yuan, Han Jian-Lin and Roger Blench: Livestock in ancient China. An archaeozoological perspective, p. 84-104.

27 - 頤 NOURISHMENT

頤貞吉觀頤自求口實Nourishment should be of the correct kind and good [for you]. Therefore, observe if the nourishmentthat you seek out for your mouth has substance.

初九﹕舍爾靈龜觀我朵頤凶Beginning 9: You released your magic turtle and now you are looking at me with mouth agape; that’sno good!

六二﹕顛頤拂經于丘頤征凶Second 6: Foraging on the top [of the hill] you are clearing a path to where the nourishment on the hillis, but to go on like this will be bad.

六三﹕拂頤貞凶十年勿用无攸利Third 6: Clearing a path to where the nourishment is, [may be considered] correct but is still not goodto do because [out there] you can accomplish nothing for a very long time, [and there is really]nothing much to find [on the hill].

六四﹕顛頤吉虎視眈眈其欲逐逐无咎Fourth 6: Foraging on the top [of the hill] is good. To stare like a tiger pursuing its prey is not wrongof you.

六五﹕拂經居貞吉不可涉大川Fifth 6: [You want to] clear a path, but it is correct and good to stay where you are. Don’t cross thegreat river [to seek other sources of nourishment].

上九﹕由頤厲吉利涉大川Top 9: [Going to] the source of nourishment can be hard, but [nourishment] is good for us. Therefore,it will be beneficial to cross the great river.

GLOSSARY

頤 Yi2. K960c: Chin, nourish. HYDCD: Jaw, take good care of one’s health. In all instances in thishexagram 頤 is a noun but certainly not a jaw; it is obviously nourishment. In line 2 I stretch themeaning to “foraging”.

口 Kou3. K110a: Mouth. HYDCD: Mouth, number of people in family, country etc., apertures,

openings, sentence, food, taste.

實 Shi2. K398a: Fruit, riches, enrich, full, fill, stop up, solid, real, really, sincere, this, that. In H27,H50, H54 and H63.

舍 She3. K48a: Lodging-house, to rest in, stop, to halt, resting-place, encampment, a day’s stage, toput down, deposit, put away, set aside, leave, let off, give, bestow.

爾 Er3. K359a: Adverb suffix, final particle, flowering, luxuriant, you.

靈 Ling2. K836i: Sorcerer, diviner, supernatural, spiritual, divine, felicitous, intelligent, excellent.

龜 Gui1. K985a: Tortoise.

朵 Duo3. K10a: Move the jaw as in chewing. HYDCD: Anything that resembles how branches,leaves, flowers and fruits are hanging down on a tree.

顛 Dian1. K375m: Top of the head, fall down, be overthrown, overthrow, concentrate upon, whollyintent on, full, fill, anxious, grieved. HYDCD: Top of the head, top, peak.

拂 Fu2. K500h: To brush off, wipe off, shake, beat off. HYDCD: Beat the way through, violate, goagainst, hack, brush from side to side, brush off. In line 2, 3 and 5 拂 is obviously about hackingone’s way through bushes. I translate it as “clearing” a path.

經 Jing3. K831c: Warp, rule, norm, law, regulate, to plan, to direct, pass through, walk along,continue, successively, strangle. HYDCD: Longitudinal thread on a weave (the warp), road or landgoing North-South, norm, standard, go through. In this context 經 just seems to mean a “path”.

丘 Qiu1. K994a: Hill, mound, village, district, great, waste, ruins. HYDCD: Like Karlgren butfurthermore gives 田疇 farmland, 大 big and 空 empty, void.

虎 Hu3. 57b: Tiger.

眈眈 Dan1dan. K656j: Looking downwards. HYDCD: Gaze at.

欲 Yu4. K1202d: Desire, wish.

逐 Zhu2. K1022a: Pursue, drive out, contest. Graph has pig and foot. HYDCD: Rushing about, in ahurry, hurriedly.

居 Ju1. K49c: Sit down, dwell, reside in, occupy, settlement, residence, repose, tranquil, satisfied,overbearing, arrogant, comfortable, easily, to hoard, in the end, final particle. In H3, H17, H27, H31and H49 居 means “to stay” as opposed to “go”, in H59 居 means “residence”.

由 You2. K1079a: Proceed from, from, go along, to follow, compliant, through, cause, reason,freely, at ease, prolong, a shoot from a tree.

28 - 大過 GREAT EXCESS

大過棟橈利有攸往亨If there is a great excess [of weight], the beam will bend. It will be beneficial to have a place [todivert the pressure] to in order to make things go well.

初六﹕藉用白茅无咎Beginning 6: It is no mistake to use plain grass for the sacrificial mat.

九二﹕枯楊生稊老夫得其女妻无不利Second 9: A withered poplar tree shooting new shoots. An old man finds himself a younger woman tomarry. Everything can be fruitful.

九三﹕棟橈凶Third 9: It is bad if the beam bends.

九四﹕棟隆吉有它吝Fourth 9: The beam is strong enough, but there are other parts [of the construction] that will causeregret.

九五﹕枯楊生華老婦得其士夫无咎无譽

Fifth 9: A withered poplar flourishes. An old woman finds herself a youngergentleman. This is not a mistake, but it will receive no praise.

上六﹕過涉滅頂凶无咎Top 6: When crossing [the river] it is bad if you get in so deep that the head goes under water, but itwas no mistake [trying].

GLOSSARY

過 Guo4. K18e: To pass, transgress, excess, fault, to pass by.Although 過 is part of the title of both H62 and H28 the different context demands that they aretranslated differently: “Great excess” and “A little too far”.

棟 Dong4. K1175f: Ridgepole, ridge of a roof. HYDCD: Ridge purlin, metaphor for importantperson. The definition in Er Ya is 棟謂之桴; “beam” or “rafter”.

橈 Rao2. K1164p: Bent wood, to bend, crooked, weak.

藉 Jie4. K798b’: Mat of straw as support for sacrifices or gifts.

茅 Mao2. K1109c: Certain kinds of grass. HYDCD: Cogon grass.I take it that a mat of simple grass could be considered cheap or disrespectful to use for guests orsacrifices. In H22 line 6 白 obviously means “simple”. Here, I find it most likely that 白茅 means“a mat of plain grass”.

枯 Ku1. K49t: Withered, dried up.

楊 Yang2. K720q: Poplar.

生 Sheng1. K812a: Live, bear, be born, produce, fresh (as greens), (living creature:) sacrificialanimal.

稊 Ti2. K591g: Shoot, sprout.

老 Lao3. K1055a: Old.

隆 Long2. K1015f: High, ample, eminent. HYDCD: Plentiful, high.

譽 Yu4. K89i: To praise, praise, renown. HYDCD: Praise, reputation, fame.

它 Ta1. K4a: Danger, harm, obstacle, another. HYDCD: Other, in addition, extra, ancient characterfor snake. In H8, H28 and H61.

華 Hua1. K44a: Flower, blossom, cleave.

滅 Mie4. K294b: To drown, extinguish, destroy. HYDC: Extinguish, put out, submerge, drown, bury,disappear, vanish.

頂 Ding3. K833e: Top of the head.

女妻 and 士夫 in line 2 and 5 must be given special attention:

士 Shi4. K970a: Officer, scholar, gentleman, man, warrior, a judge, to serve, work.

夫 Fu1. K101a: Man, this, that, the one in question, as to, final particle. HYDCD: General term foran adult man, someone engaged in physical labour, soldier, husband, all, pronoun: 他, 它, 他們 he,them or it. 這, 這個, 這些 this, this one, these. 那, 那個, 那些 that, that one, those.

士夫 Shi4 fu1. HYDCD: A man in general, young man. The only example given for “young man” isthis particular sentence and is, therefore, of no value here. In all the pre-Qin texts in Chinese Text

Project 士夫 is actually rarely seen as a compound.

女 Nü3. K94a: Woman, lady, girl, give as wife.

妻 Qi1. K592a: Consort, wife, give for wife. The consort being the one wife who is socially theequal (that is, the “mate”) of the husband.

女妻 Nü qi1. HYDCD: Only this particular example, and thus of no value here. In all the pre-Qintexts in Chinese Text Project there are at the present moment totally 49 instances of 女妻. 14 of theseare in the form 以女妻之 “marrying this woman” and in most of the rest 妻 means “give for wife”.

The conclusion must be that 女妻 means “a woman given in marriage”, and老婦得其士夫 means“An old woman finds herself a gentleman”. Both sentences start with 得其. This does not mean“finding a…” but “finding his/hers” which I stretch to himself/herself.

There is no justification for saying that 女 and 士 means “young” as seen in several translations. Theonly thing that could point to a young age is that the man and woman mentioned are old—老夫 and 老婦—so we could assume a contrast. We could also assume that because the 女 and the 士 is not beingcalled old they are younger than old. This is not enough to call them young, but perhaps younger. Anold man could take a second wife but the woman could not take a second husband, so she must be awidow.

29 - 坎 PITS

習坎有孚維心亨行有尚[Going by] pit after pit, but if there is inner confidence guiding your heart it will go well. If you go[through] you will be highly esteemed.

初六﹕習坎入于坎窞凶Beginning 6: Pit after pit, falling in the pit hole is bad.

九二﹕坎有險求小得Second 9: The pit is narrow. If you seek something [inside it], what you find will [naturally] be small.

六三﹕來之坎坎險且枕入于坎窞勿用Third 6: Pit after pit is coming, narrow and deep. If you fall into the pit hole you can accomplishnothing.

六四﹕樽酒簋貳用缶納約自牖終无咎Fourth 6: Have a flask of wine and a bowl of food brought in, both [just in simple] clay pots. If youconstrain yourself from [looking out] the window, in the end you will make no mistakes.

九五﹕坎不盈祇既平无咎Fifth 9: The pit is not overflowing; it is filled precisely to the brim.

上六﹕係用徽纆寘于叢棘三歲不得凶Top 6: Tied up with rope and cord and placed among thorny bushes, for three years not achieving[anything]. This is bad.

GLOSSARY

坎 Kan3. K624d: Pit.

習 Xi2. K690a. To practice flying, to practice, exercise, be familiar with, repeatedly. Graph haswing and sun.

維 Wei2. K575o: To tie, bind together, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, but, only, aparticle, to be. HYDCD: Tying rope, corner, nook, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, tie,fasten, bind, connect, link, as a result of, with, only alone, by one self, a form word with no realmeaning, to be. In H17 (tie), H29 (guiding), H35 (only) and H40 (only by one self).

尚 Shang4. K725a: Upwards, high, admirable, superior, to place over, above, exalt, approve,esteem, higher, prefer, ascend, surpass, add to.

窞 Dan4. K672i: Recess, or smaller pit in bottom of cave or cellar.

險 Xian3. K613f: Precipitous, a perilous defile, danger, to endanger. HYDCD: Dangerous anddifficult, strategic pass, high and steep, remote, difficult, dangerous.

枕 Zhen3. K656g: Pillow. HYDCD: Pillow, same meaning as 沈 Shen3; deep.

樽 Zun1. K430i: Wine-cup, wine vessel. HYDCD: Wine cup or wine vessel.

簋 Gui3. K986a: A kind of ritual vessel. HYDCD: Food vessel for sacrifice of millet. According tothe examples, obviously also for daily use.

缶 Fou3. K1107a: Earthenware. HYDCD: Wine vessel of clay, bucket, tile pot, tile drum. Thischaracter occurs in H8 line 1 and H30 line 3 just meaning “pots”. I believe the meaning of just usingclay pots here is that when going into a room to focus on something, there is no need in having thedistraction of a lavish meal served with beautiful plates and cups.There is a connection between H29 line 4 and H30 line 3 where 缶 occurs in both.

納 Na4. K695h: To bring in, convey to, present.

約 Yue1. K1120m: Bind, cord, restrain, restrict, abbreviate, condensed, essential.

牖 You3. K1082a: Window.

祇 Zhi3. K867i: Earth spirit, only. HYDCD: Earth spirit, fit, suitable, appropriate, only, merely.

平 Ping2. K825a: Level, even, a plain, equalize, to be just, calm, regulate, pacify, peace.

无咎 I have in this case translated 无咎 as “precisely” because it indicates that there is no shortageor excess.

係 Ji4. K876c: Bind, connect, succeed. HYDCD: Tie, tie up, bind, bind someone with cord. Occursin H17, H29 and H33. In H29 係 seems to be the literal meaning of “bound” with ropes. But in H17and H33 the meaning is figurative “to be dependent on”.

徽 Hui1. K584h: Rope.

纆 Mo4. K904f: Cord.

寘 Zhi4. K375x: To place, set aside, abandon.

叢 Cong2. K1178a: Collect, thicket.

棘 Ji2. K.911a: Jujube, thorns, thorny, harassing, painful, distress, urgent, haste, swift. Graph hastwo thorns.

H29 is often associated with water because its double trigram resembles the ancient character forwater. However, the only thing in the text of the hexagram that indicates water is line 5: 坎不盈祇既平无咎 “The pit is not overflowing; it is filled precisely to the brim”.

If we consider where pits can appear “one after another”—習坎—there is nothing indicating that itshould be about several abysses on a mountain, but it is a possibility. Thinking about what other pitholes there would be in a natural landscape as that of the Zhou period I can only see twopossibilities: The first is holes in the road, which would have been an ever annoying problem on thedirt roads of the Zhou period. The other is that in this period the ordinary houses in small villageswere often dug into the ground. An abandoned village would soon be nothing else than an area of pitholes, sometimes even filled with water.

However, whatever physical image of a pit that 坎 is referring to, it is merely an analogy for“trouble” or “dangers”, but also simply “a space” or “a hole”:

Line 0, 1 and 3 is about a dangerous pit.

Line 2 is about a narrow pit; so only small things can be found in it.

I assume line 4 is about a room for studying or meditating.

Although water is not mentioned directly, line 5 must be about water filling just to the brim.

Line 6 is about being confined by unpleasant surroundings.

30 - 離 LIGHT

離利貞亨畜牝牛吉Light is beneficial [so we can see what] to correct in order to make things go well. [Light producesthe grass as well] so we can raise cows which are good for us.

初九﹕履錯然敬之无咎Beginning 9: Walking awkwardly, but if done with respect you are making no mistake [inapproaching].

六二﹕黃離元吉Second 6: Yellow light is the basis of all good things.

九三﹕日昃之離不鼓缶而歌則大耋之嗟凶Third 9: It is bad [if you sit] in the light of the sunset not beating pots while singing, but onlylamenting your old age.

九四﹕突如其來如焚如死如棄如Fourth 9: It comes suddenly like [a fire] burning, dying out and then abandoned.

六五﹕出涕沱若戚嗟若吉Fifth 6: Sadness and sighing with tears falling can, in fact, be good.

上九﹕王用出征有嘉折首獲匪其醜无咎Top 9: When going out on a campaign the King has the satisfaction of killing the leader, [but he doesnot kill, only] capture, [those of the followers] that are not evil. This [way of action] is blameless.

GLOSSARY

離 Li2. K23f: Name of a bird, leave, depart from, to be dispersed, divide, distribute, arrange, meetwith, fasten, attach, pass through, droop, hang down, fall down, light, brilliance.

畜 Xu4. K1018a: Nourish, to rear, cherish, domestic animal, keep, support, to hoard.

牝 Pin4. K566i: Female of animals.

錯 Cuo4. K798s: Whetstone, grindstone, mix, crossing each other, ornamented, alternating, slanting,scared, cautious. HYDC: Interlocked, crisscrossed, irregular, disorderly. I translate 錯 as

“awkward” because the sentence is about steps.

然 Ran2. K217a: Burn, so, thus, affirm, approve, adverb suffix (錯然 awkward-ly).

敬 Jing4. K813a: Reverent, respectful, careful. HYDCD: Respect, respectful, be on guard against,self-depreciatory expression.

昃 Ze4. K924f: Sun slanting, inclining to the West. In all the pre-Qin texts of the Chinese TextProject 昃 occurs 34 times and is always used to describe the setting sun.

鼓 Gu3. K50a: Drum, measure of weight or capacity.

歌 Ge1. K1q: Sing, song.

缶 Fou3. K1107a: Earthenware. HYDCD: Name for a particular wine vessel of clay (according toHYDCD sometimes also made of bronze so the name seems to refer to the shape regardless of thematerial). This character occurs in H8, H29 and H30.

耋 Die2. K552l: Old.

嗟 Jie1. K5n: Sigh, alas, oh!

突 Tu1. K489a: Dig through, break through, protrude, bursting forth, brusquely, suddenly. Graph hashole and dog.

焚 Fen2. K474a: To burn, destroy.

死 Si3. K558a: Die, death.

棄 Qi4. K535a: Throw away, abandon. HYDCD: Throw away, abandon, leave.

涕 Ti4. K591m: Weep, tears. Occurs in both H30 line 5 and H45 line 6.

沱 Tuo2. K4k: To flow.

戚 Qi1. K1031f: Battle-axe, intense feelings, affection, solicitous, beloved ones, relatives, grieved,to distress.

嘉 Jia1. K15g: Good, excellent, happy, approve, gratify. In H17, H30 and H33.

折 Zhe2. 287a: To break, to bend, destroy, decide, slowly, restrain. Graph has hand and axe.HYDCD: Snap, pick, curved, crooked, reverse direction, subdue, surrender, defeat, deadly.

首 Shou3. K1102a: Head, foremost, to display, turn the head towards. The graph is a drawing of thehead of a horned animal.

醜 Chou3. K1089a: Ugly, evil, ominous, to hate, be ashamed, multitude, category, class, of samekind, anus. The graph has devil and wine vessel. HYDCD: Bad, evil, bad evil, unusual and strangethings, to hate, shame, many, crowd.

31 - 咸 COMPLETING

咸亨利貞取女吉If complete, things go well. So it will be fruitful to correct [what is not complete]. [Thus it will begood for a man] to take a woman as wife.

初六﹕咸其拇Beginning 6: Heal the big toe.

六二﹕咸其腓凶居吉Second 6: Heal the calves. If it [feels] bad, then stay until it is good.

九三﹕咸其股執其隨往吝Third 9: Heal the thighs. Hold what follows. If you let go you will regret.

九四﹕貞吉悔亡憧憧往來朋從爾思Fourth 9: Correct things to be good and worries will go away. You go back and forth hesitating, butyour friends will comply with what you have in mind.

九五﹕咸其脢无悔Fifth 9: Heal the back so there are no feelings of regret.

上六﹕咸其輔頰舌Top 6: Heal the jaw, jowl and tongue.

GLOSSARY

咸 Xian2. K671a. All, unite, complete, everywhere, an assembly, troop of warriors under command,graph has mouth and some kind of battle-axe. HYDCD: All, in all, harmony, amity, concentric, be ofone heart, universal, general, overall, comprehensive.

拇 Mu3. K947g: The big toe, the thumb.

腓 Fei2. K579q: Calf of leg. Occurs on line 2 of both H31 and H52.

居 Ju1. K49c: Sit down, dwell, reside in, occupy, settlement, residence, repose, tranquil, satisfied,overbearing, arrogant, comfortable, easily, to hoard, in the end, final particle. In H3, H17, H27,H31, H49 居 means “to stay” as opposed to “go”, in H59 居 means “residence”.

股 Gu3. K51a: Thigh. Also occurs in H36 line2.

執 Zhi2. K685a: Seize, hold, grasp, take, shut, obstruct.

隨 Sui2. K11g: Follow, to conform to, obsequious, foot (based on Karlgren’s understanding of theZhou Yi). HYDCD: Follow, follower, personal attendant, pursue, seek, comply with, allow, let,according to, in the light of.

憧 Chong1. K1188b’: Hesitating, undecided. HYDCD: No examples earlier than the Han dynastyother than Zhou Yi itself. Shuowen gives the definition “indecisive” or “undecided”.

從 Cong2. K1191d: Follow, pursue, obey, to humour, attend to, according to, from, follower,attendant, affinited collaterally, longitudinal, leisurely. HYDCD: Follow, followers, make someonefollow, a guide, reach, secondary, pursue, obey.

爾 Er3. K359a: Adverb suffix, final particle, flowering, luxuriant, you.

思 Si1. K973a: Think, a particle, to brood, bearded.

脢 Mei2. K947m: Meat on sides of spine.

輔 Fu3. K102v: Protecting boards on sides of carriage, protect, help, bones of upper jaw. HYDCD:Cheek, upper jaw. In both H31 and H52 輔 seem to just mean “jaw” since the upper jaw isimmovable and both sentences are about stilling the jaw.

頰 Jia2. K630h: Cheek, jowl.

舌 She2. K288a: Tongue.

This verse is from Guan Zi 管子內業 Master Guan Internal Work chapter 49. It was written in the 4th

century BCE15 and it is a very good explanation of what I believe this hexagram is about, namely thatour internal energy should be complete.

精存自生﹐

其外安榮﹐內藏以為泉原﹐

浩然和平﹐以為氣淵。

淵之不涸﹐四體乃固﹐

泉之不竭﹐九竅遂通。

乃能窮天﹐地被四海。

中无惑意﹐外无邪菑。

心全於中﹐形全於外﹐

不逢天菑﹐不遇人害﹐

謂之聖人。

Jing16 is [in us] from birth.

Its outer appearance is of peace and prosperity.

If we store it inside it can be used as a fountain.

Like a wave, but flat and even, it can be used as a basin for qi.

If the basin does not dry out, the four limbs are strong.

If the spring does not dry out the nine apertures of the body are open.

Then we can reach to the ends of Heaven and Earth and out over the four seas.

Inside there are no confused ideas, outside no catastrophes.

When the mind is complete inside and the form is complete outside,

we do not meet Heaven’s catastrophes or harm from people.

This is what is called a virtuous and wise person.17

15 W. Allyn Ricket: Guanzi. Vol. 2, p. 37.16 Jing is in this context the concept of internally stored liquid-like energy. Qi is the concept of free or vapour-like universal energy.17 This is my own translation. The Chinese text and descriptions of history and versions can be found in the works by Allyn W. Ricketand Harold D. Roth.

32 - 恆 DURATION

恆亨无咎利貞利有攸往Enduring [effort] will ensure a perfect success. It will be fruitful to correct things and to have a goalto go towards.

初六﹕浚恆貞凶无攸利Beginning 6: To keep digging a hole [may seem] correct but is [actually] bad if there is nothing ofbenefit in it.

九二﹕悔亡Second 9: Let regret go.

九三﹕不恆其德或承之羞貞吝Third 9: If your good conduct is not enduring someone will bring forward [what is] shameful. This iscorrect [of them] but will cause regret to you.

九四﹕田无禽Fourth 9: No birds in the field.

六五﹕恆其德貞婦人吉夫子凶Fifth 6: Enduring virtue and correctness of conduct is good for a married woman but bad for a man.

上六﹕振恆凶Top 6: To be moving energetically for a long time is bad.

GLOSSARY

恆 Heng2. K881d: Constant, increasing moon, to spread out, everywhere. HYDCD: Long time,fixed, perseverance, first quarter of the moon, all round, continuous.

浚 Jun4. K468a’: To ladle out, take from, dig out, deep, profound, wise. HYDCD: Dredge, dig deep.

其 Qi2. K952a: Original meaning is winnowing basket, loan meanings are: This, that, his, her, its,their, modal particle: will probably, wish that, hope for, aim at. In line 3 I translate 其 as “one’s”.

田 Tian2. K362a: Field, cultivated land, to cultivate land, to hunt, sound of the drum.

禽 Qin2. K651j: Bird, animal, catch, capture.

德 De2. K919k: Virtue, virtuous, quality, nature, character, disposition. HYDCD: Moral, moralcharacter, conduct, behaviour, personal integrity, proper conduct, kindness.

承 Cheng2. K896c: Lift, to present, to support, assist. HYDCD: Hold or carry in both hands, presentwith respect, bear. In H7, H12, H32 and H54.

羞 Xiu1. K1076h. Nourish, viands, to present, diffidence, shame.

婦人 Fu4ren2. HYDCD: Married woman (but seems to have higher status than merely 妻).

夫子 Fu1 zi3. HYDCD: Respectful term for man, husband.

振 Zhen4. K455p: Shake, dust off, move, lift, save, help, move into order, arrange, to marshal(troops), to stop, (shake:) scared, throw open (granaries), succour, bring together, join, numerous,majestic.

The theme of line 5 is about marital obligations. However, in this context it is obviously an analogyfor the more general idea that “Sometimes there is reason to be loyal, sometimes not”. See also H50line 1 which mentions an acceptable reason for a man to take a concubine.

33 - 遯 WITHDRAWING

遯亨小利貞To withdraw is to make things go well. There is only little benefit in this, but it is correct to do so.

初六﹕遯尾厲勿用有攸往Beginning 6: To withdraw all the way back is harmful [because in this position] you can accomplishnothing. There is an objective to go towards.

六二﹕執之用黃牛之革莫之勝說Second 6: Tie it using [a string of] yellow [dried] ox hide; then no one will be able to get it loose.

九三﹕係遯有疾厲畜臣妾吉Third 6: [If you have to] retreat [because someone] is dependent [on you] it is a problem and aburden. Therefore, taking care of subjects and concubines will be good.

九四﹕好遯君子吉小人否Fourth 9: Retreating to enjoy life is good for the superior man, but the small man cannot.

九五﹕嘉遯貞吉Fifth 9: Retreating happily is correct and good.

上九﹕肥遯无不利Top 9: When [the animal] has become fat you can retreat [from feeding it, and now it can be] used forany occasion.

GLOSSARY

遯 Dun4. K428d: Withdraw, skulk. HYDCD: Abscond, disappear, escape, move, flee, leave, hide,avoid, retreat.

尾 Wei3. K583a: Tail, copulate. HYDCD: Tail, tip, end, edge, brink, periphery. In H10, H33, 63 and64.

厲 Li4 is described in detail in the list of frequently occurring characters. In line 3 I stretch“harmful” to “a burden”.

執 Zhi2. K685a: Seize, hold, grasp, take, shut, obstruct, intimate.

黃牛 Huang2 niu2. HYDCD: Yellow ox. An ox with short horns and yellowish skin.

莫 Mo4. K802a: Evening, late, name of a plant, not, not have, there is nobody who, still, quiet, toplan, deliberate, settle, vast, obscure, luxuriant, rich, cut, calm and respectful. Graph has sun andgrass doubled. HYDCD: Time of sundown, dusk, time is used up, dusky, curtain, there is no onewho.

勝 Shen4. K893p: Vanquish, overcome, surpass, equal to, capable of, equal to one’s task.

係 Ji4. K876c: Bind, connect, succeed. HYDCD: Tie, tie up, bind, bind someone with cord. In H17,H29 and H33. H29 seems to be the literal meaning of “bound” with ropes. But in both H17 and H33the meaning is figurative “to be dependent on”.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. The graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease,fault, defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy,worried, concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 andH58.

畜 Xu4. K1018a: Nourish, to rear, cherish, domestic animal, keep, support, to hoard.

臣 Chen2. 377a: Slave, servant, subject, officer, minister. In H33, H39, H41 and H62.

妾 Qie4. K635a: Slave woman, servant girl, secondary wife, concubine. In H33 and H50.

好 Hao3. K1044a: Good, to love, to like. Occurs in 33 and H61.

否 Fou3. HYDCD: Negation, not, no, nothing, cannot, wrong, is not, question particle, blocked,obstructed, like 惡 evil, bad. In H7, H12, H33 and H50.

嘉 Jia1. K15g: Good, excellent, happy, approve, gratify. In H17, H30 and H33.

肥 Fei4. K582a: Fat. HYDCD: Fat, full-grown, fat or rich soil.

34 - 大壯 GREAT POWER

大壯利貞Great power is of benefit [when applied] properly.

初九﹕壯于趾征凶有孚Beginning 9: Setting out with powerful steps is bad, there must be inner confidence.

九二﹕貞吉Second 9: Acting correctly will lead to a good outcome.

九三﹕小人用壯君子用罔貞厲羝羊觸藩羸其角Third 9: The small man uses force; the wise man makes use of deception. Both may seem correct, butis harmful. [It is like] a ram trying to force its way through a hedge; it will only entangle its horns.

九四﹕貞吉悔亡藩決不羸壯于大輿之輹Fourth 9: Correct things for the better and regret will vanish; the hedge opens and [the ram] does notget entangled. The force [of its two horns is concentrated like all the weight] on a large carriage,[resting on just] the two axle struts.

六五﹕喪羊于易无悔Fifth 6: Don’t have regrets about having lost a sheep by being careless.

上六﹕羝羊觸藩不能退不能遂无攸利艱則吉Top 6: A ram butts against the hedge. It cannot go back or advance; nowhere seems beneficial to go,but when there are difficulties then [solve them so the situation] becomes good.

GLOSSARY

壯 Zhuang. K727n: Strong, robust, great.

罔 Wang3. K742l: Net, catch, snare, entangle, confusion, disorder, deceive, befool, to tie, interlace.罔 occurs in both H34 and H35. From the context it is obvious that in H34 罔 is negative because of厲, while in H35 it is positive because of 无咎.

羝 Di1. K590h: Ram. HYDCD: Male sheep or goat, ram or billy-goat.

羊 Yang2. K732a: Sheep, ram. HYDCD: Goat, sheep and other animals like this.

觸 Chu4. K1224g: To butt, knock against.

藩 Fan1. K195s: Hedge, fence, frontier, covered carriage.

羸 Lei2. K14c: Lean, emaciated, weak, entangle.

角 Jiao3. K1225a: Horn, compare and make equal.

決 Jue. K312b: Open a passage for and lead forth a stream, to open. HYDCD: Open up a waterpassage, dig a channel to lead off water, break through a dyke, a dyke bursting, collapse, pierce,burst open.

輹 Fu4. K1034g: Support under the box of a carriage resting on the axle and holding it in position.Kang Xi Zidian: A piece of wood fastening the axle to the carriage box. In the dictionary 釋名 ShiMing (200 CE) the word for clogs 屐 was also the name of the wooden part that holds the axle inplace. Other names mentioned in the Shi Ming were 伏兔 (squatting hare), 伏 and 輹. A clog hadtwo tooth-like protrusions underneath the sole to keep the feet above the mud and this formresembles the 輹. The axle would be fastened with leather or rope to the 輹. In relation to H26 line2 this is, of course, a vulnerable part if a wagon is being driven too fast. In relation to H34 line 4 itis the image of two small but extremely strong things holding all the weight of the cargo and thepeople. Please note the similarity between two axle struts and the ram’s two horns. Please see thedrawing in H26. The 伏兔 is described in detail in Wu Hongsong 吳紅松: Zai Lun Hua Hun, p. 29-94.

易 Yi4. K850a: Change, exchange, easy, negligent, at ease. HYDCD: Change, exchange, easy,underestimate (view as easy), take lightly, rashly.

遂 Sui4. K526d: Advance, progress.

能 Neng2. K885a: A kind of bear, able, can, treat well, endure.

艱 Jian1. K480c. Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. HYDCD: Difficult, not easy, live inprivation, dangerous, suffering, loss of relative, foolish, stupid, cautious, be short of.

艱貞 Jian1 zhen1. HYDCD: Stand firm in hard times.

則 Ze2. K906a: Law, rule, pattern, follow a law, imitate, accordingly, thus, then, thereupon. “Then”seems to be the right translation in both H34 line 6 and H38 line 6.

The first sentence, 大壯利貞, could be translated “With great power it is beneficial to correctthings”. But the context of the lines 1, 3 and 5 is a warning to ensure that great power is used wisely,therefore I find it most logical to translate 大壯利貞 as “Great power is of benefit [when applied]

properly”.

35 - 晉 PROGRESS

晉康侯用錫馬蕃庶晝日三接

Progress is similar to when the Marquis Kang used the horses he was bestowed with, to breed amultitude. He mated horses three times every day.

初六﹕晉如摧如貞吉罔孚裕无咎Beginning 6: Progress seems blocked. Then it is no mistake to correct this for the better by cleverlyconvincing others to have confidence in abundance.

六二﹕晉如愁如貞吉受茲介福于其王母

Second 6: You are anxiously progressing, but everything is correct and good [because] you havereceived this [opportunity] with a protective blessing from the royal mother.

六三﹕眾允悔亡Third 6: Regret vanishes when you [know] you can rely on all.

九四﹕晉如鼫鼠貞厲Fourth 9: Progressing like rats [hoarding food] may seem correct to do but is, in fact, harmful.

六五﹕悔亡失得勿恤往吉无不利Fifth 6: Let regret leave you; loss or gain, do not worry. To go on will be good; all will be of benefit.

上九﹕晉其角維用伐邑厲吉无咎貞吝Top 9: Advance in a bullish way, but only strike the city [where the leader is]. It is brutal, but good, itis no mistake to correct what is regrettable.

GLOSSARY

晉 Jin4. K378a: Advance, butt-end of spear, insert. 進 also means “advance” and occurs twice inthe Zhou Yi in H20 and H57 but seems to be merely the opposite of 退. I believe, however, thatthere is a difference between 進 and 晉. Rather than just meaning “go forward”, the context of thishexagram could be said to describe “progress” of anything desired, like breeding, business,expanding the country, etc.

侯 Hou2. K113a: Target, (skilled archer, chief:) feudatory prince, princely. HYDCD: Archer’spracticing target, second highest of five ranks of nobility (公、侯、伯、子、男). 侯 occurs inH18, H35, H3 and H16.

康侯 Kang1 Hou2. HYDCD: The Marquis Kang was King Wu’s (ca. 1046–1043 BCE) youngerbrother 姬封 Ji1 Feng1. There are no reliable historical accounts left today that can enlighten usabout Kang Hou and the horses.

錫 Xi1. K850n: Tin, give. HYDCD: Tin, grant, grant or bestow special favours or property. Iassume from the context that 錫馬 means “the horses that he was bestowed with”.

蕃 Fan2. K195m: Luxuriant (growth), to be numerous, prosper, hedge, screen, outer regions ofempire. HYDCD: Bear interest, breed, reproduce, prosperous, flourishing, numerous.

庶 Shu4. K804a: Numerous, all, ample, abundant, probably, possibly. HYDCD: Numerous,common, common people.

晝 Zhou4. K1075a: Time of daylight, day.

晝日HYDCD: Daytime, sunlight, one day.

接 Jie1. K635e: Connect, come in contact, close to, immediately, prompt, receive. HYDCD: Join,associate, contact, come into contact with, welcome, greet, sexual intercourse.

摧 Cui1. K575l’: To break, repress, draw back. HYDCD: Restrain, damage, grieved, sad.

罔 Wang3. K742l: Net, catch, snare, entangle, confusion, disorder, deceive, befool, to tie, interlace.罔 occurs in both H34 and H35. From the context it is obvious that in H34 罔 is negative because of厲 and in H35 it is positive because of 无咎. Since nearly all of the above mentioned definitions of罔 from Karlgren could be considered negative, it seems that the right translation would besomething like “cleverly persuade” or “cleverly convince”.

裕 Yu4. K1202h: Ample, abundant, liberal, indulgent. HYDCD: Richly endowed, rich, make rich.

愁 Chou2. K1092i: Grieved. HYDCD: Worried, concerned, grieved.

受 Shou4. K1085a: Receive, (receiving:) compliant, tranquil.

茲 Zi1. K966b: Mat, this. HYDCD: Gain, increase, more, still more, even more, year, straw mat,hoe, this, now, so, then. Same as 慈 kindness.

介 Jie4. K327a: Armour, scale (of animals), protect, assist, assistant, rely on, boundary, border,inserted between, contiguous to, great, enlarge, increase, solid, determined, firm, small, cut the feet,obliquely, sudden. The graph is a drawing of a man protected by armour made of strips. HYDCD:Boundary, limit, to separate, in between, introduce, rely on, armour. I find it obvious that 介 occursin H16 line 2 with the meaning “protected”, in H35 with the meaning “protective” and H58 line 4

with the meaning “ward off”.

福 Fu2. K933d: Happiness, blessing. HYDCD: Happiness, benefit, blessing.

介福 Jie4 fu2. HYDCD: A great blessing 大福. The oldest example for this entry is Shi Jing no. 209楚茨: “報以介福、萬壽无疆。” Karlgren translates it as “…requite him with increased felicity, alongevity of a myriad (years) without limit”. However, I don’t see why it could not be: “…theyrepay him with a protective blessing for a long life”.

于 Yu2. The meaning “from” is unusual, but HYDCD gives several examples.

母 Mu3. K947a: Mother.

王母 Wang2 mu3. HYDCD: Grandmother (example from the Li Ji), female chief or leader (butexample is from the Zhou Yi), name of a bird. I guess it is impossible to know whether 王母 is theking’s mother or his queen. However, it has no real impact on the meaning which is clearly afriendly, and perhaps powerful, woman offering support.

眾 Zhong4. K1010a: Multitude, numerous, all.

允 Yun3. K468a: Sincere, true, truly, earnestly, to trust, promise. HYDCD: Honest, trustworthy,respected, truly, indeed, really, sincerely, promises.

鼫 Shi2. K795h. Some kind of rodent. HYDCD: A kind of rodent.

鼠 Shu3. K92a: Rat, HYDCD: Different species of mice and rats.

鼫鼠 Shi2shu3. HYDCD: A rodent, a mole cricket (a pest insect).It is probably not possible to determine the exact type of rodent which 鼫 is referring to. 鼠 canrefer to both mice and rats. The very common brown rat originated in Northern China and South EastSiberia and like most other rodents, it has a habit of hoarding food.18 All lines in the Zhou Yi aredescribing different actions and behaviours and it is difficult to see how the behaviour of the molecricket fit in. The line seems more likely to be an advice not to hoard, figuratively speaking, becauseyou can end up wasting time hoarding more than you can use.

角 Jiao3. K1225a: Horn, compare and make equal. “Goringly” is in Webster’s dictionary and seemsto be the correct word, but it is rarely used. So, in H35 I translate 角 as “bullish way”. In H44 Itranslate it as “harshly”.

維 Wei2. K575o: To tie, bind together, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, but, only, aparticle, to be. HYDCD: Tying rope, corner, nook, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, tie,fasten, bind, connect, link, as a result of, with, only alone, by one self, a form word with no realmeaning, to be. In H17 (tie), H29 (guiding), H35 (only) and H40 (only by one self).

伐 Fa2. K307a: Strike, hew, cut, attack, punish, (what is beaten:) a shield, merit, boast, earth thrownup by a ploughed furrow.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital. InH6, H8, H15, H25, H35, H43, H46 and H48.

Line three 眾允悔亡 is difficult to translate without seeing a broader context: 眾 means “all”. But isit “all things” or “all people” involved? 允 means something “honest”, “solid”, “trustworthy” or“real”. Because there is no precise topic, the line is probably meant to be a generalization. Therefore,I believe the translation must be “When you can rely on all”. This can be horses, people, or simplyanything involved in making progress.

18 Stephen B. Vander Wall: Food hoarding in animals, p. 274.

36 - 明夷 ENLIGHTEN THE UNENLIGHTENED

明夷利艱貞To enlighten the unenlightened is beneficial. It may be difficult, but it is the correct thing to do.

初九﹕明夷于飛垂其翼君子于行三日不食有攸往主人有言Beginning 9: [While on a campaign] to enlighten barbarians, [although progressing like if you were]flying [you should] lower your wings [and come down]. While the wise person is walking for threedays he doesn’t eat because he has a set goal. However, his landlady has something to say [about noteating her food].

六二﹕明夷夷于左股用拯馬壯吉

Second 6: To enlighten the unenlightened one after another, you must find the strengthof a cart-horse inside your left thigh to make things right.

九三﹕明夷于南狩得其大首不可疾貞Third 9: Enlightening barbarians on a campaign in the South and capturing their leader. You can’t rushcorrecting [them].

六四﹕入于左腹獲明夷之心于出門庭Fourth 6: Go into the left side of the belly, get the core of what should be enlightened and [bring it]out into [the light of] the courtyard.

六五﹕箕子之明夷利貞Fifth 6: Ji Zi enlightened the unenlightened. It will be beneficial to correct things [like he did].

上六﹕不明晦初登于天後入于地Top 6: Not light but darkness. First he ascended up in Heaven later plunged down into Earth.

GLOSSARY

明 Ming2. K760a: Light, bright, intelligent, enlightenment, discernment, eye-sight, seeing,perception, (making clear:) agreement, contract.

夷 Yi2. K551a: Barbarian, level, even. HYDCD: Barbarians from the eastern tribes. Ordinary,common, send a punitive expedition against, slaughter, massacre. The example given for “injure” isKong Yingda’s commentary on H36 line 2 which I believe is a misunderstanding.I find it highly unlikely that the author chose to put two 夷夷 next to each other, as is the case in line

2, just to express a common word like “injury” which could simply be 傷 or 害. I believe 夷夷 isjust like H29 line 6: 坎坎 which clearly means “one after another”, the case is just the same with蹇蹇 in H39 line 2.I don’t consistently translate 夷 as “barbarian” because it is a derivation of “level”, “ordinary” or“flat”, I believe it refers to small-minded or unenlightened people. 夷 also occurs in H55 and H59both clearly with the meaning of small-minded or ignorant. In this context, I find that“unenlightened” is most precise because of the presence of the verb 明 “to enlighten”.

艱 Jian1. K480c. Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. HYDCD: Difficult, not easy, live inprivation, dangerous, suffering, loss of relative, foolish, stupid, cautious, be short of.

艱貞 Jian1 zhen1. HYDCD: Stand firm in hard times.

于 Yu2. HYDCD gives examples for the use of 于 meaning “如/like”: 明夷于飛 “…enlightenbarbarians [although progressing like you are] flying…”.

飛 Fei1. K580a: To fly.

垂 Chui2. K31a: Hang down, fall, border, frontier.

翼 Yi4. K954d: (Keep the wings over) protect, shelter, aid, respectful, reverent, orderly, to buzzabout, bright, aspire to, next-following. HYDCD: The wings of birds and insects.The following sentence in line 1 明夷于飛垂其翼 means: “To enlighten barbarians [althoughprogressing like] flying you [come down] and lower your wings”. There is a similar sentence inthe Shi Jing Karlgren no. 263 常武: 王旅嘽嘽、如飛如翰 “The King’s troops were numerous;they were as if flying, as if winged”.

主 Zhu3. K129a: Master, lord, host, princess. In H2, H36, H38 and H55.

主人 Zhu3 ren2. HYDCD: A host, landlord, landlady, major persons. Because the subject istravelling and declining a meal, “land lady” seems most likely.

左 Zuo3. K5a: Left, to the left. Occurs in H7 line 4 and H36 line 2 and 4. In all three cases related topenetrating: the enemy, the thigh and the belly. I believe 左 could refer to “the soft side” or “softpoint”, the idea being that the right side is our strong side, so it would be a bad idea to “attack”there. In H7 line 4 this could refer to a weak point in the enemy’s defence. In H36 line 4 it couldrefer to a way to see into ourselves, where internal powers or dark feelings are hidden.

股 Gu3. K51a: Thigh. Also occurs in H31 line 2. There should be no reason to consider thischaracter to be a mistake because there is a similar sentence in line 4: 于左腹 “…in the left side ofthe belly”.

拯 Zheng3. K896i: To save, help, lift. HYDCD: Hoist, pull up, lift, rescue.

拯馬 Zheng3 ma3. There is not a single instance of these two characters in Chinese Text Project andthere is no entry in HYDCD. But according to the definitions of each character, it can only mean“rescue a horse”, “a rescuing horse” or “a pull-up-horse”. “Rescue a horse” seems illogical bothin H36 line 2 and H59 line 1. The idea is probably just the opposite of a fast horse; a strong horse,like a draught horse or cart horse. Whatever the precise type or function, it is the image of a verystrong force. “Rescuing-horse” seems the wrong word for the context and I have translated it “cart-horse”.

壯 Zhuang. K727n: Strong, robust, great.

狩 Shou4. K1099c: To hunt, great winter hunt, inspection tour.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 and H58.

腹 Fu4. K1034h: Belly, embrace. There should be no reason to consider this character to be amistake because there is a similar sentence in line 2 于左股 which mentions the left thigh.

獲 Huo4. K784d: Catch, get, find, hit, succeed, to be able.

門 Men2. K441a: Gate, door, to attack a gate.

庭 Ting2. K835h: Court, courtyard (of palace), come to court, straight, upright, distant. In H36, H43,H52 and H60.

門庭 Men2 ting2. HYDCD: Courtyard by the gate. 出門庭 could mean “going out from the gateand courtyard”. But when going out you would leave the courtyard first and then go out the gatenext. Therefore, it probably means “outer courtyard”. Furthermore, there is a contrast in line 1 ofH60: 戶庭 which must mean “courtyard by the door”. This, I assume, is the “inner court yard”. Sothe author is probably talking of a large house. 門庭 occurs in H36 line 4 and H60 line 2.

心 Xin1. K663a: Heart. HYDCD: Heart, heart area, stomach, thought, mind, centre, core. Althoughthe example for the meaning “core” is from a later text, the 太玄 from the Han dynasty, I see no otherpossible meaning in this context.

箕 Ji1. K952f and HYDCD: Winnowing basket.

箕子 Ji1 Zi3. Ji Zi, with the given name 胥餘 Xu1 Yu2, was very likely a real person of the lateShang dynasty who lived roughly around 1100 BCE. He is mentioned in more than twenty chaptersin the Shi Ji 史記. In brief, the character 子could mean “master”, “viscount” or “prince”, but in this

case the name was probably derived from the custom of giving royal family members names basedon the combination of the places where they had been granted land rights and the suffix “子”.19 So JiZi was not a prince, but an uncle of the last Shang King called Zhou 紂王.20 King Zhou was,according to the histories, corrupt and Ji Zi was imprisoned for remonstrating against him. Anotheruncle of King Zhou 紂, Bi Gan 比干, was killed for the same reason, but Ji Zi feigned madness bypretending he believed he was a slave; he was imprisoned but by doing so saved his life. After thefall of the Shang dynasty Ji Zi accordingly left with a small army to live in an area in today’s NorthWestern Korea, where he reportedly taught the local people rites, agriculture, silk production andweaving techniques.21 There are different versions of this story, and we can’t know if any of it wastrue. But it doesn’t really matter; if the story was a good example to the author of the Zhou Yi, thenthe story is important in this context where it describes an honest man doing his best to enlighten theunenlightened under difficult circumstances.

晦 Hui4. K947t: Last day of a moon, dark, obscure, darkness, reticent.

The five characters 用拯馬壯吉 are exactly the same in H36 line 2 and H59 line 1.

The first part of line 4 is straight forward: 入于左腹獲明夷之心—“Go into the left side of the bellyand get the core of what should be enlightened”. But 于出門庭 is difficult because we wouldexpect 于 to come after 出— like 出于門庭. This line is only extant in one of the other versions, theMawangdui, and it is identical, so I assume it is not a mistake. Read by itself 于出門庭 should mean“…in going out into the outer courtyard”. However, the context is rather clearly about dark thingsinside which should come out into the light.

37 - 家人 THE FAMILY

家人利女貞In the family it will be fruitful if the woman keeps everything in order.

初九﹕閑有家悔亡Beginning 9: When there is a family in the enclosure regret vanishes.

六二﹕无攸遂在中饋貞吉Second 6: There is no place you can make progress [so stay] at home and [prepare] food. This iscorrect and good.

九三﹕家人嗃嗃悔厲吉婦子嘻嘻終吝Third 9: If the family members are talking harshly there may be some regret, but even though it isunpleasant it is good. It is regrettable if the women and children are giggling [when you] havefinished [reprimanding].

六四﹕富家大吉Fourth 6: To make the family wealthy is very good.

九五﹕王假有家勿恤吉Fifth 9: When the king has free time he has a family [to attend to]. He shouldn’t worry; [the kingdomwill stay] well in the meanwhile.

上九﹕有孚威如終吉Top 9: Things will turn out well if [the parents] overwhelmingly inspire confidence.

GLOSSARY

家 Jia1. K32a: House, family, keep a household, the graph has pig under roof. HYDCD: House,residence, inside the house or inside the gate, family, household, getting married.

利女貞 In this case I have stretched the meaning of 貞 to ”keep in order” instead of ”correct”.

閑 Xian2. K192a: Bar, barrier, enclosure, obstruct, guard against, protect. Graph has door andwood.

饋 Kui4. K540l: Present of food, meal, food.

遂 Sui4. K526d: Advance, progress.

嗃嗃 He4 he4. K1129x: Stern, severe, sharp sound. HYDCD: The only example given is thisparticular line with a commentary by Kong Yingda saying it means “harshly”.

嘻嘻 Xi1 xi1. K955e: Exclamation of joy or fear.

富 Fu4. K933r: Rich, wealth, self-important.

假 Jia4. K33c: False, simulate, borrow, steal a moment’s sleep, great, go to. HYDCD: Borrow, relyon, hire, give, tolerant, forgiving, false, unofficial, if, even if, idle, unoccupied, fine, beautiful,reach, arrive, far, distant. HYDC gives several examples with the meaning “furlough”, however,from texts later than Han. Examples of this meaning in the Shi Jing: K197: Three occurrences -effortless, resting lying down, leisure, K258: Effortless, K201: A time or occasion (for music),K302: A time (for celebration and offerings). An example from the Shang Shu 大禹謨: unoccupiedor lazy. 假 occurs in H37, H45, H55 and H59.

威 Wei1. K574a: Terrifying, terrified, to overawe, majesty, dignity, to fear, loathe. HYDCD:Majestic, awe, awe-inspiring, dignified, honour. 威 appears in both H14 line 5 and H37 line 6 inseemingly the same meaning.

19 Chen Pu-qing 陳蒲清: 論箕子的”子”不是爵位 (On the character “Zi” in the Name of “Jizi”), 湖南师范大学社会科学学报

(Journal of Social Science of Hunan Normal University) Vol.32 No.2, pp. 92–93, 2003.20 Shi Ji 宋微子世家 2: “箕子者，紂親戚也。”21 Han Shu 地理志下 103: ”殷道衰, 箕子去之朝鮮, 教其民以禮義, 田蠶織作.”

38 - 睽 OPPOSITES

睽小事吉When there are opposite interests, it will be good [to settle for] a smaller [outcome] of the case.

初九﹕悔亡喪馬勿逐自復見惡人无咎Beginning 9: Let regret go if you lose a horse. Don’t search for it; it will return by itself. Even if yousee bad people this is not a mistake.

九二﹕遇主于巷无咎Second 9: Meeting your superior in a narrow alley, but you have done nothing wrong.

六三﹕見輿曳其牛掣其人天且劓无初有終Third 6: You see a carriage, the ox is dragged away and the people in it have been punished with ink-branding of the forehead and cutting off the nose. This is not a [good] beginning, but there will be a[good] end.

九四﹕睽孤遇元夫交孚厲无咎Fourth 9: Single because of disagreements, now meeting her original husband, interacting inconfidence. Although there are harsh words, [meeting] is not a mistake.

六五﹕悔亡厥宗噬膚往何咎Fifth 6: Regret disappears [because] one’s forefathers eat the meat [that they are offered as sacrifice].How can it then be a mistake to go on?

上九﹕睽孤見豕負塗載鬼一車先張之弧後說之弧匪寇婚媾往遇雨則吉Top 9: Estranged and lonely you see a pig with mud on its back and a chariot full of devils. First youdraw your bow, but then loosen it [because you realize] that they are not bandits but are a wedding[party]. [Even if you] meet rainfall it is good to go on.

Glossary

睽 Kui2. K605i: Diverging, extraordinary. HYDCD: Go against, falling out, staring angrily at eachother, stare.

遇 Yu4. K124h: Meet with.

巷 Xiang4. K1182s: Lane, street.

曳 Ye4. K338a: To drag, trail.

掣 Che4. K335c: To trail, drag.

人 Ren2. K388a: Man. HYDCD: Humans, people, the people, remarkable persons, other people,others, the body. In H52 身 is the word for “body”, I still believe however, that 人 means “body” inthis line because of the quite obvious context.

天 Tian1. K361a: Heaven, to brand on the forehead. HYDCD: Top of the head, punishment bytattooing the face, heaven, natural, innate. Since tattooing is usually regarded as a form ofadornment, I find it better to call it “branding with ink” when it is a punishment as it is in thiscontext. I guess tattooing of the face and nose was an even worse punishment because the face isalways exposed.

人天 Ren2 tian1. HYDCD: Man and Heaven. There are also examples from later periods but theyare not relevant here. In all the texts collected in the Chinese Text Project there is not a singleexample of these two characters that points to anything like a dress, hair knot, or body part.

且 Qie3. K46a: Moreover, and, even, meanwhile, temporarily, presently, on the point of, will soon,obstruct, final particle, plenty, many.

劓 Yi4. K537a: Cut the nose as punishment.

无初有終. Word by word this means: “No beginning, there will be an end”. The context of H57line 5 is clearly about gradually creating a better situation and it seems logical that 无初有終 means“Not a [good] beginning, but there will be a [good] end”. However, in H38 line 3 it seemsunlikely that it will end well for the poor people in the carriage who are being punished severelyand taken away. I believe the meaning to be that this terrible incident does not look like a goodbeginning for you, but it will end well.

孤 Gu1. K41c. Fatherless, orphan, alone, solitary.

睽孤 Kui2 gu1. Line 4 and 6 both start with 睽孤, but due to the nature of the context I translate themin two different ways: “Single because of disagreements” and “estranged and lonely”.

交 Jiao1. K1166a: To cross, exchange, hand over, contact, join, have relations with. HYDCD: Twoparties come into contact, join, meet, mixed, crisscross, overlap, make friends with, associate with,contact, mutually, each other.

厥 Jue2. K301c: Stone, his, her, its, their, to butt.

宗 Zong1. K1003a: Ancestral temple, ancestor, clan, to honour, summer audience of the king withthe feudal princes, master, follow a master. The graph has roof and sign-omen.

噬 Shi4. K336c: To bite, reach, come to.

膚 Fu1. K69g: Skin, pork, cut meat, fine, beautiful, admirable. HYDCD: Skin or meat of humans oranimals, meat used for sacrifice. 肉 is used in H21 for “meat”. Skin of cow can’t be eaten, so Iassume 膚 is “fat pork with skin”. But it is also possibe that 膚 refers to “crackling” which couldnaturally have been a delicacy as it is today.

豕 Shi3. K: 1238f: Pig, swine, boar.

負 Fu4. K1000a: Carry on the back, support, be exposed to, turn the back on, neglect, be rude to,lean on, rely on. HYDCD: Carry on the back, a heavy load, bear, support, hold in arms, depend on,rely on, turn the back on, abandon, let down.

塗 Tu2. K82d’: Mire, to plaster, stop up, to soil, road. HYDCD: Mud, road, to plaster, dirty, blockup.

載 Zai4. K943a’: Conveyance, be conveyed in a carriage, to load, carry, fill, to record, itembusiness, action, start, achieve, year, a load.

鬼 Gui3. K569a: Spirit, ghost, demon. HYDCD: Spirits, forefathers, spirit of all things. Sincespirits and ghosts are not necessarily negative, “demons” or “devils” would seem right in thiscontext.

一 Yi1. K394a: One. HYDCD: One, completely, fully, full.

車 Che1. K74a: Carriage, chariot. The character is simply a drawing of a carriage seen from above.In H14, H22, H38 and H47.

張 Zhang1. K721h: Give tension to a bow.

弧 Hu2. K41h: Bow, bend, curved.

說 Shuo1. 6 occurrences. K324q: Speak, explain, excuse, exhort, halt, rest overnight. Loan forK324m: Let loose, to peel off, take off, take away, escape, disappear. HYDCD: Persuade, speak,say, explain, halt, free one self, come off. Referring to a bow “loosen” seems obvious.

婚 Hun1. K457m: Take a wife, marriage, relatives by marriage.

媾 Gou4. K109e: Second marriage, favour. HYDCD: Second marriage, families interrelated bymarriage.Shuowen says 媾 means 重婚 which means marriage between a man and a woman from the sameclan.

婚媾 Hun1 gou4. HYDCD: Related by marriage. There are very few early texts from before the Handynasty where 婚媾 occurs: In the pre-Qin texts listed in the Chinese Text Project it occurs only inthe 國語 Guo Yu and in the Zhou Yi (H3, H22, H38 and H51) and all have the meaning of marriage.It is clear that the carriage mentioned in line six is carrying a group of people. Therefore I can onlytranslate 婚媾 as “a wedding [party]”.

則 Ze2. K906a: Law, rule, pattern, follow a law, imitate, accordingly, thus, then, thereupon. “Then”seems to be the right translation in both H34 line 6 and H38 line 6.

雨 Yu3. K 100a: rain, rain upon.

Regarding the subject of line 3, the first part is rather clearly about being witness to people beingseverely punished and transported away. The last sentence 无初有終 clearly means “There is nobeginning, but there is an end.” There is no indication that it could mean “This is not a [good]beginning, but there will be a [happy] end.” The only possibility seems to be that: you didn’t see thebeginning (the reason for the punishment), but you know the end.

Regarding the translation of line 4, I am convinced 元夫 means “original husband” or “ex-husband”.The possibility of divorce, even demanded by a woman, was constituted by law already in the Handynasty.22 There is, however, not much written about divorce in earlier times, but adultery wasapparently treated as a serious offence in the Zhou period. The text of Zhou Yi itself proposes a largeamount of free will for a woman. Examples could be H3 where a woman doesn’t want the man to betoo straight forward. Or the older woman in H28 line 5 who gets herself a younger man. H53 isobviously about a woman planning her marriage and also about having a child before marriage, whilein H54 the woman clearly seems to have the right to determine her own marriage. The many lovepoems in the Shi Jing, of which some seem to be written by women, are very informative about thismatter. They give a clear indication that women and wives were valued and respected and had rights.I can find no clearer description of a woman’s view of divorce in the Zhou period than these linesextracted from a poem in the Shi Jing:

匪我愆期、子無良媒。

It was not me who would protract the time,

but you had no good matchmaker.

……

爾卜爾筮、體無咎言。

以爾車來、以我賄遷。

You had consulted the tortoise-shell and the yarrow reeds,

and there was nothing wrong in their response.

Then come with your carriage, and I will move with my things.

……

三歲為婦、靡室勞矣。

夙興夜寐、靡有朝矣。

言既遂矣、至于暴矣。

For three years I was your wife, diligently working in the house.

Rose early and went to sleep late, diligent from the morning.

So I can say I fulfilled my part, but you have still been cruel.

……

總角之宴、言笑晏晏。

信誓旦旦、不思其反。

反是不思、亦已焉哉。

In the easy time of my childhood, with my hair simply gathered in a knot,

we were talking and laughing with ease.

We made a solemn vow, never thought it could break.

I never thought so… and now it must end…23

In saying “now it must end” I believe the lady is not talking about suicide, but of breaking the solemnvow.

22 Bret Hunt Hinsch: Women in early imperial China, p. 82.23 Shi Jing Karlgren no. 58. My translation.

39 - 蹇 OBSTRUCTION

蹇利西南不利東北利見大人貞吉[The nature of] obstruction is so that if the South West is advantageous, the North East is not. It willbe fruitful to see a great man [for help] to correct things for the better.

初六﹕往蹇來譽Beginning 6: Going leads to obstruction, coming brings praise.

六二﹕王臣蹇蹇匪躬之故Second 6: The king’s subject meets many obstructions, it is not his fault.

九三﹕往蹇來反Third 9: Going leads to obstruction; come back and turn away [from the problem].

六四﹕往蹇來連Fourth 6: Going leads to obstruction; come back and unite [with who is there].

九五﹕大蹇朋來Fifth 9: If you meet great obstruction, friends will come [to help].

上六﹕往蹇來碩吉利見大人Top 6: Going leads to obstruction so come back and enlarge [your approach], then it will turn outgood. It will be fruitful to see a great person [for help].

GLOSSARY

蹇 Jian3. k143f: Lame, difficulty, high, arrogant, pull up, a particle, tuck up. HYDCD: Lame, live inprivation, dire straits, not successful, difficulty, stagnate, obstruct.

西南 South West and 東北 North East are used in H2 and H39 simply to describe oppositedirections. In H40 only 西南 is used, obviously to describe where not to go. It seems unlikely to methat the meaning was “to the South and the West” and “to the North and the East” but even if thatwas the meaning, it would still point to opposite directions.

譽 Yu4. K89i: To praise, praise, renown. HYDCD: Praise, reputation, fame.

臣 Chen2. K377a: Slave, servant, subject, officer, minister. In H33, H39, H41 and H62.

躬 Gong1. K1006f: Body, person. HYDCD: Body, life, oneself, own.

反 Fan3. K262a: Turn, return, bring back, retort, repeat, contrary, on the contrary, to rebel.

連 Lian. K213a: A kind of carriage, connect, unite, in a row, consecutively, to wash, toilsome,difficult, slow. HYDCD: An ancient man drawn carriage, unite, ally, join, link, successive, jointogether, involve. Although both Wang Bi and Kong Yingda suggest 連 can mean “difficulties”, I canfind no good justification for the meanings “toilsome” “difficult” or “slow” anywhere.

碩 Shuo4. K795e: Large, great, sizeable, weighty.

Line 4 往蹇來連 could also mean “come back and ally with others”, but this would overlap with therather obvious meaning of line 5 where friends come to help. Therefore, I only see one otherpossibility: “Going leads to obstruction; come back and unite [with who is there]”. The meaningwould then be an advice not to be disappointed about not being able to go, and to be content withwhat is at home.

40 - 解 FREEDOM

解利西南无所往其來復吉有攸往夙吉To stay free is beneficial. If there is no place to go towards the South West, then coming back will begood. When there is a place to go towards, going soon will be good.

初六﹕无咎Beginning 6: Be faultless.

九二﹕田獲三狐得黃矢貞吉Second 9: When hunting you capture three foxes and find a bronze arrow. This is correct and good.

六三﹕負且乘致寇至貞吝Third 6: Carrying a visibly large load on the carriage attracts robbers. It may seem correct of you [tocarry a big load], but it could cause regret.

九四﹕解而拇朋至斯孚Fourth 9: [You have] freed [yourself from a relationship] in a clumsy way. When your friend came toyou the confidence was torn.

六五﹕君子維有解吉有孚于小人Fifth 6: Only the wise person has the solution to make things good. But he can still have confidence insmall people.

上六﹕公用射隼于高墉之上獲之无不利Top 6: The duke sends out a falcon over the high city wall to capture [game]. There is no way inwhich this will not be of advantage to him.

GLOSSARY

解 Jie3. K861a: Cut up (ox etc.) divide, dissolve, unloose, explain. HYDCD: Cut up, dismember,untie, solve, understand, explain, a joint. The objective of all lines is to “be free”, “stay free” or“free oneself”. Line 5, however, can only be translated “solution” because it is preceded by 有andtherefore must be a noun and “freedom” is clearly not the right word. However, the commondenominator of the lines can only be said to be “freedom”, not the grand political concept offreedom, but the simple personal freedom of staying free from trouble and unwanted involvement.

西南 South West and 東北 North East are used in H2 and H39 simply to describe opposite

directions. In H40 only 西南 is used, obviously to describe where not to go. It seems unlikely to methat the meaning was “to the South and the West” and “to the North and the East” but even if itwas, it would still mean opposite directions.

夙 Su4. K1030a: Early morning, early, soon.

田 Tian2. K362a: Field, cultivated land, to cultivate land, to hunt, sound of the drum.

狐 Hu2. K41i: Fox.

矢 Shi3. K560a: Arrow, set forth, display, to marshal, to swear, make a solemn declaration, dung.The graph is a drawing of an arrow. In H21 line 5 黃金 could theoretically mean “a piece of gold”.But most likely it means “a bronze arrow head”, because why would anyone hunt with a goldenarrow? I also assume that 黃矢 in H40 line 2 and 金矢 in H21 line 4 was an arrow with a bronzehead.

負 Fu4. K1000a: Carry on the back, support, be exposed to, turn the back on, neglect, be rude to,lean on, rely on. HYDCD: Carry on the back, a heavy load, bear, support, hold in arms, depend on,rely on, turn the back on, abandon, let down.

且 Qie3. K46a: Moreover, and, even, meanwhile, temporarily, presently, on the point of, will soon,obstruct, final particle, plenty, many. HYDCD: 多貌 looks like a lot, this, now, should, be going to,will, shall, close to, also, temporarily, even, and furthermore, or, however, if, even though, take,looks respectful, all.

乘 Cheng2. K895a: To mount, ride, drive, ascend, be on top, above, avail oneself of, to bully,chariot, team of four horses. HYDCD: A vehicle, in the Spring and Autumn period especiallypointing to a military vehicle, a chariot, including four horse chariot. 乘 occurs in H3, H13 and H40.In H3 it obviously means “drive”, in H13 clearly “mounting” or “climbing”. Therefore, I am a bitreluctant to accept that it should simply mean a carriage since 車, 大車 and 輿 have been used 12times in other places in the text. In H14 a big load is carried on a big carriage 大車 why not here? Iwould find it more logical if 乘 referred to a chariot, but the context shows rather clearly that itrefers to a carriage.

致 Zhi4. K413d: (Cause to come:) transmit, convey, offer, bring about, bring forward, bring to theutmost, hand over, examine, thoroughly, well-made. HYDCD: Causing to come, offer, present,express, convey, communicate, revert, attract, induce, cause, give rise to.

至 Zhi4. K413a: Arrive, come to, highest point, utmost, (perfect:) adequate, suitable. HYDCD:Arrive, reach, reach utmost point.

致寇至 occurs in both H5 line 3 and H40 line 3. Because of the context, they are translated slightlydifferently.

拇 Mu3. K947g: The great toe, the thumb. HYDCD: Thumb finger. This particular line is given as anexample with Kong Yingda stating it is the great toe.

斯 Si1. K869a: Cleave, tear apart, this, final particle, then, thereupon, an instant, completely,entirely. Graph has axe and basket. HYDCD: Separate, split, divide, part, tear open, each other, this,all, like 則, 乃, 耳, 然, 之, 的, 是, inserted in poetry for balance and euphony.

維 Wei2. K575o: To tie, bind together, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, but, only, aparticle, to be. HYDCD: Tying rope, corner, nook, guiding rope of a net, guiding principle, rule, tie,fasten, bind, connect, link, as a result of, with, only alone, by one self, a form word with no realmeaning, to be. In H17, H29, H35 and H40.

公 Gong1. K1173a: Father, prince, public, impartial, just, palace. HYDCD: Fair, impartial, just,public, state, country, royal court, public affairs, respectful way to address elderly and superiors,term for dukes and princes in the Eastern Zhou period.

隼 Sun3. K467a: Hawk, falcon.

墉 Yong1. K1185z: Wall, to wall.

獲 Huo4. K784d: Catch, get, find, hit, succeed, to be able.

41 - 損 DECREASE

損有孚元吉无咎可貞利有攸往曷之用二簋可用享If you have to decrease, have confidence that the result will be as good as it was originally supposedto be. You can correct the situation, and it will be fruitful to pursue your objective. How can that bedone? [Just] using two small ritual bowls will be sufficient to perform the sacrifice.

初九﹕已事遄往无咎酌損之Beginning 9: To end the job by going quickly is no mistake, but you should consider if [leaving earlywill] decrease [the outcome of] it.

九二﹕利貞征凶弗損益之Second 9: It will be fruitful to correct things; going on a campaign now will be bad. Do not increaseor decrease.

六三﹕三人行則損一人一人行則得其友Third 6: Three people walking together, then decreases by one [leaving]. The one that leaves gets afriend.

六四﹕損其疾使遄有喜无咎Fourth 6: Decreasing your problems will cause you to quickly become happy and free of faults.

六五﹕或益之十朋之龜弗克違元吉Fifth 6: Someone enriches him with a turtle shell worth ten cowrie strings and he can’t refuse. [Butdon’t worry, an offer like this] is basically a good thing.

上九﹕弗損益之无咎貞吉利有攸往得臣无家Top 9: Not decreasing or increasing this is not a mistake. Correct [whatever is not in order] so all isgood [before going on]. It will be fruitful to have a goal to go towards and get servants, but not tohave a family [yet].

GLOSSARY

損 Sun3. K435a: Diminish, damage.

曷 He2. K313d: What, where, when, how, why, to injure. HYDCD: = 何 What, 什麼, which?, whynot, how can it be that?, The example given for this sentence has the same meaning as 遺 (lose, omit,not give): ”遺”之以二簋.

簋 Gui3. K986a: A ritual vessel. HYDCD: A pot with a round belly, two or four handles and oftenwith a lid. It was used for offerings of millet. It is smaller than a Ding pot and without legs.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. The graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease,fault, defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy,worried, concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. Found in H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50,H55 and H58.

已 Yi3. K977a: Cease, end, stop, achieve, particle denoting past tense, already, dismiss, abstainfrom, excessive, final particle, oh!

遄 Chuan2. K168m: Hasten, quickly.

酌 Zhuo2. K1120d: Pour out (wine) in a cup, draw water, to deliberate, consult.

征 Zheng1. K833o: (To correct:) go on a military expedition against, to punish, attack, to go, toprogress, levy taxes. HYDCD: Right, straight, correct, go on a long journey, travel far, go on apunitive expedition, traveller, levy taxes.

友 You3. K995e: Friend, friendly, associate, couple.

使 Shi3. K975n: Command, to cause, send, suppose that, envoy.

喜 Xi3. K955a: Joy, rejoice.

益 Yi4. K849a: Increase, more, advantage, profitable.

之 Zhi1. K962a: Go to, this, him, her, it, them, genitive and attributive particle. Pulleyblank: Go to,demonstrative; that, object pronoun; him, her, it, them; genitive marker, mark of nominalization.In line 6 I believe the meaning of 之 is “it” but to be understood as “the situation” in general.

朋 Peng2. K886a: A set of cowries (stringed).

龜 Gui1. K985a: Tortoise.

違 Wei2. K571d: Go against, disobey, oppose, go away, leave, deviate from, err, fault, perverse.

臣 Chen2. 377a: Slave, servant, subject, officer, minister. In H33, H39, H41 and H62.

十朋之龜 occurs both in H42 line 2 and H41 line 5. I take it to mean “a turtle shell worth 10 stringsof cowries”.

The whole sentence 或益之十朋之龜弗克違 is in both H41 and in H42. This indicates a clearconnection between these two hexagrams, apart from the obvious dualistic relation of the concepts ofdecrease and increase.

In H63 line 5, a small offering is enough to receive the blessing just like it is in the title line of H41.

42 - 益 INCREASE

益利有攸往利涉大川Increase. It will be fruitful to have a goal and to cross the great river.

初九﹕利用為大作元吉无咎Beginning 9: It will be beneficial to carry out a great job; this is the origin of good things and is nomistake.

六二﹕或益之十朋之龜弗克違永貞吉王用享于帝吉Second 6: Someone enriches you with a turtle shell worth ten cowrie strings and you can’t refuse.This [kind of action] is always correct and good. It is good [in just the same way as when] the kingmakes a sacrifice to God.

六三﹕益之用凶事无咎有孚中行告公用圭Third 6: Enriched by unfortunate affairs, but confident in having done nothing wrong, you go to informthe duke with your honorary jade tablet.

六四﹕中行告公從利用為依遷國Fourth 6: Going to the middle [of the court] informing the duke you want to serve him; [he will]benefit you by employing you for relocating the state.

九五﹕有孚惠心勿問元吉有孚惠我德Fifth 9: If there is confidence and love in the heart you don’t need to ask [because confidence andlove is the very] origin of good. When we have inner confidence and love we are virtuous.

上九﹕莫益之或擊之立心勿恆凶Top 9: If not expanding others will attack. Establishing a cordial relationship and then not make it lastlong will turn bad.

GLOSSARY

益 Yi4. K849a: Increase, more, advantage, profitable.

作 Zuo4. K806l: Act, do, make, work, be in function, active, perform, to sacrifice, compose (verse),to be, rise, stand up, agitate, clear away.

朋 Peng2. K886a: A set of cowries (stringed), a peer, equal, comrade, friend, a pair, faction, league.

之 Zhi1. K962a: Go to, this, him, her, it, them, genitive and attributive particle. Pulleyblank: Go to,demonstrative; that, object pronoun; him, her, it, them; genitive marker, mark of nominalization.Because this context is basically answers to questions it would seem logical that 之 meant “you” inlines 2 and 3.

龜 Gui1. K985a: Tortoise.

違 Wei2. K571d: Go against, disobey, oppose, go away, leave, deviate from, err, fault, perverse.

帝 Di4. K877a: Sovereign, emperor, God. HYDCD: God, highest deity, sovereign, Son of Heaven,emperor. 帝 occurs in H11, H42 and H54.

公 Gong1. K1173a: Father, prince, public, impartial, just, palace. HYDCD: Fair, impartial, just,public, state, country, royal court, public affairs, respectful way to address elderly and superiors,term for dukes and princes in the Eastern Zhou period.

圭 Gui1. K879a: Jade tablet as token of rank, sceptre, pure sacred. HYDCD: Elongated pointedjade tablet held upright. Used at court gatherings and ceremonies. The varying sizes indicate rankand status in the court.

從 Cong2. K1191d: Follow, pursue, obey, to humour, attend to, according to, from, follower,attendant, affinited collaterally, longitudinal, leisurely. HYDCD: Follow, followers, make someonefollow, a guide, reach, secondary, pursue, obey.

利用 Li4 yong4. HYDCD: Utilize, make the best use of things.

依 Yi1. K550f: Lean upon, depend on, accord with, firmly settled, luxuriant, ample, grand,metaphor, suffering. HYDCD: Rely on, attach oneself to, serving as a support, be subordinated to,comply with.

遷 Qian1. K206c: Remove, be removed. HYDCD: Ascend, go up, move, migrate, move house,change, leave, separated from, promote to higher office.Because we have no exact frame of a time period for this text, it is difficult to know the exactmeaning of 用為依遷國 in line 4: “[The duke will] benefit you by employing you for relocatingthe state”. This statement most likely did not mean that the entire state and population of Zhou wasgoing to be relocated. Neither do I think it meant to relocate the capital. Maria Khayutina writes:

“Zhou kings frequently moved around the realm and engaged in various activities in the mainroyal residences of Zhou (Zhou-under-Qi), Zongzhou and Chengzhou as in some secondaryresidences, including Pangjing and Zheng. Moreover, it shows how often the kings stayed inplaces other than residences, sometimes on the way to or from a military campaign, sometimes inconnection with religious activities, but sometimes without any other clear objective beyond

meeting their subjects.”24

Perhaps 遷國 just meant to relocate the court and an army unit temporarily?

惠 Hui4. K533a: A kind of cicada or cricket, kind, good, affectionate, love, to favour, compliant,obedient.

莫 Mo4. K802a: Evening, late, not, not have, there is nobody who, still, quiet, to plan, deliberate,settle, vast, obscure, luxuriant, rich, cut, calm and respectful.

擊 Ji1. K854b: Beat, sounding-box. HYDCD: Strike, beat, attack, assault.

十朋之龜 This sentence occurs both in H42 line 2 and H41 line 5. I take it to mean “a turtle shellworth 10 strings of cowries”.

The whole sentence 或益之十朋之龜弗克違 is in both H41 and in H42. This indicates a clearconnection between these two hexagrams, apart from the obvious dualistic relation of the concepts ofdecrease and increase.

24 Maria Khayutina: Royal Hospitality and Geopolitical Constitution of the Western Zhou Polity, p. 6-7.

43 - 夬 DETERMINATION

夬揚于王庭孚號有厲告自邑不利即戎利有攸往To resolutely stand up in the king’s court and confidently raise your voice is being too bold.[Likewise,] it is not fruitful to be armed when approaching one’s own town to convey a message. Butit is [still] beneficial to have the goal in view.

初九﹕壯于前趾往不勝為咎Beginning 9: You are making a mistake if you set out with powerful steps and then don’t make it.

九二﹕惕號莫夜有戎勿恤Second 9: Alarmed by cries in the evening or late at night, but if you are armed you are not worried.

九三﹕壯于頄有凶君子夬夬獨行遇雨若濡有慍无咎Third 9: If there is strain in the face, it is not good. The wise person walks alone, very determined butmeets rainfall and thus gets soaked. He can’t be blamed for being annoyed [about this].

九四﹕臀无膚其行次且牽羊悔亡聞言不信Fourth 9: Your buttocks are galled and you limp [after the encounter]. If you just let yourself be ledlike a sheep regret will vanish. If you speak up, no one will believe you.

九五﹕莧陸夬夬中行无咎Fifth 9: [If he] determinedly walks directly to [her with] pokeweed flowers he will not fail.

上六﹕无號終有凶Top 6: Without [anyone] giving a warning there will be misfortune in the end.

GLOSSARY

夬 Guai4. K312a: Archer’s thimble, divide, make a breach. HYDCD: Resolute, determinate.Archer’s thimble.

揚 Yang2. K720j: Lift, raise, to winnow, to display, extol, to stir, raise the voice, forehead,distinguished, battle-axe, hawk.

號 Hao4. K1041q: Cry out, command, call, name, denomination. HYDCD: Call, cry out, command,declare, give name. Occurs in both the title line and line 6. From the context the meaning seems to be“a warning”. In line one I choose, however, to translate it as “raise the voice”.

Regarding 厲 in the title line 夬揚于王庭孚號有厲 it could certainly be said to be dangerous tostand up in a determined way and raise your voice in the King’s court. However, I believe that 厲 ismore likely describing something like being “inappropriate”, “rude”, “too bold”, “unseemly” or“untimely”.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital. InH6, H8, H15, H25, H35, H43, H46 and H48.

即 Ji2. K923a: Go to, forthwith, thereupon etc. HYDCD: Going to eat, just about to, near, close to,to reach.

戎 Rong2. K1013a: Weapon.

壯 Zhuang. K727n: Strong, robust, great.

前 Qian2. K245a: Before, precede, advance, former.

趾 Zhi3. K961g: Foot, heel. HYDCD: Toe, foot, tread on, stop, halt, finish.

勝 Sheng4. K893p: Vanquish, overcome, surpass, equal to, capable of, equal to one’s task.

惕 Ti4. K850i (don’t confuse with 720e’): Grieved, fear, respect. HYDCD: Guard against, alert,grieved. In H1, H6 and H43 obviously as “watchful”.

莫 Mo4. K802a: Evening, late, not, not have, there is nobody who, still, quiet, to plan, deliberate,settle, vast, obscure, luxuriant, rich, cut, calm and respectful. HYDCD: Sunset, dusk, nightfall, late,dim, dusky, no one, negation, don’t, can’t, perhaps, probably, possible.

夜 Ye4. K800j: Night. HYDCD: Night, especially pointing to very late at night, before dawn, thedim light of the night.

頄 Pan4. K992e: Cheekbone, bones of the face, face.

獨 Du2. K1224i: Alone, only.

雨 Yu3. K 100a: Rain, rain upon.

濡 Ru2. K134f: Moisten, soak, wet, glossy.

慍 Yun4. K426e: Hate, anger, grieved.

臀 Tun2. K429b: Buttocks.

膚 Fu1. K69g: Skin, pork, cut meat, fine, beautiful, admirable. HYDCD: Skin or meat of humans oranimals, meat used for sacrifice.

次 Ci4. K555a: Arrange in order, order, sequel, next in order, second, take a position, to halt, tolodge, lodging place, hut, place, position, haste, hurry.

且 Qie3. K46a: Moreover, and, even, meanwhile, temporarily, presently, on the point of, will soon,obstruct, final particle, plenty, many. HYDCD: 多貌 looks like a lot, this, now, should, be going to,will, shall, close to, also, temporarily, even, and furthermore, or, however, if, even though, take,looks respectful, all.

牽 Qian1. K366k: Pull, drag, lead, (animals that are lead:) cattle, attach.

羊 Yang2. K732a: Sheep, ram. HYDCD: Goat, sheep and other animals like this.

聞 Wen2. K441f: To hear, to smell, to be heard, fame.

莧 Xian4. K165a: A plant with red stem.

信 Xin4. K384a: Truthful, true, sincere, indeed, to believe, to trust, good faith, (repeat:) rest twonights in one place.

陸 Lu4. K1032f: Land (as opposed to water), a level height, path, jump.

莧陸 Xian4 lu4. HYDCD says the same as Wikipedia: Phytolacca Clavigera or Phytolacca Acinosa.It is difficult to sort out exactly which kind but they are much alike. Phytolacca is called Pokeweedin English, in Chinese it has many names: 商陸, 蓫薚, 蓫, 马尾, 薚 and several other. It is anherbaceous perennial with beautiful red or white flowers. The berries are black or dark red. It canbe up to 2 meters in height. The root and berries are poisonous. The young leaves should be edible,according to HYDCD; Wang Bi explains in relation to Zhou Yi that the leaves are soft and brittle.But today the whole plant is known to be poisonous.Shi Jing no. 188 line 4 mentions 蓫 Zhu2: 我行其野. 言采其蓫. 蓫 is, according to HYDCD, justanother name for pokeweed.25 However, the text of the poem does not reveal why the woman picksthem. Is it because they are pretty or is it for the berries or the roots? Since all parts of the plant arepoisonous and the lady in the poem is in a sad mood because she has lost her love, I assume it isbecause they are pretty. Therefore, I translate 莧陸 as “Pokeweed flowers”.

For line 3, please see the discussion of the identical sentence 臀无膚其行次且 in hexagram 44.

25 There is a risk of confusion if you rely only on James Legge’s translation of Shi Jing no. 188: He translates Fu2 葍 in line 7 asPokeweed, but this seems to be Calystegia (according to Er Ya 尔雅). 蓫 is mentioned in line 4 but Legge translates it as Sheeps Foot羊蹄. However, Sheeps Foot or Bauhinia is a tropical plant which can only grow in the Southern parts of China. Another possible causefor confusion is Karlgren’s translation of 蓫 as Rumex: According to zh.wikipedia.org both 蓫, 商陸 and 蓫薚 are names forPhytolacca Acinosa (source 尔雅). Phytolacca Clavigera is in other sources said to be the Phytolacca indigenous to China. However,

they are very much alike.

44 - 姤 REJECTION

姤女壯勿用取女Reject the woman forcefully. Do not choose this woman.

初六﹕繫于金柅貞吉有攸往見凶羸豕孚蹢躅Beginning 6: Binding the [wagon’s wheel] to a metal chock is correct and good. If you go towards anygoal you will meet harm. [Just like] a scrawny pig stays safe by slowing down and then stopping.

九二﹕包有魚无咎不利賓Second 9: There is fish in the bag so you have done nothing wrong, but it is of no benefit to the guest.

九三﹕臀无膚其行次且厲无大咎Third 9: His buttocks are galled and he limps. [The rejection was] very severe though it was reallynot a big mistake [of the other part].

九四﹕包无魚起凶Fourth 9: It is bad if you go ahead without fish in the bag.

九五﹕以杞包瓜含章有隕自天Fifth 9: The Goji trees cover for the gourds and hold the light that is coming down from above.

上九﹕姤其角吝无咎Top 9: Rejecting it harshly may lead to unpleasantness, but it is no mistake.

GLOSSARY

姤 Gou4. K112e: To meet, good. HYDCD: To meet, good, fine, evil (but this is from a much latertext).姤 is a very rarely used character in ancient texts, there are only a very few text examples availableat all.There could be some logic in the meaning “to meet” that both Karlgren and HYDCD have deducedfrom this hexagram. But why would “meet” not just be 遇? It occurs 12 times in the Zhou Yi?Furthermore, 遇 does not occur in H44, so the author did not choose this rare character to avoidrepetition. Besides those related to the Zhou Yi, there is just one example of 姤 in a pre-Han text inthe HYDCD and the Chinese Text Project. The sentence is from Guan Zi chapter 58 “Classificationof Land”: 士女皆好，其民工巧，其泉黃白，其人夷姤 “It’s men and women are all good, itspeople are skilful, [the water of] it’s springs has a tinge of yellow, it’s folks 夷姤”. HYDCD

suggests 夷姤 means “are plain and good” probably because the sentence is an enumeration of goodthings. But I disagree; 夷 is usually used in a negative sense (see discussion in H36). Although theverb and object would seem to be reversed, I still think 夷姤 mean that they are brave; that “thepeople keep the barbarians away”.姤 only occurs in the title line and line 6. If I try to use “reject” for these two lines and translate theremaining lines in this light, I find it makes good sense. All lines are then clearly about rejection.

壯 Zhuang. K727n: Strong, robust, great.

繫 Ji4. K854d: Attach, suspend. HYDCD: Tie or fasten. Occurs in H12 and H44.

于 Yu2. K97a. The sentence “繫于金柅” is somewhat similar to “繫于苞桑”in H12; 于 is not themost common usage “to”, “at” or “in”. I believe the meaning of 繫于 is “tie in” or “tie up”.

柅 Ni3. K563c: A stopper for carriages. A wooden wheel chock. HYDCD: A wooden wheel chock.

羸 Lei2. K14c: Lean, emaciated, weak, entangle. I think “scrawny” is a good synonym whenreferring to a pig.

豕 Shi3. K: 1238f: Pig, swine, boar.

孚 Fu2. In this case “stay safe....” works better than “retain its confidence....”.

蹢 Di2. K877o: Animal’s foot, hoof, check the foot, stop walking. HYDCD: Hoof, throw, hesitate,irresolute.

躅 Zhu2. K1224h: Check the foot, stop walking, stamp the foot. HYDCD: Stamp the foot, referringto the way birds are jumping about, foot mark, hesitating, irresolute.

蹢躅 Di2zhu2. HYDCD: Hesitating, irresolute. I believe this refers to the well-known image of ahorse which is nervous and hesitates while stamping its hoof.

包 Bao1. K1113a: Wrap, bundle, contain. Possibly a foetus in the mother’s womb.

魚 Yu2. K79a: Fish.

賓 Bin1. K389a: Guest.

臀 Tun2. K429b: Buttocks.

膚 Fu1. K69g: Skin, pork, cut meat, fine, beautiful, admirable. HYDCD: Skin or meat of humans oranimals, meat used for sacrifice.

次 Ci4. K555a: Arrange in order, order, sequel, next in order, second, take a position, to halt, tolodge, lodging place, hut, place, position, haste, hurry. I take it to mean: “[only every] second step”= limp.

且 Qie3. K46a: Moreover, and, even, meanwhile, temporarily, presently, on the point of, will soon,obstruct, final particle, plenty, many. HYDCD: 多貌 looks like a lot, this, now, should, be going to,will, shall, close to, also, temporarily, even, and furthermore, or, however, if, even though, take,looks respectful, all.

起 Qi3. K953r: Rise.

杞 Qi3. Karlgren 953l and HYDCD: Lycium Chinense.Lycium is in modern Chinese called 枸杞 Gou3qi3. In English it is called Wolfberry and the fruit istoday popularly known as Goji berry which is often for sale in health food stores. Lycium Chinenseis a bush-like small tree that is 1-3 meters high with small red fruits (1-1,5 cm). Leafs are narrowand up to 5 cm long.26

瓜 Gua1. K41a: Gourd, melon. HYDCD: Bottle Gourd, Calabash.

Shi Jing 154: 七月食瓜、八月斷壺、九月叔苴、采荼薪樗，食我農夫。“In the seventh month we eat the melons,in the eighth month we cut down the bottle-gourds,in the ninth month we collect the hemp-seed,we pluck bitter leaves and make firewood of Tree of Heaven,27

to feed our farming men.”

The author of the poem used 壺 Hu2 for “bottle gourd” next to 瓜, and furthermore talks abouteating them. So 瓜 is probably not calabash or bottle gourd, but edible gourds like melon, squashor pumpkin. Furthermore, a fruit storage pit from the pre-dynastic Zhou period was found in thevillage Qijiacun 齐家村 in an area close to the Feng/Hao capital of Zhou. The pit was 250 cmdeep and 105x80 cm wide. In it was found more than 500 apricot kernels and over 150 seedsfrom muskmelon 甜瓜.28

含 Han2. K651l’: Hold in the mouth, to bear, contain, put in the mouth.

章 Zhang1. K723a: Brilliant, illustrious, splendid, refinement, ornament, décor, signal, to display.HYDCD: Magnificent colour, colourful, pattern figure.

隕 Yun3. K227g: Fall down, overthrow, to lose.

角 Jiao3. K1225a: Horn, compare and make equal. “Goringly” is found in Webster’s dictionary andseems to be the right word, but few readers would know it. So, in H35 I translate 角 as “bullishway”. In H44 I translate it as “harshly”.

以杞包瓜 could mean “Cover the melon with Goji leaves” but this makes no sense because theLycium tree has narrow leaves. It seems illogical to use narrow Goji leaves to cover a melon whichhas very big leaves itself. Therefore, I assume that the Goji trees are shading the melons.

It seems both H43 and H44 are about rejection, but the direction is opposite each other, two sides ofthe same thing: In H43 you can be rejected if you are too determined and may not succeed. In H44 alllines are about rejecting others. The hexagrams have this sentence in common: 臀无膚其行次且. InH43 line 4 you have been severely rejected by others, whereas in H44 line 3, you reject someone tooseverely. So I assume the direction of the action in H44 line 3 is towards others.

26 Shiu-Ying Hu: Food Plants of China, p 663.27 樗: Ailanthus Altissima or Tree of Heaven.28 孫周勇: 周原遺址先周果蔬儲藏坑的發現及相關問題, p. 69-75.

45 - 萃 GATHERING

萃亨王假有廟利見大人亨利貞用大牲吉利有攸往Gathering together [can help make] things go well. When the King is unoccupied [with other royalduties] there is the temple [to go to]. It will be advantageous to see a great person perform thesacrifice, he will benefit all by correcting things using a large [sacrificial] animal to make thingsgood. It will be advantageous to have a goal to go towards.

初六﹕有孚不終乃亂乃萃若號一握為笑勿恤往无咎Beginning 6: There is confidence but it doesn’t last all the way, then it scatters then it gathers. Thencall out — once you grasp someone’s hand you will smile again and not worry. To go ahead is not amistake.

六二﹕引吉无咎孚乃利用禴Second 6: Pulling [people together] is good. When everything is in order and there is confidence thenit will be advantageous to perform the summer sacrifice.

六三﹕萃如嗟如无攸利往无咎小吝Third 6: It is not wrong, only slightly regrettable, to gather with deep sighs when there is nobeneficial objective to go towards.

九四﹕大吉无咎Fourth 9: Large is good and no mistake.

九五﹕萃有位无咎匪孚元永貞悔亡Fifth 9: That people are gathering where there is someone who has a high position is not wrong. Ifthey have no trust [in you, you must show them] that your basic [nature] is to be always actingcorrectly and their mistrust will go away.

上六﹕齎咨涕洟无咎Top 6: To cry, sigh, weep and sob is not a mistake.

GLOSSARY

萃 Cui4. K490m: Collect, assemble, assemblage, crowd.

假 Jia4. K33c: False, simulate, borrow, steal a moment’s sleep, great, go to. HYDCD: Borrow, relyon, hire, give, tolerant, forgiving, false, unofficial, if, even if, idle, unoccupied, fine, beautiful,

reach, arrive, far, distant. HYDC gives several examples with the meaning “furlough”, however,from texts later than Han. Examples of this meaning in the Shi Jing: K197: Three occurrences -effortless, resting lying down, leisure, K258: Effortless, K201: A time or occasion (for music),K302: A time (for celebration and offerings). An example from the Shang Shu 大禹謨: unoccupiedor lazy. 假 occurs in H37, H45, H55 and H59. The meaning of 假 is very obviously “resting” inH55 and very clearly “free time” or “unoccupied” in H37. However, although the king is obviouslyonly watching a great man performing the sacrifice in H45 it could not be called “free time” or“unoccupied” and the same goes for H59. The context is not difficult to see and the phrase 王假有is the same in H37, H45 and H59 which makes it obvious that the meaning is “free time” or“unoccupied” in all four cases in the Zhou Yi. However, both words may seem inappropriatereferring to the king and I feel it is necessary to translate 假 as “unoccupied [with other royalduties]” in H45 and H59.

廟 Miao4. K1160a: Ancestral temple.

牲 Sheng1. K812e: Sacrificial animal.

亂 Luan4. K180c: Disorder, confusion.

握 Wo4. K1204f: Grasp

引 Yin3. K371a: Draw the bow, pull, draw, stretch, to lead, to guide, prolong, try to obtain.

禴 Yue4: K1119g: Summer sacrifice. Also in H46.

嗟 Jie1. K5n: Sigh, alas, oh!

位 Wei4. K539a: Place of rank, position as ruler.

悔亡 Hui3 wang2. Usually means “regret will go away”. However, in this case it must be translatedas “mistrust will go away” because of the rather obvious context.

齎 Ji1. K593u: To sigh.

咨 Zi1. K555e: To sigh, oh!, alas.

涕 Ti1. K591m: Weep, tears.

洟 Yi2. K551f: Mucus from the nose.

Notice that in the title line 亨 occurs twice, each with a different meaning.

46 - 升 MOVING UPWARDS

升元亨用見大人勿恤南征吉Moving upwards is fundamental for things to go well. You apply it when you go to see a great person[for advice] so you have no worries that the campaign to the south will go well.

初六﹕允升大吉Beginning 6: Moving upwards with a sincere motive will be very good.

九二﹕孚乃利用禴无咎Second 9: When you have inner confidence you can fruitfully perform the summer sacrifice withoutmistakes.

九三﹕升虛邑Third 9: Go up to the empty village.

六四﹕王用亨于岐山吉无咎Fourth 6: The King performs an offering on Qi Mountain to make things good and ensure no failure.

六五﹕貞吉升階Fifth 6: You will act correctly and things will be good if you move upwards step by step.

上六﹕冥升利于不息之貞Top 6: Moving upwards in the dark will be beneficial if you act unceasingly correct.

GLOSSARY

升 Sheng1. K897a: To mount, rise, arise, to present to. HYDCD: A unit of measure, rise, ascend,mount, promotion.

允 Yun3. K468a: Sincere, true, truly, earnestly, to trust, promise. HYDCD: Honest, trustworthy,respected, truly, indeed, really, sincerely, promises.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital. InH6, H8, H15, H25, H35, H43, H46 and H48.

禴 Yue4. K1119g: Summer-sacrifice. Also mentioned in H45.

虛 Xu1. K78a: Hill, mound, abandoned city, ruins, waste, site, empty, modest.Line 3 升虛邑 seems to mean “Moving upwards to an empty town”. But what deserted town issomewhere that you ascend to? And what would the purpose be?虛 is preceded by 升, so 虛 is clearly a place on the mountain. I am not convinced about Karlgren’sdefinitions “ruins” and “site”. It is a guess based on the poem Shi Jing K5029 where I believe 虛means “the empty part of the mountain” where you can see far because there are no trees.However, in this context I believe 虛邑 is an empty village on the mountain pasture. Above the treeline grows only grass and shrubs which is used for pasturing. A village on the mountain pasture isusually abandoned after the summer pasture.Therefore, I believe the message of line 3 is to go and find solitude in the village up on the mountainpasture. In the Zhou period everybody would surely have been familiar with the little villages on themountain pasture.

用 Yong4. K1185a: Use, employ, by, implement, to offer in sacrifice. HYDCD: Use, employ, apply,implement, put into action, govern, manage, suitable for, appropriate, applicable, action, function,expenses, need, must, require, like 使, make, like 唯 or 只有 only, alone.

岐山 Qi1 Shan1. HYDCD: Mountain located in present day Shaanxi 陝西 province. Please refer tothe chapter ‘Dating and Authorship of the Zhou Yi’ for a longer description of Qi Mountain and itssurroundings.

階 Jie1. K599d: Steps, stairs.

冥 Ming2. K841a: Dark, darkness, darken, cover. HYDCD: Night, evening, dim, dusky.

于 Yu2. K96a. In this sentence 冥升利于不息之貞 I suggest 于 is to be understood as “Ascendingin the dark; benefit lies in acting unceasingly correct.”

息 Xi1. K925a: Breathe, sigh, rest, repose, cease.

29 升彼虛矣、以望楚矣。望楚與堂、景山與京。“He ascended to the empty [mountain pasture], and looked out over the Chu. Helooked at the Chu and the Tang, with the scenic mountains and hills.”

47 - 困 PRESSURE

困亨貞大人吉无咎有言不信It is a correct thing for a great man to push himself and this will ensure that he doesn’t fail. If hemerely talks about [what he intends to do] no one will believe it.

初六﹕臀困于株木入于幽谷三歲不覿Beginning 6: Your buttocks are sore from sitting alone for a very long time on a tree-stump in asecluded valley.

九二﹕困于酒食朱紱方來利用享祀征凶无咎Second 9: Having pressured [your body] with too much food and drink, the physician will prescribe acure for you: “It will be beneficial to make a sacrifice. If you go on like this it will be bad, so youshould act faultlessly.”

六三﹕困于石據于蒺蔾入于其宮不見其妻凶Third 6: Compelling himself to sit and wait on a stone, [but it feels to him] like sitting on spikeythorns. Because when going into his palace he couldn’t find his wife, [and now he fears] somethingbad [has happened to her].

九四﹕來徐徐困于金車吝有終Fourth 9: Coming slowly weighed down because [it is a fine] wagon decorated with bronze fittings;this may be regrettable but there will be an end [to the trip].

九五﹕劓刖困于赤紱乃徐有說利用祭祀Fifth 9: Looking frightened believing the physician will be hard on you. But he just calmly explains toyou that it will be beneficial to make a sacrifice.

上六﹕困于葛藟于臲卼動悔有悔征吉Top 6: Paralyzed by anxiety as if tightly entangled by vines. If you move it feels bad, but to go on[through] will be good.

GLOSSARY

困 Kun4. K420a: Tree inside enclosure. Obstruct, distress, exhaust, anxiety, fatigue. HYDCD:Original character for 梱 (tie, bind), hard pressed, besiege, difficulty, critically ill, exhausted,weary, live in seclusion, same as 睏 (be hard pressed).

臀 Tun2. K429b: Buttocks.

株 Zhu1. K128f: Tree root, tree stem. HYDCD: Tree root, trunk or stump.

幽 You1. K1115c: Dark, solitary, secluded, to confine.

谷 Gu3. K1202a: Valley.

覿 Di. K1023e: See, have an audience, be visible. HYDCD: See, see anyone, observe, watch. Showor reveal oneself. I translate 不覿 “not see anyone” as “alone”. Occurs in H47 and H55.

于 Yu2. K96a. Yu is in the sentence 困于酒食 and 困于赤紱 to be understood as “from” or“because of”.

酒食 Jiu3 shi2. HYDCD: (Alcoholic) drink and food.

紱 Fu2. K276k: Silk band in which the seal was tied to the waist. HYDCD: Seal band, knee padsused for ceremonial gowns.

朱 Zhu1. K128a: Red. HYDCD: Bright red, brighter than crimson.

朱紱 Zhu1 fu2. HYDCD: A red ceremonial gown, long enough to cover the knees. Often used forofficials’ clothes.

方 Fang1. K740a: Square, quarter, region, place, on all sides, everywhere, take a place, occupy,sacrifice to the spirits of the quarters, side by side, on the side, two boats side by side and lashedtogether, raft, put side by side, compare, square tablet, begin, just, then, method, rule, norm, pattern,orderly, regular. HYDCD: In relation to doctors and medicine there are several early examples;method, prescription, recipe, write out a prescription.

方來 Fang1 lai2. HYDCD: Two examples from the Han and Tang period meaning; 將來 future and近來 recently.

祀 Si4. K967d: Sacrifice, autumnal sacrifice after harvest, year. Both 用 and 享 seem to be able toperform as verb for an offering, but when 享祀 together comes immediately after 用 it couldindicate that it is a compound word. There is one example in Shi Jing K300 of 享祀: 春秋匪解、享祀不忒. “In spring or autumn he does not dismiss [any sacrifices] his sacrifices are impeccable.”享祀 occurs in line 2 and 祭祀 in line 5, therefore we should expect that there was a difference.Perhaps they were specific forms of sacrifice, but I have been unable to find other than generaldescriptions as sacrifices. Therefore, the only possibility seems to just write “to make a sacrifice”.

石 Shi2. K795a: Stone, rock.

據 Ju4. K803f: Grasp, depend on. HYDCD: Rely on, according to, calm, peaceful, hold, occupy,possess, rest on, sit on the ground.

蒺蔾 Ji2li2. HYDCD: Tribulus terrestris. Also called puncture vine, caltrop, cathead, yellow vine.A plant with spiked seeds that has been used for medicinal purposes in several cultures up to ourtime. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is also called 白蒺蔾 and 刺蒺蔾. It is also the name of awooden instrument with spikes that was used for roadblocks.

宮 Gong1. K1006a: Dwelling-house, palace, apartment, temple, name of a note of the gamut.

妻 Qi1. K592a: Consort, wife, give for wife. The consort being the one wife who is socially theequal (that is, the “mate”) of the husband.

徐 Xu2. K82p: Walk slowly, slow, by and by, gently, quiet.

金車 Jin1 che1. HYDCD: A carriage decorated with bronze adornments.

劓 Yi4. K537a: Cut the nose as punishment.

刖 Yue4. K306h: Cut the feet.

劓刖 Yi4yue4. HYDCD: Cut off nose and feet, frightened expression. Although 劓刖 can be apunishment, it is rather clear that in this case it is expressing fear that the physician will be hard onyou.

赤 Chi4. K793a: Red. HYDCD: A lighter red than朱.

赤紱 Chi4 fu2. HYDCD: A physician in a red robe.

祭祀 Ji4 si4. HYDCD: An offering ceremony for the ancestors.

葛藟 Ge2lei3. Also called 千歲藟. Chinese and English Wikipedia: Vitis Flexuosa is a species ofliana in the grape family, in English called Creeping Grape.

臲 Nie4. K285d: Unstable. Radical is wei “danger”.

卼 Wu4. K487e: Unsafe, shaken, endangered.

臲卼 Nie4 wu4. HYDCD: Shaking and nervous expression.

征 Zheng1. K833o: (To correct:) go on a military expedition against, to punish, attack, to go, toprogress, levy taxes. HYDCD: Right, straight, correct, go on a long journey, travel far, go on apunitive expedition, traveller, levy taxes.

From the context of line 2, having eaten and drunken too much, I believe 朱紱 to be “a physician”.But there is no indication as to what 赤紱 is in line 5. However, HYDCD says that 赤紱 is also aphysician and because of the fairly clear context, I find it reasonable to call them both a “doctor”.Both 朱 and 赤 means “red” but there are no sources indicating a difference in relation to doctors. Ibelieve that there is a strong possibility that 朱 and 赤 should have been the same character.

48 - 井 THE WELL

井改邑不改井无喪无得往來井井汔至亦未繘井羸其瓶凶The Well. It is bad if the village is renewed, but the well is not renewed. Without [thinking about]what they can lose or gain, [people just] come and go to the well. But the well can dry up even to thepoint where you cannot quite [reach down] to draw water from the well, [and prolonged use] willwear out its bucket.

初六﹕井泥不食舊井无禽Beginning 6: The well is muddy and the water can’t be drunk. At an old well there are not even birds.

九二﹕井谷射鮒甕敝漏Second 9: You can shoot carps in the pool of the well. The jug is worn and it leaks.

九三﹕井渫不食為我心惻可用汲王明並受其福Third 9: The well is being cleaned up and so, [meanwhile], the water can’t be drunk. This isdistressful for us, but drawing water can [accelerate the clearing]. If the King explains about this andstands side by side [with the people while this is done], he will receive their good will.

六四﹕井甃无咎Fourth 6: The well is being tiled, so it will be in perfect order.

九五﹕井冽寒泉食Fifth 9: The well is cool like an ice cold spring to drink from.

上六﹕井收勿幕有孚元吉Top 6: The well can be drawn from, so don’t cover it, then there will be confidence that this is a goodwell—through and through.

GLOSSARY

井 Jing3. K819a: A well, a system of fields belonging to one village. Graph is a drawing of a well-curb.

改 Gai3. K936a: Change. HYDCD: Change, alter, replace, correct, put right, modify, revise, afresh,renew, amend. Occurs only in H48 and H49. Several scholars30 have translated 井改邑不改something like: “A city can be moved but a well can’t be moved”. But in H42 line 4 遷 clearlymeans “to move” or “relocate”. In this context I assume that 改 means “renew” or “amend”.

邑 Yi4. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement from village to capital. InH6, H8, H15, H25, H35, H43, H46 and H48. A large city in this period would probably haveseveral wells, and although 井 can be plural, the image of the hexagram seems to me to be a villageand one well.

喪 Sang4. K705a: Mourning, burial, to lose, destroy. HYDCD: Mourning, burial, to lose, destroy,use up, deplete.

汔 Qi4. K517j: Water drying up. HYDCD: Dry up, run dry, finished. Also in H64.

至 Zhi4. K413a: Arrive, come to, highest point, utmost, adequate, suitable.

亦 Yi4. K800a: Armpit, besides, also, particle, ample. HYDCD: Armpit, besides, also, yet, still,just like, already, only, merely, all, if, form word with no independent meaning, after all, same as 以.

未 Wei4. K531a: Cyclical character, not yet.

繘 Yu4. K507h: Well-rope. HYDCD: Well-rope, verb for drawing water from a well.

羸 Lei2. K14c: Lean, emaciated, weak, entangle. HYDCD: Lean, emaciated, weak, exhausted, tired,old and shabby.

瓶 Ping2. K824j: Bottle, flask. Please see discussion below. HYDCD: A pottery bucket, cookingutensil, bottle like containers.

泥 Ni2. K563d: Mud, mire, impede, obstructed, moistened by dew.

舊 Jiu4. K1067c: Old (not new), ancient, for a long time, long ago.

射 She4. K807a: Shoot with bow.

鮒 Fu4. HYDCD: Crucian carp.

谷 Gu3. K1202a: Valley. HYDCD: Valley, the deep of a well.

甕 Weng4. K1184p: Earthen jar. HYDCD: Also written 瓮, amphora-like pottery jar to draw water.Please see discussion below.

敝 Bi4. K341a: Worn out, to damage, ruin. HYDCD: Worn out, to damage, ruin.

漏 Lou4. K120a: To leak.

渫 Xie4. K339l: Cleanse, leak. HYDCD: Clear up (example from line 3), spread out, let out, leak.Because the water lies so deep it is not possible to dredge or leak a normal well in order to clean it,so I rule out the meaning “leak”. I assume 渫 is “to clean the well of mud and sand”. It must havebeen done with a basket operated by someone being hoist down the well.

惻 Ce4. K906e: To pity, pained. HYDCD: Sympathize with, have compassion for, distressed orgrieved (based on line 3 in this hexagram).

汲 Ji2. K681h: Draw water, pull towards one-self. HYDCD: Draw water from a well, pull, draw.

明 Ming2. K760a: Light, bright, intelligent, enlightenment, discernment, eye-sight, seeing,perception, (making clear:) agreement, contract.

並 Bing4. K840b: Side by side, together.

受 Shou4. K1085a: Receive, (receiving:) compliant, tranquil.

福 Fu2. K933d: Happiness, blessing. HYDCD: Happiness, benefit, blessing.The common people do not bless a king, and the king does not “receive their happiness”; therefore Itranslate 福 as “good will” instead of “happiness” to make the point clear that they are happy withtheir king.

甃 Zhou4. K1092h: Brickwork of a well.

冽 Lie4. K291b: Cold.

寒 Han2. K143a: Cold.

泉 Quan2. K237a: Spring, source.

收 Shou1. K1103a: Catch, take, collect, receive, apprehend, take and remove, settle up, retire,harvest.

幕 Mu4. K802o: Baldachin, tent, covering.

The title line of this hexagram presents several problems:

1. Concerning the meaning of 改 in the first line: 井改邑不改井 I think the meaning “renewed” fitsmuch better than “changed” because the well does in fact change, as can be seen in the lines of thehexagram where it is ruined, cleaned and built up again.

2. The statement 无喪无得 seems to mean that a well does not deplete or increase its water level.This is, of course, wrong. The level of all wells rise and fall. Furthermore, 无喪无得 is contradicted

by 井汔 which undoubtedly means “the well dries up”. Therefore, I suspect 无喪无得 to be anexpression meaning “indifferently” or “carelessly”; that people come and go to draw water withoutthinking about possible damage to the well, and also without taking good care of it. “Indifferently” or“carelessly” are not supported in the dictionaries, and I have not found any other examples like it inearly texts. I still believe, however, that it is supported by the very obvious context of the six lines.

3. In the title line 瓶 is the character for the “well bucket”. But in line 2 the character is 甕. Both canbe right, and it is not possible to determine if one of them is a mistake, but it would have been logicalto assume they were the same.

4. The material of the well-bucket was likely earthenware. But earthenware was of course vulnerableand could not become “old and shabby” or “weak” like the dictionary says for 羸; if an earthenwarebucket broke it was unusable immediately, whereas a wooden bucket could become old and shabbyor get cracks from drying up. But according to HYDCD it was earthenware. However, in this contextI still believe 羸 means “worn”: 羸其瓶 “[prolonged use] will wear out its bucket”.

5. I have translated 亦 as “even”: “The well can dry up even to the point where…”.

6. Please note that I have moved 凶 “It is bad” to the beginning of the rather long statement.

There could be many arguments for different translations of the title line. But in all other translationsthat I have seen, the meaning of the title line is isolated from the message of the hexagram as a whole.The context of this translation of the title line is in harmony with the combined theme of the sevenlines.

The general theme of the hexagram is clearly about the importance of maintenance. Line 1 and 2 aredescribing the consequences of neglecting maintenance, line 3 and 4 are describing the process ofmaintenance and line 5 and 6 are describing the good results.

30 Legge, Da Liu, Pearson, Blofeld, Wilhelm.

49 - 革 CHANGE

革已日乃孚元亨利貞悔亡Change. When the [right] day has arrived there will be confidence in change. [This is the very]foundation of a successful [transition]. It is beneficial to correct things, then regret will go away.

初九﹕鞏用黃牛之革Beginning 9: When you want to bind something together use [string of] yellow oxen hide.

六二﹕已日乃革之征吉无咎Second 6: When the right day has arrived then change; to attack [at that time] is good and there willbe no failure.

九三﹕征凶貞厲革言三就有孚Third 9: To proceed now [may seem] correct but will evoke criticism; talk it over three times, thenthere will be confidence.

九四﹕悔亡有孚改命吉Fourth 9: When regret has vanished and there is confidence, the leadership can be replaced with abetter.

九五﹕大人虎變未占有孚Fifth 9: The great man adapts himself like a tiger; without resorting to divination he is confident.

上六﹕君子豹變小人革面征凶居貞吉Top 6: The wise person adapts like a leopard, small men [can merely] change their attitude. To attacknow will be bad; to stay is correct and good.

GLOSSARY

革 Ge2. K931a: Hide, skin, change, (flay, peel:) take away. HYDCD: Hide, skin, soldier, change,alter, repel, get rid of.

已 Yi3. K977a: Cease, end, stop, achieve, particle denoting past tense, already, dismiss, abstainfrom, excessive, final particle, oh! HYDCD: Stop, cease, finish, end, finally, let it pass, never mind,excessive, already, before, right after, also, this, this way, like 以.

已日 Yi3 ri4. I translate 已 as denoting past tense: “when the [right] day has arrived”.

黃牛 Huang2 niu2. HYDCD: Yellow ox. An ox with short horns and yellowish skin.

鞏 Gong3. K1172c’. To bind with thongs, strengthen.

征 Zheng1. K833o: (To correct:) go on a military expedition against, to punish, attack, to go, toprogress, levy taxes. HYDCD: Right, straight, correct, go on a long journey, travel far, go on apunitive expedition, traveller, levy taxes.征 could very well be referring to a military attack. However, I believe this situation is notrestricted to this but refers to any change which needs preparation and support from others; like thatof replacing a high government official or a minister. Therefore, “dangerous” may not be the righttranslation. 三就有孚 indicates a distrust from others that can be overcome and replaced withmutual confidence. Therefore, I believe 厲 means “distrust” or “criticism”.

就 Jiu4. K1093a: Go to, come to, advance, proceed, accomplish, finish, accommodate, adapt, attain,be able to, (coming to:) as to. HYDCD: Towards, go to, finish, accomplish, succeed, can, be able to,draw near to.

改 Gai3. K936a: Change. HYDCD: Change, alter, replace, correct, put right, modify, revise, afresh,renew, amend. Occurs only in H48 and H49.

命 Ming4. K762a: Order, command, charge, investiture, name designation, denomination, Heaven’swill, life. HYDCD: Order, command, to give orders, command, tell, warn, dispatch, designate,appoint, destiny, Heaven’s will, life, like 名 name, called, call, apply, make use of.

虎 Hu3. K57b: Tiger.

變 Bian4. K178o: Change, changeable, amenable.

占 Zhan4. K618a: Prognosticate. HYDCD: Divination with tortoise-shells or yarrow sticks.

豹 Bao4. K1244k: Leopard.

革面 Ge2 mian4. HYDCD: Change facial expression or attitude.

居 Ju1. K49c: Sit down, dwell, reside in, occupy, settlement, residence, repose, tranquil, satisfied,overbearing, arrogant, comfortable, easily, to hoard, in the end, final particle. In H3, H17, H27,H31, H49 居 means “to stay” as opposed to “go”, in H59 居 means “residence”.

50 - 鼎 THE TRIPOD

鼎元吉亨A tripod is the foundation of good fortune and success.

初六﹕鼎顛趾利出否得妾以其子无咎Beginning 6: The Ding turned over with its legs up; it will be fruitful to [clear] out what is bad[inside it]. To take a concubine in order to get a son is not a mistake.

九二﹕鼎有實我仇有疾不我能即吉Second 9: The tripod is solid. Our enemies are jealous; it is good they can’t reach us.

九三﹕鼎耳革其行塞雉膏不食方雨虧悔終吉Third 9: The handles of the tripod are detached so the moving of it is hindered. [Because of that] thefat stock of the pheasant is not eaten because now it is raining all over [and the rain is] thinning [thestock]. It is regrettable but in the end things will be good.

九四﹕鼎折足覆公餗其形渥凶Fourth 9: It is bad if the leg of the tripod breaks so the lord’s stew is overturned and his [stylish]appearance is soaked.

六五﹕鼎黃耳金鉉利貞Fifth 6: It is beneficial and correct that the tripod has golden handles and a bronze carrying hook.

上九﹕鼎玉鉉大吉无不利Top 9: If the tripod has a carrying hook of jade, it is great good fortune and there is nothing it will notbe of benefit to.

GLOSSARY

鼎 Ding3. K834a: Cauldron.The Ding is well-known as a sacrificial vessel and symbol of wealth, but was originally used forcooking food. In line 3, the fatty stock of the pheasant is not eaten, and in line 4 the Duke’s stew isspilt. Line 1 mentions cleaning out old food, but that could of course also be residues after anoffering.

顛 Dian1. K375m: Top of the head, fall down, be overthrown, overthrow, concentrate upon, whollyintent on, full, fill, anxious, grieved. HYDCD: Top of the head, top, peak.

趾 Zhi3. K961g: Foot, heel. HYDCD: Toe, foot, tread on, stop, halt, finish.

否 Fou3. HYDCD: Negation, not, no, nothing, cannot, wrong, is not, question particle, blocked,obstructed, like 惡 evil, bad.

妾 Qie4. K635a: Slave woman, servant girl, secondary wife, concubine. In H33 and H50.

實 Shi2. K398a: Fruit, riches, enrich, full, fill, stop up, solid, real, really, sincere, this, that. In H27,H50, H54 and H63.

仇 Chou2. K992p: Mate, companion, antagonist, feud. HYDCD: Spouse, companion, join inmarriage, be equal to, match, enemy, be hostile, hatred.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 and H58.

能 Neng2. K885a: A kind of bear, able, can, treat well, endure.

即 Ji2. K923a: Go to, forthwith, thereupon etc. HYDCD: Going to eat, just about to, near, close to,to reach.

耳 Er3. K981a: Ear, auxiliary word. HYDCD: Ear, things that resembles ears, two identical thingson each side of something.

革 Ge2. K931a: Hide, skin, change, (flay, peel:) take away. HYDCD: Hide, skin, soldier, change,alter, repel, get rid of. I have chosen to use “detach” since it doesn’t make much sense to “alter” or“change” the handles of a metal tripod.

塞 Sai4. K908a: Stop up, block, shut, a pass, strait, fill, sincere, frontier.

雉 Zhi4. K560e: Pheasant. The graph is an arrow and a bird.

膏 Gao1. K1129i: Fat, ointment, grease, moisten, enrich, region below the heart.In the present context the fat of the boiled pheasant can be said to be a stock.

方 Fang1. K740a: Square, region, place, all sides, everywhere, take a place, occupy, side by side,put side by side, on the side. HYDCD: Two boats side by side, a bamboo raft, take a boat or raft tocross a river, side by side, in unison, equal, match, analogy, compare, square, the earth, direction,side, all around, place, area, nation, border, method, being straight forward.

雨 Yu3. K 100a: Rain, rain upon.

虧 Kui1. K28a: To fail, wane, diminish, lack, be missing, injure. HYDCD: Insufficient qi (lifeenergy), decrease, reduce, wane, not enough, damage, lose, be in dept, lose money, fade away. In thepresent context I find “thinning” is appropriate seen in relation to the pheasant stock and the rain.

折 Zhe2. K287a: To break, to bend, destroy, decide.

足 Zu2. K1219a: Foot, enough, sufficient, to add, to heap.

覆 Fu4. K1034m: Turn over, overthrow, on the contrary, revert, repeatedly, overspread, cover, acover, protect, lay troops in ambush.

公 Gong1. K1173a: Father, prince, public, impartial, just, palace. HYDCD: Fair, impartial, just,public, state, country, royal court, public affairs, respectful way to address elderly and superiors,term for dukes and princes in the Eastern Zhou period.

餗 Su4. K1222k: Stew of meat and vegetables.

形 Xing2. K808d: Form, shape, appearance, appear, be manifested, to conform to.

渥 Wo4. K1204g: Moisten, smear, soak.

鉉 Xuan4. HYDCD: A hook shaped bronze device to lift a tripod.

玉 Yu4. K1216a: Jade, precious.

In line 5, you could wonder if 金 was “gold” or “bronze”. But in H21 there is both 黃金 and 金矢;this indicates that the arrow, 金矢, is bronze and 黃金 is used for gold. So I assume that 黃耳 is“golden handles” and 金鉉 is a “bronze carrying hook”.

51 - 震 THUNDER

震亨震來虩虩笑言啞啞震驚百里不喪匕鬯There is thunder but all will be well. When thunder comes causing fright, we just laugh Ha Ha!Thunder scares a hundred miles away, but we don’t drop the ladle with sacrificial wine.

初九﹕震來虩虩後笑言啞啞吉Beginning 9: Thunder comes causing fright, but after we laugh Ha Ha! All is well.

六二﹕震來厲億喪貝躋于九陵勿逐七日得Second 6: Thunder is coming; it can be dangerous [but only one in] a million would strike us. It is justlike if you lose some money, then just climb over nine hills not seeking for it; after seven days youwill get [money again].

六三﹕震蘇蘇震行无眚Third 6: Thunder causes you to tremble with fear. The thunder [causes you to] act, but there will beno disaster.

九四﹕震遂泥Fourth 9: Thunder is followed by mud.

六五﹕震往來厲億无喪有事Fifth 6: Thunder claps going back and forth. It can be dangerous but in a million [people, not one]would lose their life. So [don’t mind the thunder] there is work to be done.

上六﹕震索索視矍矍征凶震不于其躬于其鄰无咎婚媾有言Top 6: Thunder makes you tremble with fear and look around frightfully [believing] it is bad to goanywhere. However, lightning will not strike at you but maybe your neighbour. Be faultless becausethere is slander about your marriage.

GLOSSARY

震 Zhen4. K455s: Clap of thunder, shake, fear. HYDCD: Thunder, sound of thunder, be struck bylightning, shock, earthquake, be frightened, power, agitation, enthusiasm.

虩 Xi4. K787d: Fear.

啞 Ya3. K805f: Laugh, mute.

驚 Jing1. K813g: To be afraid, attentive, scare.

喪 Sang4. K705a: Mourning, burial, to lose, destroy. HYDCD: Mourning, burial, to lose, destroy,use up, deplete. In this case I believe that 喪 refers to “be destroyed” or “lose one’s life” from beingstruck by lightning.

匕 Bi3. K565a: Ladle, spoon, head of arrow. HYDCD: Spoon, arrowhead.

鬯 Chang4. K719a: Aromatic spirits. The graph is a drawing of a bowl. HYDCD: Kind of wineused for sacrifices, ancestor sacrifice.

億 Yi4. K957e: A hundred thousand, a great number, calculate, provide, satisfied, tranquil.HYDCD: Peaceful, quiet, a numeral: one hundred thousand or one hundred million, filled, guess,anticipate, or, exclamation like 噫. I translate this as “a million” because it is a figure of speech nota specific number.

貝 Bei4. K320a: Cowry shell. HYDCD: Cowries, shells, ancient money.

躋 Ji1. K593p: Ascend, steep, raise, promote.

陵 Ling2. K898c: High mound, hill, a height, ascend.

蘇 Su1. K67c: A kind of tree, revive, take, tremble, fear.

眚 Sheng3. K812i: Film covering the eye, (film covering the moon:) new moon, eclipse, calamity,fault, offence by mishap, diminish, restrict. HYDCD: Corneal opacity, cataract, suffering, hardship,eclipse, mishap. 眚 occurs in: H6 (calamity), H24 (eclipse), H25 (eclipse twice), H51 (calamity)and H62 (calamity).

泥 Ni2. K563d: Mud, mire, impede, obstructed, moistened by dew.

索 Suo3. K770a: Twist a rope, rule, law, tremble, fear.

矍 Jue2. K778a: Flurried look, anxious look.

躬 Gong1. K1006f: Body, person.

鄰 Lin2. K387i: Group of five families, neighbour, (near one:) assistant.

媾 Gou4. K109e: Second marriage, favour. HYDCD: Second marriage, families interrelated bymarriage. Shuowen says 媾 means 重婚 and 重婚 means marriage between man and woman fromthe same clan.

婚媾 Hun1 gou4. HYDCD: Related by marriage. There are very few early texts from before the Handynasty where 婚媾 occurs: In the pre-Qin texts listed in the Chinese Text Project it occurs only inthe 國語 Guo Yu and in the Zhou Yi (H3, H22, H38 and H51) and all have the meaning of marriage.

52 - 艮 STILLING

艮其背不獲其身行其庭不見其人无咎Stilling the back as if having no hold of the body. When walking in the courtyard, not noticing thepeople there is not wrong.

初六﹕艮其趾无咎利永貞Beginning 6: Stilling the feet is not a mistake. It will be beneficial to remain correct.

六二﹕艮其腓不拯其隨其心不快Second 6: Still the calves. You are not happy because you cannot rescue those who follow you.

九三﹕艮其限列其夤厲薰心Third 9: Still the lower back and straighten the spine. Sharp feelings suffocate the heart.

六四﹕艮其身无咎Fourth 6: Stilling the body is no mistake.

六五﹕艮其輔言有序悔亡Fifth 6: Stilling the jaws. Regret will vanish if your words are well thought out.

上九﹕敦艮吉Top 9: Holding still with a solid strong [feeling] is good.

GLOSSARY

艮Gen3. K416a: Refractory, obstinate, resist. Graph shows a man with a staring eye. HYDCD:Stop, cease, arrive, cause to stop up, capture, wait, hold back, urge to stay.Because the hexagram is clearly about not moving the body, I think that “hold still”, “to still” or“stilling” would be the right word. I believe 艮 is what you have to do to be able to have stillnesswhich is the theme in several poems in both the Dao De Jing and Guan Zi:

Dao De Jing chapter 16, line 1-4:致虛極，守靜篤。萬物並作，吾以觀復。夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，是謂復命.31

Extend emptiness to the utmost, carefully guard your silence.All things rise together, and I see them return.They bloom in abundance, then each return to their root.

To return to the root is stillness, this is to revive life. 32

Stillness is an important theme in at least nine verses of 管子內業 Master Guan chapter 49—Internal Work:Verse 4.3: 心靜氣理﹐道乃可止。“Dao can settle if the mind is quiet and the qi is regulated.”Verse 7.2: 中不靜﹐心不治。“If you are not quiet inside, your mind will be without control.”Verse 15.2: 心能執靜﹐道將自定。 “If you can hold stillness in your mind, Dao will settle by itself.”33

Please note that the first part of each line in these poems is describing a quietening of a part of thebody, whereas the last part of each line is describing a feeling. This is also the case with line 4; weoften tend to regard inactivity as laziness. 无咎 means that stilling of the body is not to be thought ofas laziness.

背 Bei4. K909e: The back, posterior part.

獲 Huo4. K784d: Catch, get, find, hit, succeed, to be able. HYDCD: Catch in a hunt, capture,victory (capturing enemies), arrest, obtain, get, gain confidence in, what you capture on a hunt, can,be able to, shooting target, win over.

身 Shen1. K386a: Body, person.

庭 Ting2. K835h: Court, courtyard (of palace), come to court. HYDCD: Courtyard, yard, King’scourt.

腓 Fei2. K579q: Calf of leg. Occurs in line 2 of both H31 and H52.

拯 Zheng3. K896i: To save, help, lift. HYDCD: Hoist, pull up, lift, rescue.

快 Kuai1. K312k: Cheerful, find pleasure in, satisfy.

限 Xian4. K416i: Obstacle, limit. HYDCD: Separate, threshold, demarcation line, a limit, to limit,waist (but referring only to this particular hexagram line). 限 is obviously a noun, and judging fromthe context it is probably the lower back. From the meaning “limit” I deduce that 限 is the areawhere the end of the spine joins the sacrum. Below this 臀 “buttocks” is mentioned in H43 and H44.There is, however, not a single example in dictionaries or in any of the texts included in the ChineseText Project that can shed light on exactly what 限 is.

列 Lie4. K291a: Distribute, arrange, rank, order, degree.

夤 Yin2. K450h: Small of the back, region of the reins (but Karlgren based this only on this

particular line in the Zhou Yi). HYDCD: Respectful, to join, link, deep, the meat along the spine(But this is not substantiated with an example like it usually is in the HYDCD). 夤 is obviously anoun and judging from the context it is probably a part of the back or the spine. “Spine” is supportedby the preceding 列 which means “to line up” and this would most likely refer to bones, not musclesor an area of the back. There is, however, not a single example in dictionaries or in any of the textsincluded in the Chinese Text Project that can shed light on exactly what 夤 is.

厲 Li4. K340a: Graph is a scorpion under a cliff. Whetstone, polish, oppressive, cruel, evil, stern,ugly, high, dangerous, a ford, to wet the dress, ends of a sash hanging down, epidemic, stimulate,demon, close to, hedge. HYDCD (37 entries): Encourage, criticize, intense, serious, danger(example is H1).

薰 Xun1. K461e: A fragrant herb, to be pungent, to sting, peaceful, harmonious, indiscriminately, alltogether. HYDCD: Sweetgrass, perfume, fragrance, stifling, scorch, warm, smoke.

薰心 Xun1 xin1. HYDCD: 謂心受熏灼。 常形容愁苦。 《易。艮》: “艮其限，列其夤，厲薰心。” 王弼 注: “危亡之憂，乃薰灼其心也。” “Worries damage the heart like inhaling smoke.”I concur with Wang Bi’s commentary.

輔 Fu3. K102v: Protecting boards on sides of carriage, protect, help, bones of upper jaw. HYDCD:Cheek, upper jaw. Occurs in both H31 and H52 and they both seem to just mean “jaw” since theupper jaw is immovable and both sentences are about stilling the jaw.

序 Xu4. K83h: Walls running north and south at sides of the hall of a palace, space or galleriesclose to such walls, school, order, degrees, arrange in order, continue, succeed. HYDCD: Wallsrunning north and south at sides of the hall, rooms along these walls, well-ordered, be juxtaposed.

敦 Dun1. K464p: Solid, thick, earnest, generous, staunch, strong.

31 Chinese text from《正統道臧》本王弼註道德真經.32 My translation.33 My translation.

53 - 漸 GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT

漸女歸吉利貞A woman [make plans] for marriage step by step, this way it will turn out good. It will beadvantageous [for her] to act correctly.

初六﹕鴻漸于干小子厲有言无咎Beginning 6: The wild goose gradually advances towards the river bank. [There is already] a youngchild [before marriage]. You will be criticized and there is talk, but you have done nothing wrong.

六二﹕鴻漸于磐飲食衎衎吉Second 6: The wild goose gradually advances towards a large rock. It is eating and drinking happily.

九三﹕鴻漸于陸夫征不復婦孕不育凶利禦寇Third 9: The wild goose gradually advances towards the dry land. It is bad if the husband goes on acampaign and does not return or the wife is pregnant but does not give birth. It will be best to takeprecautions against bandits.

六四﹕鴻漸于木或得其桷无咎Fourth 6: The wild goose gradually advances towards the tree and selects a branch for itself, thennothing will go wrong.

九五﹕鴻漸于陵婦三歲不孕終莫之勝吉Fifth 9: The wild goose gradually advances towards the hillock. The woman is not pregnant for threeyears, but in the end nothing can hinder it and all will be well.

上九﹕鴻漸于陸其羽可用為儀吉Top 9: The wild goose gradually advances towards the dry land. Its feathers can be used forceremonies to make them go well.

GLOSSARY

漸 Jian4. K611f: Moisten, dip down into, imbue, influence, (drop-wise:) gradually, increasingly,advance. HYDCD: Advancing step by step, gradual development, sequence, by degrees.

歸 Gui1. K570a: Return, go to, to bring to, go as a bride to the new home. HYDCD: A womanmarried away.

鴻 Hong2. K1172g’: Wild-goose. HYDCD: Wild-goose, swan.

干 Gan1. K139a: Shield, knock against, violate, seek, obtain, pole, river bank, valley stream, piece,item. HYDCD: Shield, request, offend, interfere, waterside, bank, shore, coast, stream between twomountains.

磐 Pan2. K182g: Rock, big stone.

飲 Yin3. K654a: Drink, give to drink.

衎 Kan4. K139p: Rejoice. HYDCD: Happy, cheerful, content, settled.

衎衎 Kan4kan4. HYDCD: Harmonious peaceful appearance.

陸 Lu4. K1032f: Land (as opposed to water), a level height, path, jump. HYDCD: Dry land, bigearth mountain, pathway, jump.

孕 Yun4. K945j: Pregnant.

育 Yu4. K1020a: Rear, breed, nourish.

禦 Yu4. K60p: Withstand, refractory, a match, opponent, stop, hinder, prevent. HYDCD: Sacrifice,stop, prevent, hold back, withstand, take precautions against, be well matched.

木 Mu4 K1212a: Tree, wood.

或 Huo4. K929a: Territory, state, some, someone, something, (some chances of:) possibly, perhaps,either-or. HYDCD: Original form of 國, there is (=有), have, there’s someone, some people, some,something, sometimes, maybe, perhaps, often, indicates choosing or selecting.

桷 Jue2. K1225d: Horizontal branch.

莫 Mo4. K802a: Evening, late, name of a plant, not, not have, there is nobody who, still, quiet, toplan, deliberate, settle, vast, obscure, luxuriant, rich, cut, calm and respectful. Graph has sun andgrass doubled. HYDCD: Time of sundown, dusk, time is used up, dusky, curtain, there is no onewho.

勝 Sheng4. K893p: Vanquish, overcome, surpass, equal to, capable of, equal to one’s task.

陸 Lu4. K1032f: Land (as opposed to water), a level height, path, jump.

羽 Yu3. K98a: Feather, wing.

儀 Yi2. K2u: Proper demeanour, decorum, dignity, ceremony, rule, courtesy, model, (proper match:)mate, associate, (judge what is proper:) estimate, judge, ought, to come.

小子厲有言无咎 “There is already a young child before marriage” can be deduced because themain line of the hexagram, line 3 and line 5 is about marriage or pregnancy.

Edward L. Shaughnessy writes about the romantic or marital symbolism of the wild goose in relationto this hexagram in Before Confucius p. 21-22.

54 - 歸妹 THE MARRYING WOMAN

歸妹征凶无攸利A young woman going to marry will meet misfortune if she proceeds; there is nothing of benefit in itfor her.

初九﹕歸妹以娣跛能履征吉Beginning 9: A young woman going to marry as a concubine, [just like] a limp person can still walk.To go on [with the marriage] will be good.

九二﹕眇能視利幽人之貞Second 9: A one eyed can see, [likewise] the hermit’s way of correcting [his mind by being alone]can be beneficial.

六三﹕歸妹以須反歸以娣

Third 6: A young woman going to marry hesitates and turns back; she marries as a concubine[instead].

九四﹕歸妹愆期遲歸有時Fourth 9: A young woman going to marry exceeds the proper time and waits; she has time enough.

六五﹕帝乙歸妹其君之袂不如其娣之袂良月幾望吉Fifth 6: When Emperor Yi married a young lady, the sleeves of the queen’s [robe] were not as fine asthat of his concubine‘s [robe]. That the moon is [only] nearly full is [also] good.

上六﹕女承筐无實士刲羊无血无攸利Top 6: The woman is holding a basket, but there is nothing in it. The man is stabbing the sheep, but noblood comes out. There is no goal that is beneficial.

GLOSSARY

歸 Gui1. K570a: Return, go to, to bring to, go as a bride to the new home. HYDCD: A womanmarried away.

妹 Mei4. K531k. Younger sister. HYDCD: Younger sister, sister.

歸妹 Gui1 mei4. HYDCD: A young woman about to marry.

征 Zheng1. K833o: (To correct:) go on a military expedition against, to punish, attack, to go, toprogress, levy taxes. HYDCD: Right, straight, correct, go on a long journey, travel far, go on apunitive expedition, traveller, levy taxes. In this case I have translated 征 as “proceeds”.

娣 Di4. K591d: Younger secondary wife. HYDCD says about 娣姒: Concubines of the samehusband, the older called 姒, the younger called 娣.

跛 Bo3. K25m: Lame, lean to one side. HYDCD: Limp, lame, leaning while walking.

能 Neng2. K885a: A kind of bear, able, can, treat well, endure.

眇 Miao3. K1158a: Small eyed, peering, weak-sighted, insignificant. Also occurs in H10.

幽 You1. K1115c: Dark (Shi Jing), solitary (Zhou Yi), secluded (Zhou Yi), to confine (Zuo Zhuan).HYDCD: Most examples are from later texts, or from Zhou Yi itself. In H10, H47 and H54.

幽人 You1ren2. HYDCD: Recluse, hermit, example is H10 line 2.H10 and H47 are quite obvious because of the very clear context. The first part of line 2 in H54 眇能視 “A one eyed can see” is obviously a parallel to the second part 利幽人之貞, just as theparallels in line 1 and 5. If it is so, there must be something positive to the meaning of the secondpart also; “the hermit’s way of correcting [himself by being alone] can be beneficial”, meaningthat being single can also be good, and this makes good sense in the present context of differentaspects of marriage.

以 Yi3. K976b: Take, use, treat as, employ, by, because, in order to, along with, together with. Butonly using these exact definitions for 以 will be too limited; 以 could rather be said to be a “particleof instrumentality”. That is, 以 is used “...to engage (somebody or something) as an instrument.”34

In line 3 it is obvious that 以 does not mean “because of”. But it is difficult to add a specific wordfor the translation of 以, it just introduces the actions that the lady is going to do. If both occurrencesof 以 in the line were omitted the meaning would be the same.

須 Xu1. K133a: Beard, wait, what is needed, necessary, to exact, supply, aid, a short while.

反 Fan3. K262a: Turn, return, bring back, retort, repeat, contrary, on the contrary, to rebel.

愆 Qian1. K197b: Exceed, to err, error, to lose. HYDCD: Fault, error, violate, lose, miss, surpass,exceed.

遲 Chi2. K596d: To tarry, walk slowly, slow, long, wait. HYDCD: Walk slowly, slow, late, longtime, hesitate, wait, by the time, when.

時 Shi2. K961z: Time, then, now, season, seasonable, at all times, constantly, this, then, correct,good.

帝 Di4. K877a: Sovereign, emperor, God. HYDCD: God, highest deity, sovereign, Son of Heaven,emperor. 帝 occurs in H11, H42 and H54.

帝乙 Di4 Yi3. 30th generation of Shang kings (1105-1086 BCE35). 帝乙 is mentioned in both H11and H54.

君 Jun1. K459a: Lord, prince, princess. HYDCD: General name for everyone with rank above 大夫, duke or prince, person who has been granted a fief, wife of emperor or duke, polite form ofaddress.

袂 Mei4. K312d: Sleeve. HYDCD: Sleeve, upper outer garment, jacket.It seems quite obvious from the context that the splendour and quality of the sleeve was a sign ofstatus.

幾 Ji1. K547a: Small, minute, first signs, near, imminent, nearly, almost. HYDCD: Indistinctlysmall, signs, opportunity, chance, nearly, almost.

良 Liang2. K735a: Good. HYDCD: Able and virtuous, kindhearted, good, fine, excellent, big (whenbig is fine like fruits etc.).

望 Wang4. HYDCD: Gaze into the distance, look far, look up to, admire, prestige, observe, watch,compare, full moon, full.

月幾望 occurs in H9 line 6 and H61 line 4.

承 Cheng2. K896c: Lift, to present, to support, assist. HYDCD: Hold or carry in both hands, presentwith respect, bear. In H7, H12, H32 and H54.

筐 Kuang1. K739v: Square basket.

實 Shi2. K398a: Fruit, riches, enrich, full, fill, stop up, solid, real, really, sincere, graph has cowrymoney under roof. 實 occurs four times in the Zhou Yi, besides H27 in H50, H55 and H63 in thesense of substance, not fruit. In this sentence both fruit and substance would make good sense, butsince 果 is used for fruit in H23, I take 无實 to mean “no substance” or simply “nothing”.

士 Shi4. K970a: Officer, scholar, gentleman, man, warrior, a judge, to serve, work.

刲 Kui1. K879h: Stab, cut.

羊 Yang2. K732a: Sheep, ram. HYDCD: Goat, sheep and other animals like this.

血 Xue4. K410a: Blood. HYDCD: In ancient times the term for the blood of sacrificial animals,

later for blood in general, sad tears, blood relationship, red colour, kill and wound, loan for 惕:sympathy, care for. 血 simply means “blood” in H2, H3 and H54. But in H5 it clearly means a“terrible place” and in H9 and H59 “terrible feelings” which I find clearly indicated by thecontext.

Line 5 clearly indicates that Di Yi’s concubine had a higher status than his first wife. A reason for thiscould be that the first wife produced no heir.

This sentence in H10 from line 3 眇能視, 跛能履 is in H54, split on line 1 and 2.

The sentence 幽人之貞 is in both H10 line 2 and in H54 line 2.

34 Wu Sue-mei: Instrumentality: The Core Meaning of the Coverb Yi 以 in Classical Chinese.35 According to the chronology of the Cambridge History of China.

55 - 豐 ABUNDANCE

豐亨王假之勿憂宜日中There is abundance and things go well. So that the king is resting and does not worry is quiteappropriate, [even] in the middle of the day.

初九﹕遇其配主雖旬无咎往有尚Beginning 9: Visiting a lord of equal rank, even if [you stay] a whole week, it is not a mistake. Go on;you will be held in high esteem.

六二﹕豐其蔀日中見斗往得疑疾有孚發若吉Second 6: The abundance is screening off. [Like during a solar eclipse] where you can see the BigDipper at midday. If you go ahead but become doubtful, have inner confidence and send it forwardenvisaging a good outcome.

九三﹕豐其沛日中見沫折其右肱无咎Third 9: The abundance is obscuring. At midday there is a haze so you break your right arm, but it isnot your fault.

九四﹕豐其蔀日中見斗遇其夷主吉Fourth 9: The abundance is screening off. [Like during a solar eclipse] where you can see the BigDipper at midday. You meet your unenlightened chief, and this is good.

六五﹕來章有慶譽吉

Fifth 6: Things will turn out good, brilliance will come with reward and recognition.

上六﹕豐其屋蔀其家闚其戶闃其无人三歲不覿凶Top 6: Abundance to a degree where the [luxury] of your house is screening off the [outside world]. Itis bad if you peer into the house and it is quiet with no people, and there has been no one visiting fora long time.

GLOSSARY

豐 Feng1. K1014a: A kind of ritual vessel, luxuriant, abundant. The graph is a drawing of a ritualvessel with something in it. HYDCD: A ritual wine vessel, large, tall, enlarge, luxuriant, flourishing,dense, thick, abundant, plentiful.

假 Jia4. K33c: False, simulate, borrow, steal a moment’s sleep, great, go to. HYDCD: Borrow, rely

on, hire, give, tolerant, forgiving, false, unofficial, if, even if, idle, unoccupied, fine, beautiful,reach, arrive, far, distant. HYDC gives several examples with the meaning “furlough”, however,from texts later than Han. Examples of this meaning in the Shi Jing: K197: Three occurrences -effortless, resting lying down, leisure, K258: Effortless, K201: A time or occasion (for music),K302: A time (for celebration and offerings). An example from the Shang Shu 大禹謨: unoccupiedor lazy. 假 occurs in H37, H45, H55 and H59. “Steel a moment’s sleep” or just “resting” seemappropriate here.

憂 You1. K1071a: Grief, grieved, suffering. HYDCD: Worried, anxious, misery, fear, dread.

宜 Yi2. K21a: Sacrifice to the deity of the soil, right, proper, beseem, approve, adjust, liable to.HYDCD: An ancient sacrifice, cooked food, suitable, proper, fit, ought to, should, of course, nowonder, probably, seemingly.

日 Ri4. HYDCD: The Sun, daytime, day, formerly, someday, time, period.Occurs 19 times in the whole text, four times in H55, the rest seem to mean “day”.

日中 HYDCD: High noon, the period from dawn to noon, equinox.

遇 Yu4. K124h: Meet with.

配 Pei4. K514a: Counterpart, be the equal or counterpart of, to be worthy of. HYDCD: Coordinate,cooperate, marry, spouse, well matched.

主 Zhu3. K129a: Master, lord, host, princess. Occurs in H2, H36, H38 and H55.

配主 Pei4 zhu3. HYDCD: A hostess, but this is only based on one commentary by Gao Heng.

雖 Sui1. K575v: A kind of lizard, although.

旬 Xun2. K392a: Ten days, decade, everywhere, all round, equally distributed, equal. For adescription of the 旬 week see David N. Keightley p. 39-43.

尚 Shang4. K725a: Upwards, high, admirable, superior, to place over, above, exalt, approve,esteem, higher, prefer, ascend, surpass, add to. HYDCD: Upwards, revere, admire, like, be fond of.

蔀 Bu4. K999g’: Screen. HYDCD: A sun screen of straw, (only examples from this hexagram), aperiod of time in the most ancient Chinese calendar.

斗 Dou3. K116a: Bushel, a measure, ladle, name of a star-constellation. HYDCD: Drinking vessel,measure utensil, name of the star constellation big dipper 七星, a water ladle.If there is a clear sky during a total solar eclipse on the Northern Hemisphere, the stars of the bigdipper is, in fact, visible during daylight.36

疑 Yi2. K956a: To doubt, suspect, hesitate, as if, appearing as, to fear, to fix on, settle, stand still,stop.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. In H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 and H58.

疑疾 Yi2 ji2. HYDCD: Doubt, scepticism.

發 Fa4. K275c: Throw out (an arrow), shoot, send forth, issue, to manifest, to start, go out, go away,to open, (thrown out:) rapid, rushing.

沛 Pei4. K501f: Amply flowing, abundant, run forwards, angry, obscured, darkened, marshy jungle.HYDCD: Abundant or grand appearance, copious, looking grand, marsh, swamp, quickly walking.

沫 Mo4. K277b: Foam, froth, spittle, finish. HYDCD: Bubbles, saliva, finish.Kang Xi Zidian also gives the image of drops of sweat on the body. I believe the meaning in thiscontext is “mist” or “haze”.

折 Zhe2. K287a: To break, to bend, destroy, decide.

右 You4. K995i: The right hand, on the right, to honour, esteem, assist, wait upon.

肱 Gong1. K887f: Arm, especially the upper arm.

章 Zhang1. K723a: Brilliant, illustrious, splendid, refinement, ornament, décor, signal, to display.HYDCD: Magnificent colour, colourful, pattern figure.

慶 Qing4. K753a: Happy, rejoice, felicitate, reward. HYDCD: Congratulate, rejoice, good, award,reward.

譽 Yu4. K89i: To praise, praise, renown. HYDCD: Praise, reputation, fame.

屋 Wu1. K1204a: House, roof.

闚 Kui1. K875d: To peep, to pry, to spy. HYDCD: To peep through cracks or from a hidden place,to pry, to spy. In H20 and H55.

戶 Hu4. K53a: Door, opening, house, family.

闃 Qu4. K860d: Quiet.

夷 Yi2. K551a: Barbarian, level, even. HYDCD: Barbarians from the eastern tribes. I believe 夷refers to small-minded, ignorant people. In the present context of something darkened I choose“unenlightened”. 夷 occurs in H36, H55 and H59.

覿 Di. K1023e: See, have an audience, be visible. Occurs in H47 and H55.

36 This has kindly been confirmed by the Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen. A picture showing both less and equally bright stars as theBig Dipper during a solar eclipse can be found in Guillermier & Koutchmy, p. 220.

56 - 旅 THE TRAVELLER

旅小亨旅貞吉While travelling, you can only expect to achieve small things and the traveller must act correctly if itshall turn out good.

初六﹕旅瑣瑣斯其所取災Beginning 6: If the traveller dallies with unimportant matters he is heading for calamity.

六二﹕旅即次懷其資得童僕貞Second 6: The traveller comes to an inn; he keeps his valuables close. Winning the confidence of theyoung servant is correct of him.

九三﹕旅焚其次喪其童僕貞厲Third 9: The traveller causes his lodge to burn down and he loses [the confidence] of his youngservant. He tries to correct his mistake but is still criticized.

九四﹕旅于處得其資斧我心不快Fourth 9: The traveller retrieves his valuables from the site [of the burnt down inn], but he is still nothappy in his heart.

六五﹕射雉一矢亡終以譽命Fifth 6: Shooting at a pheasant an arrow is lost, but when [the hunt] is over you praise it as Heaven’swill.

上九﹕鳥焚其巢旅人先笑後號咷喪牛于易凶Top 9: A bird burns its own nest. The traveller first laughs, later cries and wails; he has lost his ox bybeing careless.

GLOSSARY

旅 Lü3. K77a: Troop, multitude, retainers, many, younger men of the family, arrange in a series, oneafter the other, set forth, extol, guest, stranger, traveller, to lodge, lodging, road.

亨 Heng1. For all definitions please see the chapter ‘Yuan, Heng and Zhen’. In this case “go well”and “go smoothly” does not work with 小 preceding 亨. 小 seems to work better with 亨translatedas “achieve success” which I stretch to “achieve small things” which seems logical in the context.

瑣 Suo3. K13b: Small, fragment, chain.

瑣瑣 HYDCD: Indecisive (based only on this sentence), insignificant, small, trivial.

斯 Si1. K869a: Cleave, tear apart, this, final particle, then, thereupon, an instant, completely,entirely. Graph has axe and basket. HYDCD: Separate, split, divide, part, tear open, each other, this,all, like 則, 乃, 耳, 然, 之, 的, 是, inserted in poetry for balance and euphony.

取 Qu3. K131a: Take, take wife, graph has hand and ear. HYDCD: Cut off the left ear of prisonersor game, decapitate, take, receive, easily conquer, achieve by force, catch, get, select, govern, bringunder control, marry, be at a certain distance from, hurry along, tend towards, going towards,heading for.

災 Zai1. K940a: Disaster, calamity, injury, misfortune. HYDCD: Natural disaster, calamity, disaster,crime, error, endanger.

次 Ci4. K555a: Arrange in order, order, sequel, next in order, second, take a position, to halt, tolodge, lodging place, hut, place, position, haste, hurry.

即 Ji2. K923a: Go to, forthwith, thereupon etc. HYDCD: Going to eat, just about to, near, close to,to reach.

懷 Huai2. K600c: Breast, bosom, carry on the breast, embrace, keep, in the bosom, to cherish in themind, think of, be anxious about, to comfort, to love, yearn.

資 Zi1. K555h: Property, means of living, provisions, materials, avail oneself of, take, use, receive,possess, rely on, furnish, give, sigh.

童僕 Tong2 pu2. HYDCD: Servant.

焚 Fen2. K474a: To burn, destroy.

處 Chu4. K85a: Dwell, stay, keep still, to place, a place.

斧 Fu3. K102h: Axe. HYDCD: Axe, hatchet.

資斧 Zi1 fu3. HYDCD: Sharp axe, valuables.資 “money” or “goods” and 斧 “axe” together are very rare in early texts. In the pre-Qin texts listedin Chinese Text project there is only one instance apart from the two in the Zhou Yi. Imitations ofmainly spades 布幣 and knives 刀幣 but also dagger-axes 戈幣 were used for money in this period.However, I am not aware of archaeological evidence of common axes as a model for money. Iassume it simply means “goods and axe” because the axe was very common and useful to carry bothas weapon and tool.

資斧 occurs in both H57 line 6 and H56 line 4. 資 alone also occurs in H56 line 3.

快 Kuai1. K312k: Cheerful, find pleasure in, satisfy.

射 She4. K807a: Shoot with bow.

雉 Zhi4. K560e: Pheasant. The graph is an arrow and a bird.

矢 Shi3. K560a: Arrow, set forth, display, to marshal, to swear, make a solemn declaration, dung.The graph is a drawing of an arrow.

以 Yi3. K976b: Take, use, (use =) treat, employ, employee, by, because, in order to, along with,together with. HYDCD: Consider, view as. In line 5, I believe 以 is to be understood as 以之;“consider the loss of the arrow….”.

譽 Yu4. K89i: To praise, praise, renown. HYDCD: Praise, reputation, fame.

命 Ming4. K762a: Order, command, charge, investiture, name designation, denomination, Heaven’swill, life. HYDCD: Order, command, to give orders, command, tell, warn, dispatch, designate,appoint, destiny, Heaven’s will, life, like 名 name, called, call, apply, make use of.

鳥 Niao3. K1116a: Bird.

巢 Chao2. K1169a: Nest, make a nest.

號咷 Hao2 tao2. HYDCD: Howl and wail.

于 Yu2. K96a. In the sentence ‘喪牛于易’ 于 is to be understood as “by being careless” or “frombeing careless”.

易 Yi4. K850a: Change, exchange, easy, negligent, at ease. HYDCD: Change, exchange, easy,underestimate (view as easy), take lightly, rashly.

In line 3 喪其童僕 could also mean that “his servant died”, but it doesn’t fit the context very well. 貞厲 could be translated in two ways: “He tries to correct his mistake but is still criticized” or “Thetraveller has acted correctly but is still criticized.” But how could the traveller have acted correctlyif he burned down his lodge?

57 - 巽 YIELDING

巽小亨利有攸往利見大人Only little success can come from yielding. Therefore, it will be fruitful to have your goal in view. Itwill be of benefit to see a great person [for help].

初六﹕進退利武人之貞Beginning 6: Advancing and retreating; it benefits the warrior to act correctly in this.

九二﹕巽在牀下用史巫紛若吉无咎Second 9: You are yielding and stay seated. It is not a mistake to use different diviners and shamans tosee if things can go well.

九三﹕頻巽吝Third 9: Having to yield several times is regrettable.

六四﹕悔亡田獲三品Fourth 6: Regret vanishes because you catch three kinds of game on the hunt.

九五﹕貞吉悔亡无不利无初有終先庚三日後庚三日吉Fifth 9: Correct things for the better; then regret disappears and all is beneficial. Not much of abeginning but there will be an end. Allow three days before the seventh day and three days after; thisway things turn out good.

上九﹕巽在牀下喪其資斧貞凶Top 9: You are yielding and stay seated while losing your property. Although this may be the correctway of acting it is still bad.

GLOSSARY

巽 Xun4. K433a: Humble, yield. HYDCD: Humble and complying, step on, tramp. The generaltheme of this hexagram is “yielding” or “complying with other’s will only when forced to”.

進退 Jin4 tui4. HYDCD: Advance and retreat.

武人 Wu3 ren2. HYDCD: Commander of army troops, brave warrior.Occur in H10 line 3 and H57 line1. In both lines it could mean “commander” but “warrior” is alsoa possibility.

牀 Chuang2. Presumably a variant of 床. HYDCD: A bed.A bed is also mentioned in H23. I assume it is a low wooden bed also used to sit on (Please see theglossary and illustration of H23). 床下 is mentioned in the Shi Jing K154 where crickets will try tofind hiding under the beds before the winter. But the existence of high beds with legs is notsupported by archaeological evidence and the bed of this period was not likely high enough for aperson to hide under. Therefore, I assume that 在牀下 means “staying seated”. The meaning in thiscontext would be that “you don’t get up and act”.

史 Shi3. K975a: A recorder, scribe, record. HYDCD: An official in charge of recording events,sacrifices, rituals, calendars and divination. In this context 史 does not likely mean “a scribe”, so Iassume 史 is a diviner in the sense “someone who records the divination answers”.

巫 Wu1. K105a: Magician. HYDCD: Shamans, both male and females, performing prayers,divination, astrology as well as prescribing herbal medicines.

史巫 HYDCD: Scribes and shamans.

紛 Fen1. K471h: Mixed, confused, numerous, kerchief, ample.

頻 Pin2. K390a: River bank, shore, on the brink of, close to, urgent, repeatedly, frequently, severaltogether.

品 Pin3. K669a: Sort, kind, class, degree. HYDCD: Numerous, kind, sort, class, degree.

庚 Geng1. K746a: Cyclical character. HYDCD: The seventh of the Heavenly stems, change, alter.If the seventh day was considered the end of the week 庚 could mean “a turning point”, hence themeaning “change”. Three days before 庚 is the 丁-day, three after 庚 is the 癸-day. 七日 ismentioned in H24, H51 and H63.

无初有終. Word by word this means: “No beginning, there will be an end”. In H38 line 3 it seemsunlikely that it will end well for the poor people in the carriage who are being punished severelyand taken away. However, The context of H57 line 5 is clearly about gradually creating a bettersituation and it seems logical that 无初有終 means “Not a [good] beginning, but there will be a[good] end”.

斧 Fu3. K102h: Axe. HYDCD: Axe, hatchet.

資斧 Zi1 fu3. HYDCD: Sharp axe, valuables.資 “money” or “goods” and 斧 “axe” together are very rare in early texts. In the pre-Qin texts listedin Chinese Text project there is only one instance apart from the two in the Zhou Yi. Imitations ofmainly spades 布幣 and knives 刀幣 but also dagger-axes 戈幣 were used for money in this period.However, I am not aware of archaeological evidence of common axes being used as a model for

money. I assume it simply means “goods and axe” since the axe was very common and useful tocarry both as weapon and tool.資斧 occurs in both H57 line 6 and H56 line 4. 資 alone also occurs in H56 line 3.

田 Tian2. K362a: Field, cultivated land, to cultivate land, to hunt, sound of the drum.

58 - 兌 JOY

兌亨利貞[There can be] joy when things go well. Therefore, it will be beneficial to correct things.

初九﹕和兌吉Beginning 9: Responding to joy is good.

九二﹕孚兌吉悔亡Second 9: Joy based on inner confidence is good and will make sadness go away.

六三﹕來兌凶Third 6: Joy coming [from others] may turn bad.

九四﹕商兌未寧介疾有喜Fourth 9: Talking about joy, but there is still not peace. When harm is warded off there can behappiness.

九五﹕孚于剝有厲Fifth 9: It is harmful to have confidence in what is decaying.

上六﹕引兌Top 6: Pull joy forward.

GLOSSARY

兌 Dui4. K324a: Glad, open a passage through, opening. Graph is man and mouth. HYDCD: Happy,open a passage, opening.

和 He2. K8e: Harmony, harmonious, peaceful, reconcile, make correct proportions, blend, mix,small, flute, attune (instruments), respond in singing. HYDCD has the same definitions as Karlgrenbut also: Respond, answer.Line 3 is difficult to translate because it only consists of three characters. Therefore, the context ofthe other six lines must be taken into consideration and also the rather obvious meaning of 和 in H61line 2.“Harmonious joy is good” or “Harmony and joy are good” are possible translations of 和兌吉.However, the meaning of 和 in H61 is clearly that the crane’s young answer her call. Also, themessage of the line has to be a basic condition for joy because it is the lowest line. Therefore, I

think that being able to “respond to joy” is the best translation of 和兌; because if we can’t feel orrespond to joy it is no good to us. So, 和 is not “a pleasant harmonious feeling” like the meaning istoday, it means to “answer” or “respond”.

來 Lai2. 25 occurrences. K944a. A kind of wheat, come. 來兌凶 can mean “coming joy is bad” butthis makes no sense. However, 來 can also mean “make come” which then makes the sentencebecome the opposite of line 6: Sometimes it is good to just start to be happy at once, other times theconditions must be right first.

商 Shang1 K734a: Discuss, debate, to trade, endow, give.

未 Wei4. K531a: Cyclical character, not yet.

寧 Ning2. K837a: Peace, tranquil, serene.

介 Jie4. K327a: Armour, scale (of animals), protect, assist, assistant, rely on, boundary, border,inserted between, contiguous to, great, enlarge, increase, solid, determined, firm, small, cut the feet,obliquely, sudden. The graph is a drawing of a man protected by armour made of strips. HYDCD:Boundary, limit, to separate, in between, introduce, rely on, armour. I find it obvious that 介 occursin H16 line 2 with the meaning “protected”, in H35 line 2 with the meaning “protective” and H58line 4 with the meaning “ward off”.

疾 Ji2. K494a: Sickness, pain, sufferance, defect, injure, aggrieved, to hate, be anxious, violent,evil, hurried, urgent, active, energetic. Graph has man and arrow. HYDCD: Illness, disease, fault,defect, become sick, invalids, agony, shortcoming, grudge, resentment, jealousy, envy, worried,concerned, fast, quick, hate, anger, fury. Occurs in H16, H33, H24, H25, H36, H41, H50, H55 andH58.

喜 Xi3. K955a: Joy, rejoice.

剝 Bo1. K1228a: Cut, flay, peel, to pluck, lay bare, to ruin, break. HYDCD: Split, crack, whittle,flay, peel, fall off, uncovered, exposed. See further explanation in hexagram 23.

引 Yin3. K371a: Draw the bow, pull, draw, stretch, to lead, to guide, prolong, try to obtain.

The lines of hexagram 58 are the shortest in the entire Zhou Yi: There is one line with only twocharacters, two with three characters and one with four. Therefore, it is especially important to beaware of the overall context and the hexagram structure as explained in the chapter ‘Structure andcontext of the Zhou Yi’:

Title line. Joy can come when all is well.

Line 1. Being able to feel joy is a basic condition.

Line 2. True joy comes from within.

Line 3. Set things right first.

Line 4. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.

Line 5. Joy must have a solid foundation.

Line 6. Just start to be happy now.

59 - 渙 DISPERSING

渙亨王假有廟利涉大川利貞Dispersing will make things go well. When the King is unoccupied [with other royal duties] there isthe temple [that needs his attention]. Likewise, it will be advantageous to cross the great river and tocorrect things.

初六﹕用拯馬壯吉Beginning 6: It will be good to use the strength of a cart-horse.

九二﹕渙奔其机悔亡Second 9: [When things] disperse hurry to their point of origin; what was regrettable there is nowgone.

六三﹕渙其躬无悔Third 6: Dissolving one’s self-importance, there will be no regrets.

六四﹕渙其群元吉渙有丘匪夷所思Fourth 6: Breaking up one’s group is basically a good thing. [Likewise] it may be good to disperseyour property, but small-minded people don’t think like this.

九五﹕渙汗其大號渙王居无咎Fifth 9: You can’t be blamed for sweating and crying loudly when being sent away from where theking is.

上九﹕渙其血去逖出无咎Top 9: Disperse the terrible feelings far away so there is nothing wrong.

GLOSSARY

渙 Huan4. K167b: Disperse, ample, relaxed, slack. HYDCD: Disperse, scatter, king issuing verbalcommands (but the only example is from line 5 in this hexagram). Because of the different nature ofthe lines, I use different words to translate 渙. But I think the common theme of “using strength”,“dispersing”, “dissolving” and “breaking up” is obvious.

假 Jia4. K33c: False, simulate, borrow, steal a moment’s sleep, great, go to. HYDCD: Borrow, relyon, hire, give, tolerant, forgiving, false, unofficial, if, even if, idle, unoccupied, fine, beautiful,reach, arrive, far, distant. HYDC gives several examples with the meaning “furlough”, however,

from texts later than Han. Examples of this meaning in the Shi Jing: K197: Three occurrences -effortless, resting lying down, leisure, K258: Effortless, K201: A time or occasion (for music),K302: A time (for celebration and offerings). An example from the Shang Shu 大禹謨: unoccupiedor lazy. 假 occurs in H37, H45, H55 and H59. The meaning of 假 is very obviously “resting” inH55 and very clearly “free time” or “unoccupied” in H37. However, although the king is obviouslyonly watching a great man performing the sacrifice in H45 it could not be called “free time” or“unoccupied” and the same goes for H59. The context is not difficult to see and the phrase 王假有is the same in H37, H45 and H59 which makes it obvious that the meaning is “free time” or“unoccupied” in all four cases in the Zhou Yi. However, both words may seem inappropriatereferring to the king and I feel it is necessary to translate 假 as “unoccupied [with other royalduties]” in H45 and H59.

廟 Miao4. K1160a: Ancestral temple.

拯 Zheng3. K896i: To save, help, lift. HYDCD: Hoist, pull up, lift, rescue.

拯馬 Zheng3 ma3. There is not a single instance of these two characters in Chinese Text Project andthere is no entry in HYDCD. But according to the definitions of each character 拯馬 literally means“a pull-up-horse”. However, I believe it can only mean “rescue a horse” or “a horse used forrescuing”. “Rescue a horse” seems illogical both in H36 line 2 and H59 line 1. The idea isprobably the opposite of a fast horse; a strong horse, like a draught-horse or cart-horse. Whateverthe precise type or function, it is the image of a very strong force. “Rescuing-horse” seems thewrong word for the context and I have translated it “cart-horse”.

壯 Zhuang. K727n: Strong, robust, great.

奔 Ben1. K438a: Run, elope, (rushing:) ardent. The graph has man and several feet.

机 Ji1. K602c. Small table, stool. HYDCD: Same as 機.機Ji1. K547c: Mechanism, clever device, a spring, moving force. HYDCD: Trigger hook on acrossbow, mechanism, loom, hinge, hub, axis, origin of things, opportunity, inner nature.

躬 Gong1. K1006f: Body, person.

群 Qun2. K459d: Flock, herd, class, group, all, sociable.

丘 Qiu1. K994a: Hill, mound, village, district, great, waste, ruins. HYDCD: Like Karlgren butfurthermore gives 田疇 farmland, 大 big and 空 empty, void.

夷 Yi2. K551a: Barbarian, level, even. HYDCD: Barbarians from the eastern tribes. I believe 夷refers to “small-minded people”. 夷 occurs in H36, H55 and H59.

思 Si1. K973a: Think, a particle, to brood, bearded.

汗 Han4. K139t: Sweat.

渙汗 HYDCD: The king issuing verbal commands and edicts. However, all examples are frommuch later periods and most likely influenced by commentaries on this text.

居 Ju1. K49c: Sit down, dwell, reside in, occupy, settlement, residence, repose, tranquil, satisfied,overbearing, arrogant, comfortable, easily, to hoard, in the end, final particle. In H3, H17, H27,H31, H49 居 means “to stay” as opposed to “go”, in H59 居 means “residence”.

去 Qu4. K642a: Go away, leave, put away, eliminate, to take away, remove.

血 Xue4. K410a: Blood. HYDCD: In ancient times the term for the blood of sacrificial animals,later for blood in general, sad tears, blood relationship, red colour, kill and wound, loan for 惕:sympathy, care for. 血 simply means “blood” in H2, H3 and H54. But in H5 it clearly means a“terrible place” and in H9 and H59 “terrible feelings” which I find clearly indicated by thecontext.

逖 Ti4. K856f: Distant, remove. HYDCD: Far, distant, drift apart.

The five characters 用拯馬壯吉 are exactly the same in H36 line 2 and in H59 line 1.

60 - 節 MODERATION

節亨苦節不可貞Moderation will make things go well. But bitter moderation cannot be [considered] correct.

初九﹕不出戶庭无咎Beginning 9: It is no mistake that you don’t go out from the inner courtyard.

九二﹕不出門庭凶Second 9: It is bad if you don’t go out from the outer courtyard.

六三﹕不節若則嗟若无咎Third 6: If you don’t moderate yourself you will come to regret it, even if it seems you have donenothing wrong.

六四﹕安節亨Fourth 6: Peaceful moderation will make things go well.

九五﹕甘節吉往有尚Fifth 9: Sweet moderation is good; to go on like this is better.

上六﹕苦節貞凶悔亡Top 6: Bitter moderation may seem correct but is still not good. Make regret go away.

GLOSSARY

節 Jie2. K399e: Knots or joints of bamboo or other plants, degree, rank, regular division, juncture,circumstance, regulate, discriminate, to moderate, rule, law, baton. HYDCD: Fit, proper,appropriate measure, suitable, a moderate degree, 27 definitions in all.

苦 Ku3. K49u: Sonchus, Lactuca (wild lettuce). Bitter, suffer, bad, of poor quality. HYDCD: Bittergreens, a bitter edible plant, bitter.

戶 Hu4. K53a: Door, opening, house, family.

庭 Ting2. K835h: Court, courtyard (of palace), come to court, straight, upright, distant. Occurs inH36, H43, H52 and H60.

門 Men2. K441a: Gate, door, to attack a gate.

門庭 Men2 ting2. HYDCD: Courtyard by the gate. 出門庭 could mean “going out from the gateand courtyard”. But when going out you would leave the courtyard first and then go out the gatenext. Therefore, it probably means “outer courtyard”. Furthermore, there is a contrast in line 1 ofH60: 戶庭 which must mean “courtyard by the door”. This, I assume, is the “inner court yard”. Sothe author is probably talking of a large house. 門庭 occurs in H36 line 4 and H60 line 2.

嗟 Jie1. K5n: Sigh, alas, oh! I translate it in this context as “regret”. Occurs in H30, H45 and H60.

安 An1. K146a: Peace, peaceful, tranquil, how, where, what.

甘 Gan1. K606a: Sweet. The graph has a mouth with something in it.

尚 Shang4. K725a: Upwards, high, admirable, superior, to place over, exalt, approve, esteemhigher, prefer, ascend, surpass, add to, wish, would that, still, yet.

61 - 中孚 INNER CONFIDENCE

中孚豚魚吉利涉大川利貞You have inner confidence when you have pigs and fish because this is good. Therefore, it will befruitful to cross the great river and to correct things.

初九﹕虞吉有它不燕Beginning 9: Take precautions to ensure a good outcome; if there is anything that is not prepared for,you will feel uneasy.

九二﹕鳴鶴在陰其子和之我有好爵吾與爾靡之Second 9: A crane in the shade calls and its young ones answer. “I have something good to feed you; Iwill share it with you.”

六三﹕得敵或鼓或罷或泣或歌Third 6: You get to deal with someone who first beats the drum but then gets tired of it, then weeps,then sings.

六四﹕月幾望馬匹亡无咎Fourth 6: A group of horses run away when it is nearly full moon, and who can blame them?

九五﹕有孚攣如无咎Fifth 9: If you hold your inner confidence you will not fail.

上九﹕翰音登于天貞凶Top 9: A soaring sound rising to heaven seems to be correct but is in fact bad.

GLOSSARY

孚 Fu. K1233a: To hatch, confidence, sincere, trust, verify, verification, the graph has hand andchild. HYDCD: Trustworthiness, confidence-inspiring, convincing.

豚 Tun2. K428a: Young pig. HYDCD: Young pig, general reference to pigs.

魚 Yu2. K79a: Fish.

虞 Yu2. K59h: Gamester, forester, estimate, calculate, think anxiously about, consider, bepreoccupied, anxious, foresee, take precautions, to plot against.

它 Ta1. K4a: Danger, harm, obstacle, another. HYDCD: Other, in addition, extra, ancient characterfor snake. Occurs in H8, H28 and H61.

燕 Yan4. K243a: The swallow, to rest, at ease, soothe, feast, beautiful.

鳴 Ming2. K827a: Cry of birds or animals, to sound. Graph is a bird and mouth. Also occurs in H15line 6 and H16 line 1 where it clearly means “bragging” or “telling very enthusiastically”.

鶴 He4. K1117b: Crane, glistening white.

陰 Yin1. K651y: Northern slope of a height, shade, darkness, cloudy, conceal, to shelter.

和 He2. K8e: Harmony, harmonious, peaceful, reconcile, make correct proportions, blend, mix,small, flute, attune (instruments), respond in singing. HYDCD: Respond, answer. Occurs in H58 line1 and H61 line 2.

好 Hao3. K1044a: Good, to love, to like. Occurs in H33 and H61.

爵 Jue2. K1121a: Sparrow, small bird, a bird-shaped ritual vessel, nobility, dignity, rank. HYDCD:A bird shaped wine vessel. I believe this means “to feed with the beak”.

吾 Wu2. K58f: I, we, my, our, reserved.

爾 Er3. K359a: Adverb suffix, final particle, flowering, luxuriant, you.

靡 Mi3. K17h: Not, there is not, small, tiny, lay down, let fall, squander, prodigal, exhaust, to rub,slowly, obey, connect, unite, to share with.

敵 Di2. K877q: Enemy, opponent, resist, an equal, a match. HYDCD: Enemy, opponent, ward off,resist, match, fit, be opposite off.

鼓 Gu3. K50a: Drum, measure of weight or capacity.

罷 Ba4. K26a: Wear out, exhaust, stop, cease. HYDCD: Stop, call off, finish, cease, return, sendaway, cancel, tired, exhausted.

泣 Qi4. K694h: Weep.

歌 Ge1. K1q: Sing, song.

幾 Ji1. K547a: Small, minute, first signs, near, imminent, nearly, almost. HYDCD: Indistinctlysmall, signs, opportunity, chance, nearly, almost.

望 Wang4. HYDCD: Gaze into the distance, look far, look up to, admire, prestige, observe, watch,compare, the 15th day of the lunar month, full moon.

幾望 HYDCD: Nearly full moon. The phrase 月幾望occurs in H9, H54 and H61.

匹 Pi3. K408a: One of a pair, single, one (especially of horses). HYDCD: Match, equal to, mates,alone, single, measure word for a number of horses.

馬匹 Ma3 pi3. HYDCD: Measure word for group of horses. Examples of 馬匹 in early texts arevery scarce.

攣 Luan2. K178n: Connect, continue. HYDCD: Linked together, contraction. Shuowen: 係也. (Bind,tie, connect, succeed). 攣 is rare in early texts, but used often in the Yellow Emperors Classic ofInternal Medicine 黃帝內經 where the meaning of 攣 nearly always is “contraction”.The sentence 有孚攣如 occurs in both H9 line 5 and H61 line 5. 孚 is clearly an emotional qualityof inner confidence. In H9 line 5 攣 could mean “a connection” or “a bond” to others because aneighbour will find you confidence-inspiring if you have 孚. But in H61 there is no object for 攣, sothis must yourself “binding” or “tying” this feeling in yourself. For that reason I believe that, inrelation to the emotion of 孚, 攣 means “contracting” or “holding in” the feeling of innerconfidence. Thus I translate 有孚攣如 “If you hold your inner confidence”.

翰 Han4. K140f: Pheasant feather, wing, to fly. HYDCD: Red pheasant, feather, wing, high. Alsooccurs in H22.

音 Yin1. K653a: Sound, tone.

翰音 HYDCD: Soaring sound.

登 Deng1. K883e: Rise, ascend, put up, rise high, raise, ripen.

62 - 小過 A LITTLE TOO FAR

小過亨利貞可小事不可大事飛鳥遺之音不宜上宜下大吉A little too far. In order to make things go well you must act correctly, and you can do only smallthings not big things. The soaring bird loses [the volume of] its sound. It should not fly high but low,this will be very good.

初六﹕飛鳥以凶Beginning 6: If a bird flies high, it will result in misfortune.

六二﹕過其祖遇其妣不及其君遇其臣无咎Second 6: Passing by one’s grandfather and [only] meeting one’s grandmother. Or not reaching thelord, but [only] meeting his official. [In both cases] it is not wrong.

九三﹕弗過防之從或戕之凶Third 9: [A bodyguard] should not be ahead but right next to [whom he protects]. It is bad if the clientis killed by someone pursuing him.

九四﹕无咎弗過遇之往厲必戒勿用永貞Fourth 9: If you are faultless and don’t go too far you will meet him. Going straight ahead is bad, youmust be very attentive; don’t [just habitually] do what is usually correct.

六五﹕密雲不雨自我西郊公弋取彼在穴Fifth 6: Dense clouds from the western outskirts but no rain. The duke shoots with a retractablearrow, taking the animal from its cave.

上六﹕弗遇過之飛鳥離之凶是謂災眚Top 6: It is bad if you don’t meet them but go passed and the birds fly away. This is what we calldisaster.

GLOSSARY

過 Guo4. K18e: To pass, transgress, excess, fault, to pass by.

飛 Fei1. K580a: To fly.

鳥 Niao3. K1116a: Bird.

遺 Yi2. K540m: Leave, reject, leave over, remains, remiss. HYDCD: Lose, leave out, omit,omissions, gaps, abandon, cast off, leave over, hand down, fall, droop, give, hand over.

音 Yin1. K653a: Sound, tone.

宜 Yi2. K21a: Sacrifice to the deity of the soil, right, proper, beseem, approve, adjust, liable to.HYDCD: An ancient sacrifice, cooked food, suitable, proper, fit, ought to, should, of course, nowonder, probably, seemingly.

以 Yi3. K976b: Take, use, (use =) treat, employ, employee, by, because, in order to, along with,together with. HYDCD a few among many: consider, view as, cause, result in, thus, there will be,there is.

祖 Zu3. K46b’: Grandfather, ancestor.

妣 Bi3. K566n: Deceased mother.

臣 Chen2. 377a: Slave, servant, subject, officer, minister. Occurs in H33, H39, H41 and H62.

防 Fang2. K740z: Embankment, dyke, protect against, guard against, withstand, be a match for.HYDCD: Dyke, make a dyke, stop up, block up, guard against, forestall, be juxtaposed, side by side.

從 Cong2. K1191d: Follow, pursue, obey, to humour, attend to, according to, from, follower,attendant, affinited collaterally, longitudinal, leisurely. HYDCD: Follow, followers, make someonefollow, a guide, reach, secondary, pursue, obey.

戕 Qiang1. K727g: Kill, injure.

必 Bi4. K405a: Necessarily, certainly, must.

厲 Li4 is described in detail in the list of frequently occurring characters. In this particular casethere seems no better fitting word than simply “bad” because there is no real danger implied, butcertainly something of bad consequence.

戒 Jie4. K990a: To guard against, be on guard, mistrusting, be ready for, careful, warn, notify,invite, abstinence, fast, press, harass. Occurs also in H11.

永 Yong3. K764a: Long, constant, eternal, drawn out, distant. HYDCD: The unceasing flow of ariver, long, long time, prolong, permanent, forever, always, all along. I stretch “always” and “allalong” to “usually”. It works better than “[what has worked] all along” but carries the samemeaning.

密 Mi4. K405p: Silent, quiet, secret, dense, near, close.

雲 Yun2. K460b: Cloud.

雨 Yu3. K 100a: Rain, rain upon.

郊 Jiao1. K1166n: Vicinity of a city, suburb, outlands, suburban altar and sacrifice. HYDCD: Anarea within a circumference around the capital, 100, 50, 30 or 10 里 (1里 = 300 paces) dependingon the size of the country.

公 Gong1. K1173a: Father, prince, public, impartial, just, palace. HYDCD: Fair, impartial, just,public, state, country, royal court, public affairs, respectful way to address elderly and superiors,term for dukes and princes in the Eastern Zhou period.

弋 Yi4. K918a: To shoot with (a retrievable) arrow and string attached. HYDCD: Wood stake,retrievable arrow with string, take, capture.

彼 Bi3. K25g: That, they.

穴 Xue2. K409a: Cave, pit, hole.

離 Li2. K23f: Name of a bird, leave, depart from, to be dispersed, divide, distribute, arrange, meetwith, fasten, attach, pass through, droop, hang down, fall down, light, brilliance.

是 Shi4. K866a: This, this is, is, (to be thus:) to be right, really.

災 Zai1. K940a: Disaster, calamity, injury, misfortune. HYDCD: Natural disaster, calamity, disaster,crime, error, endanger.

眚 Sheng3. K812i: Film covering the eye, (film covering the moon:) new moon, eclipse, calamity,fault, offence by mishap, diminish, restrict. HYDCD: Corneal opacity, cataract, suffering, hardship,eclipse, mishap. 眚 occurs in: H6 (calamity), H24 (eclipse), H25 (eclipse twice), H51 (calamity)and H62 (calamity).

The sentence 密雲不雨自我西郊 in H62 line 5 is the same as the title line of H9 密雲不雨自我西郊.

63 - 既濟 AFTER THE CROSSING

既濟亨小利貞初吉終亂Having just crossed the river, although successfully, there is only little to gain now. Things must becorrected. In the beginning things are good; in the end there is disorder.

初九﹕曳其輪濡其尾无咎Beginning 9: [If the carriage is stuck while crossing the ford] it is no mistake to [get out and] drag thewheels [even though it involves] getting the behind wet.

六二﹕婦喪其茀勿逐七日得Second 6: The woman loses her carriage curtain but she should not look for it, she will get [another]after a few days.

九三﹕高宗伐鬼方三年克之小人勿用Third 9: King Wu Ding attacked the devil’s land and could do it in three years; [for such a task] lesscapable men cannot be used.

六四﹕繻有衣袽終日戒Fourth 6: Your fine coloured silk cloth has been worn [for so long it is nearly] worn-out. Towards theend of its days you must be careful [not to rip it].

九五﹕東鄰殺牛不如西鄰之禴祭實受其福Fifth 9: The neighbour to the East killed an ox; this was not as substantial as the summer sacrifice ofthe neighbour to the West but [the neighbour to the East still] received the blessing.

上六﹕濡其首厲Top 6: It is dangerous if the water [is too deep] and rises over the head.

GLOSSARY

既 Ji4. K515c: To complete a repast, to complete, finish, exhaust, all, entirely, particle of perfecttense, since, after.

濟 Ji4. K593o: To ford, cross a stream, (to help over:) to help, save, to benefit, contribute to,achieve, increase, to stop, cease, fine-looking, beautiful, dignified, numerous.

初 Chu1. K87a: Begin, beginning.

亂 Luan4. K180c: Disorder, confusion.

曳 Ye4. K338a: To drag, trail. HYDCD: Tow, draw, pull, drag, haul.

輪 Lun2. K470f: Wheel, vertical, from North to south, great, vast.

濡 Ru2. K134f: Moisten, soak, wet.

尾 Wei3. K583a: Tail, copulate. HYDCD: Tail, tip, end, edge, brink, periphery. Occurs in H10,H33, 63 and 64. In H64 尾 is obviously a fox’s tail, but in H63 it is the behind of the persondragging the wheel.

茀 Fu2. K500k: Shrubby, dense, clear away dense vegetation, screens of a carriage.

逐 Zhu2. K1022a: Pursue, drive out, contest. Graph has pig, boar and foot (go).

宗 Zong1. K1003a: Ancestral temple, ancestor, clan, to honour, summer audience of the king withthe feudal princes, master, follow a master. Graph has roof and sign-omen. HYDCD: Ancestor,patriarchal clan, clansman.

伐 Fa2. K307a: Strike, hew, cut, attack, punish. HYDCD: Cut down, pound, strike, attack, assault,punitive expedition.

高宗 Gao1 Zong1 was the posthumous name of King Wu Ding 武丁 (reign around 1200 BCE37) the23rd king of the Shang dynasty. Besides the line in the Zhou Yi it was recorded in the Zhushu Jinian(written before 296 BCE) chapter 45 that in the 32nd year of 武丁’s reign, he sent troops to Guifang鬼方 setting up a base in Jing. The Di and the Qiang tribes were subdued in the 34th year of hisreign.

三十二年，伐鬼方。次于荊。

三十四年，王師克鬼方。氐、羌來賓。

鬼方 Gui3 fang1. HYDCD: (lit. Devil’s Land). Possibly the name of a certain tribe living to theNorth East of the Zhou territory in Shang times, but 鬼方 has also been a general reference to thetribes or unions of Northern tribes. Nicola Di Cosmo writes in The Cambridge History of AncientChina that Gui Fang was mentioned under the name Gui Rong 鬼戎 in the Bamboo Annals and waslikely the ancestors of the Xiongnus.38

繻 Xu1. K134b: Frayed silk (based on this line in Zhou Yi). HYDCD: Coloured silk, finely wovennet or filter. Silk used for writing passes or permits on. Same meaning as 濡 wet. Same meaning as擩 soak. Shuowen only says the meaning is colourful silk. There are no instances of 繻 meaning just

“silk” in all the pre-Qin texts of Chinese text Project. Thus I can only translate it as “fine colouredsilk”.

衣 Yi1. K550a: Garment, clothes, to wear, lean upon, accord with. HYDCD: Jacket, clothes ingeneral, to wear, lean upon. I translate 有 as “has been”, and 衣 as past tense of “to wear”: “hasbeen worn”.

袽 Ru2. K94p: Rags. HYDCD: Worn cotton wadding, rags, worn-out clothes.

戒 Jie4. K990a: To guard against, be on guard, mistrusting, be ready for, careful, warn, notify,invite, abstinence, fast, press, harass. Occurs also in H11 and H62.

殺 Sha1. K319d: Kill, diminish, reduce, of a smaller degree.

禴 Yue4: K1119g: Summer sacrifice.

實 Shi2. K398a: Fruit, riches, enrich, full, fill, stop up, solid, real, really, sincere, this, that. Occursin H27, H50, H54 and H63.

受 Shou4. K1085a: Receive, (receiving:) compliant, tranquil.

福 Fu2. K933d: Happiness, blessing. HYDCD: Happiness, benefit, blessing.

37 The Cambridge History of Ancient China says before 1198 BCE to after 1188 BCE.38 The Cambridge History of Ancient China, p. 919.

64 - 未濟 NOT YET CROSSED

未濟亨小狐汔濟濡其尾无攸利Having not yet crossed things are [still] going well. A small fox is crossing dry-shod but getting itstail wet. There is no beneficial goal.

初六﹕濡其尾吝Beginning 6: It is regrettable if [the small fox] gets its tail wet.

九二﹕曳其輪貞吉Second 9: To drag the wheels will ensure a correct and good [crossing].

六三﹕未濟征凶利涉大川Third 6: It will go badly if the campaign is commenced before everyone having crossed the greatriver; it will be beneficial to finish the crossing [first].

九四﹕貞吉悔亡震用伐鬼方三年有賞于大國Fourth 9: Correct things for the better then regret will vanish. Use great power when attacking thedevil’s land. It may take three years, but then you will have the reward of a greater country.

六五﹕貞吉无悔君子之光有孚吉Fifth 6: If you have corrected things so that all is good there will be no regrets. The wise person caninspire with his inner confidence [so things] turn out good.

上九﹕有孚于飲酒无咎濡其首有孚失是Top 9: To drink wine is no mistake if retaining confidence, but in getting drunk the confidence will belost.

GLOSSARY

未 Wei4. K531a: Cyclical character, not yet.

濟 Ji4. K593o: To ford, cross a stream, (to help over:) to help, save, to benefit, contribute to,achieve, increase, to stop, cease, fine-looking, beautiful, dignified, numerous.

狐 Hu2. K41i: Fox.

汔 Qi4. K517j: Water drying up. HYDCD: Dry up, run dry, finished. Occurs also in H48.

濡 Ru2. K134f: Moisten, soak, wet.

尾 Wei3. K583a: Tail, copulate. HYDCD: Tail, tip, end, edge, brink, periphery. Occurs also in H10,H33, 63 and 64.

曳 Ye4. K338a: To drag, trail. HYDCD: Tow, draw, pull, drag, haul.

輪 Lun2. K470f: Wheel, vertical, from North to south, great, vast.

征 Zheng1. K833o: (To correct:) go on a military expedition against, to punish, attack, to go, toprogress, levy taxes. HYDCD: Right, straight, correct, go on a long journey, travel far, go on apunitive expedition, traveller, levy taxes.

震 Zhen4. K455s: Clap of thunder, shake, fear. HYDCD: Thunder, sound of thunder, be struck bylightning, shock, earthquake, be frightened, power, agitation, enthusiasm.

伐 Fa2. K307a: Strike, hew, cut, attack, punish. HYDCD: Cut down, pound, strike, attack, assault,punitive expedition. 伐鬼方三年 occurs both in H63 line 3 and H64 line 4.

賞 Shang3. K725n: To reward.

光 Guang1. K706a: Light, bright, brilliant, glory. HYDCD: Ray of light, light, brightness, honour,glory, magnificent, the level of culture and etiquette. I translate光 as “inspire”; I find it close to“light” and “brilliance” in this context where 光 seems to be an inspiring positive quality.

飲 Yin3. K654a: Drink, give to drink.

APPENDIX I — FREQUENTLY OCCURRING CHARACTERS

For practical reasons I have moved definitions of frequently occurring characters to this list. I suggestpaying special attention to: 厲, 或, 如, 若, 其, 无咎 and 用.

出 Chu1. 12 occurrences. K496a: Go out, come out, bring out, expel, bring out.

從 Cong2. 6 occurrences. K1191d: Follow, pursue, obey, to humour, attend to (business), accordingto, from, follower, attendant.

大 Da4. 55 occurrences. K. 317a: Great, greatly.

德 De2. 5 occurrences. K919k: Virtue, virtuous, quality, nature, character, disposition.

得 De2. 27 occurrences. K905d: Obtain, get, can.

夫 Fu1. K101a: 10 occurrences. Man, this, that, the one in question, as to, final particle. HYDCD:General term for an adult man, someone engaged in physical labour, soldier, husband, all, pronoun:他, 它, 他們 He, them or it. 這, 這個, 這些 This, this one, these. 那, 那個, 那些 That, that one,those.

福 Fu2. 4 occurrences. K933d: Happiness, blessing.

孚 Fu3. 42 occurrences. K1233a: To hatch, confidence, sincere, trust, verify, verification. In theZhou Yi 孚 always means “Have confidence in” or “Inner confidence”.

婦 Fu4. 8 occurrences. K1001a: Woman, wife.

復 Fu4. 17 occurrences. K1034d: Return, report, reply, repay, recall, restore, recommence, repeat,again.

告 Gao4. 6 occurrences. K1039a: Announce, inform.

國 Guo2. 6 occurrences. K929o: State, country, capital city.

號 Hao4. 7 occurrences. K1041q: Cry out, command, call, name, denomination.

何 He2. 5 occurrences. K1f: Carry, which, what, how, why, where.

恆 Heng2. 9 occurrences. K881d: Constant, increasing moon, to spread out, everywhere. HYDCD:

Long time, fixed, perseverance, first quarter of the moon, all round, continuous.

後 Hou4. 10 occurrences. K115a: Behind, after, follow, to place after, descendants, successor.

黃Huang2. 8 occurrences. K707a: Yellow.

悔 Hui3. 34 occurrences. K947s: Repent, regret.

獲 Huo4. 7 occurrences. K784d: Catch, get, find, hit, succeed, to be able.

或 Huo4. 16 occurrences. K929a: Territory, state, some, someone, something, possibly, perhaps,either-or. HYDCD: Someone, somebody, some, sometimes, anybody, perhaps, also, often,conjunction “if”, the ancient form of 國. In H1 line 4 或 seems to mean “and now” or “and then”(see glossary in H1).

吉 Ji2. 147 occurrences. K393a: Luck, auspicious, good. HYDCD: Good, beautiful, lucky,auspicious, propitious, first day of the lunar month. In a few cases it has seemed most correct totranslate 吉 as “well”.

艱 Jian1. 6 occurrences. K480c. Distress, difficult, hard and difficult. HYDCD: Difficult, not easy,live in privation, dangerous, suffering, loss of relative, foolish, stupid, cautious, be short of. Occursin H11, H14, H21, H26, H34 and H36.

見 Jian4. 21 occurrences. K241a: To see, auxiliary forming the passive voice, appear, conspicuous,manifest, cause to appear, introduce.

金 Jin1. 6 occurrences. K652a: Metal, bronze.

君 Jun1. 2 occurrences. K459a: Lord, prince, princess. HYDCD: General name for everyone withrank above 大夫, duke or prince, person who has been granted a fief, wife of emperor or duke,polite form of address. Occurs in H24 line 6 and H54 line 5 H7 line 6.

君子 Jun1zi3. 20 occurrences. HYDCD: The opposite of 小人 “common person”, a generalreference to virtuous and capable people, respectful form of address.In the Zhou Yi nearly all occurrences of this character seems to refer to sensible wise actions so Itranslate it as “the wise person” in most cases. In H33 line 4 君子 obviously refers to someonewealthy.

可 Ke3. 12 occurrences. K1a: Can, able, may, suitable.

克 Ke4. 10 occurrences. K903a: Carry, sustain, able, can, vanquish, dominate, crush, self-controlled, predominate.

寇 Kou4. 8 occurrences. K111a: To rob, robber, invader, bandit.

來 Lai2. 25 occurrences. K944a. A kind of wheat, come.

厲 Li4. 27 occurrences. K340a: Whetstone, polish, oppressive, cruel, evil, stern, ugly, high,dangerous, a ford, to wet the dress, ends of a sash hanging down, epidemic, stimulate, demon, closeto, hedge. Graph is a scorpion under a cliff. HYDCD 37 entries, among them are: Encourage,criticize, intense, serious, danger (but the example is from H1), study intensively, dig into, strengthenby practice, intense, fierce, hate, dislike.The use of 厲 in the Zhou Yi is much nuanced and there are not just one or two words than can beused throughout the translation. In fact, the image of a scorpion crushed with a rock mentioned byKarlgren is a helpful image to use for establishing a common basic meaning of 厲. All meaningsseem to be something that is “oppressing”, “brutal” or “intense”. In the Zhou Yi it is clearly alwaysa negative action. It is, however, often excused and accepted if it is done with a correct intention. Agood example of this is H35 line 6 where an attack is launched against a city. This is 厲, a brutalthing to do, but the text says that it is not wrong to correct what is bad.The meaning “danger” mentioned by Karlgren and HYDCD is only taken from the Zhou Yi and Ibelieve it is most often not precise. Only in H10, H51 and H63 does 厲 really seem to mean“dangerous”.A good example is H35 line 4: The hexagram is about progress—or business—and the line is abouthoarding. The image is that of someone senselessly acting or collecting without regard to the rightamount, quality or usefulness. Hoarding can be said to be “dangerous” for the business, but Ibelieve “harmful” is much more precise.Because 厲 cannot be translated in the same way in the great variety of contexts in the Zhou Yi, Ihave had no choice but to use several different translations of 厲 to adapt to the context: “Beingsevere to”, “being hard on”, “criticize”, “harmful” and in H35 line 6 I find that “being brutal” isbest. On the other hand, in H18 the son is criticizing the father. The son is “being hard on” his fatherbut “unpleasant” works much better in this sentence. In H21 it is “hard” to chew dried meat. In H38“harsh words” is the right way to describe the man and woman’s attitude to each other. I have alsoused “too bold” to describe the incorrect attitude in the title line of H43. In H52 “sharp” seemslogical.

鄰 Lin2. 6 occurrences. K387i: Group of 5 families, neighbour, (near one:) assistant.

吝 Lin4. 20 occurrences. K475t: Regret deeply. Regret, pity.

履 Lü3. 12 occurrences. K562a: Sandal, to tread, path, dignity.

乃 Nai3. 9 occurrences. K945a: Your, then, thereupon.

牛 Niu2. 8 occurrences. K998a: Bull, cow, ox.

能 Neng2. 7 occurrences. K885a: A kind of bear, able, can, treat well, endure.

女 Nü3. 10 occurrences. K94a: Woman, lady, girl, give as wife.

朋 Peng2. 10 occurrences. K886a: A set of cowries, a peer, equal, comrade, friend, a pair, faction,league. Graph is a string of cowries.

其 Qi2. 109 occurrences. K952a: The original meaning is winnowing basket, loan meanings are:This, that, his, her, its, their, modal particle: will probably, wish that, hope for, aim at. Pulleyblankhas several good examples from early texts of 其 meaning “surely”. Pulleyblank shows a goodexample of 其 meaning “the” (p. 80;268) and I believe “the” is indeed the meaning of 其 in H24line 6, H35 line2 and all 12 occurrences of 其 in H52. In H32 line 3 I translate 其 as “your”.

且 Qie3. 5 occurrences. K46a: Moreover, and, even, meanwhile, temporarily, presently, on the pointof, will soon, obstruct, final particle, plenty, many. All these meanings are loans for the originalcharacter which resembles an ancestral tablet and means “ancestor” or “grandfather”.

求 Qiu2. 6 occurrences. K1066a: Seek for, ask.

取 Qu3. 5 occurrences. K131a: Take, take wife.

人 Ren2. 55 occurrences. HYDCD: Man, person, people.

日 Ri4. 19 occurrences. K404a: Sun, day.

如 Ru2. 31 occurrences. K94g: Resemble, like, as if, if, accord with, as to, go to, or, auxiliary=而.HYDCD: Comply with, according to, like, as, compare with, go to, form word.Normally the verb 如 “like” is placed before the object; an example could be 如此 “like this”. Inthe Zhou Yi, however, it is several times placed after the object. This happens most often when thereis a series of two 如. There are seven places in the Zhou Yi where 如 is used in pairs and onesentence with a series of five 如.H22 line 3: 賁如濡如 Adorn [yourself so fine] that you seem to be glistening.H9 line 5: 有孚攣如富以其鄰 “If you hold your inner confidence it will cause you to be enrichedby your neighbour.” In this sentence it is clear that 如 is referring to 攣 not to 富.H30 line 4: 突如其來如焚如死如棄如 “It comes suddenly like [a fire] burning, dying out andthen abandoned.”

入 Ru4. 9 occurrences. K695a: Enter, to bring in, to present, take to heart.

若 Ruo4. 10 occurrences. K777a: Agree, conform to, accord with, approve, concordant, compliant,like, as, like this, such, thus, if, and, or, you. HYDCD: Along, submit to, yield to, good, select, if,like this, can compare with, to, so, such, thus, towards, yours, their, like this, this, seem, seemingly,as if, as for, or, perhaps, maybe, and, as well, and then, a form word with no real meaning.Pulleyblank doesn’t list a single example where 若 is at the end of a sentence, but in the HYDCD

there are three relevant examples of 若 at the end of a sentence, this occurs, in fact, also seven timesin the Shi Jing. There are six instances of 若 being placed at the end of a sentence in the Zhou Yi inthe meanings of “it would seem”, “like”, “thus”, “as if” (in H20, H30, H55, H57 and H60). In somecases I see no other possibility than to translate 若 as an adverb, that is, with a ..ly ending, like“intently”, “respectfully” etc.)

尚 Shang4. 6 occurrences. K725a: Upwards, high, admirable, superior, to place over, above, exalt,approve, esteem higher, prefer, ascend, surpass, add to, (consider high and admirable:) wish, wouldthat, still, yet.

涉大川 She4 da4 chuan1. 12 occurrences plus one in H28 where 涉 is without 大川: Ford, wade orcross a great river. 涉大川 is not a common expression in ancient texts, in fact very scarcely used,not even as 涉川. 河 he also means “river” but occurs only once (H11). The sentences where 涉大川 occurs are completely different and in no instance directly connected to crossing of armies. But ifa question was asked by a king about warfare 涉大川 could mean “send the army across the river”.This is the case in a Zhou Yi divination in the Zuo Zhuan (Duke Xi year 15) when the earl of Qinwanted to invade the Jin state. The diviner received the hexagram 18 where 涉大川 was in the titleline and told the earl it was auspicious. In questions about civil life I assume the meaning wouldrather be “to act” or “commence a great task”. Several lines in H64 and H63 are obviously aboutbefore, during and after crossing the river.

失 Shi1. 5 occurrences. K402a: Fail, lose, let go, neglect, err.

食 Shi2. 12 occurrences. K921a: Eat, (“eating” of sun and moon:) eclipse, food, give food to.

事 Shi4. 11 occurrences. K971a: Serve, service, office, occupation, affair, to practice,(performance:) sacrifice, functionary. HYDCD: Official rank, post, duty, responsibility, occupation,affair, matter, thing, business, duties of the emperor or feudal lords, undertakings, achievements,ability, talent.

視 Shi4. 5 occurrences. K553h: Look, see, regard, cause to see, show, equal to, proclaim.

首 Shou3. 6 occurrences. K1102a: Head, foremost, to display, turn the head towards.

說 Shuo1. 6 occurrences. K324q: Speak, explain, excuse, exhort, halt, rest overnight. Loan forK324m: Let loose, to peel off, take off, take away, escape, disappear. HYDCD: Persuade, speak,say, explain, halt, free one self, come off. Occurs in H4, H9, H26, H33, H38 and H47.

歲 Sui4. 5 occurrences. K346a: Year, harvest. All 5 occurrences of 歲 are in 三歲, “three years”which just means “a long time”.

所 Suo3. 5 occurrences. K91a: Place, where, the place where. HYDCD: Place, location, all, largenumber or quantity, many applications as grammatical particle. Pulleyblank: Locative complement

or relative pronoun: Any, anything, nothing, what, whatever.

天 Tian1. 8 occurrences. K361a: Heaven, to brand on the forehead. HYDCD: Top of the head,punishment by tattooing the face, heaven, natural, innate.

童 Tong2. 7 occurrences. K1188o: Boy, young man, young person, servant, young animal withouthorns, bald, without vegetation.

王 Wang2. 19 occurrences. K739a: King, to govern.

亡 Wang2. 24 occurrences. K742a: Disappear, exile, die, destroy, not have, not exist, not. HYDCD:Flee, lose, die, destroy, forget, not, not have. 亡 never means “not have”, “not exist” or “not” in thereceived version of the Zhou Yi.

往 Wang3. 50 occurrences. K739k: To go to, the past, bygone, former.

為 Wei2. 8 occurrences. K27a: Make, do, to act as, to be, act for, help, for, because.

我 Wo3. 13 occurrences. K2a: I, me, we, us, my, our.

无咎 Wu2 Jiu4. 93 occurrences. 咎 Jiu4 in K1068a: Fault, blame, inauspicious, calamity,wickedness. HYDCD: No calamity, no disaster, no fault, no offense.In order to adapt to the quite different sentences it has been necessary to use several differentsynonyms: “perfect”, “alright”, “no mistake”, “doing nothing wrong”, “will not fail”, “is nomistake”, “faultless”, “nothing will go wrong”, “no mistake”, “not wrong”, “doing nothing you canbe blamed for”. In H43 line 1 為咎 clearly means “making a mistake”.

勿恤 Wu4 xu4. 6 occurrences. Don’t worry. 恤 (K410e) means: Solicitude, pity, sorrow, anxiety,care about, zealous.

先 Xian1. 7 occurrences. K478a: Before, preceding, former, advance, go before, lead.

小人 Xiao3 ren2. 10 occurrences. Ordinary people, self-depreciatory expression, simple people,people of low moral, people who are short in stature.

笑 Xiao4. 5 occurrences. K1150a: Laugh.

心 Xin1. 8 occurrences. K663a: Heart. HYDCD: Heart, chest, the mind, thoughts, emotions, centre,core.

凶 xiong1. 58 occurrences. K1183a: Bad, unlucky, wicked, to fear. HYDCD: The opposite of 吉,misfortune, bad luck, bad.

言 Yan2. 14 occurrences. K251a: Big flute, speak, speech, talk. HYDCD: Speak, talk, slander,character, sentence, express, record, discuss, inform, tell.

以 Yi3. 23 occurrences. K976b: Take, use, treat as, employ, by, because, in order to, along with,together with. However, only using these exact definitions for 以 will be too limited; 以 could ratherbe said to be a “particle of instrumentality”. That is, 以 is used “to engage (somebody orsomething) as an instrument.”1 Two good examples are H54 line 3 where 以 indicates an action butis difficult to translate with one word. In H23 line 1, 2 and 4 以 simply means “because of” but inline 5 以 is used like it is in H54 line 3.

邑 Yi4. 9 occurrences. K683a: City, town. HYDCD: General reference to any settlement fromvillage to capital.

永 Yong3. 8 occurrences. K764a: Long, constant, eternal, drawn out, distant.

用 Yong4. 58 occurrences. K1185a: Use, employ, by, implement, to offer in sacrifice. HYDCD: Use,employ, apply, implement, put into action, govern, manage, suitable for, appropriate, applicable,action, function, expenses, need, must, require, like 使, make, like 唯 or 只有,only, alone.As it can be seen from the many definitions in dictionaries (28 in HYDCD) 用 does not only mean“use”. There is a wide variety of definitions, and the common denominator is not immediatelyevident. Going through the 58 occurrences in the Zhou Yi, it seems that 用 indicates action orintroduces a verb. Only 14 instances of 用 are clearly in the meaning “use”. Likewise, 用 is used 42times in the Shi Jing but only six times does it means “use” or “employ”.The definitions I have used for 用 are: “Use”, “do”, “by”, “to”, “only”, “when”, “make”, “isbeing”, “accomplish (in the sense “do”)”, “with (in the sense “using”)”, “perform (a sacrifice)”,“employ” and “apply”. In four cases (indicated in the list below with “?”) it is simply best todisregard 用 in the translation because the action is sufficiently indicated by the verb itself.H3, 0: Do not have…H4, 3: … it will be of advantage to punish them and to warn them …H4, 1: Do not choose a woman who…H5, 1: … no mistake to stay hereH8,5: … the King hunts on three sides onlyH11, 2: When crossing the river you should not go farH14, 3: A Duke [can afford to] make an offering to the Son of HeavenH15, 1: By small means the wise person wade the great riverH15, 5: It will [simply] be of advantage to assault itH15, 6: … it will be beneficial to send the army forthH18, 5: Handling the father’s harmful ways, ? praise him [for what he did right].H20, 4: …it will be beneficial to be the king’s guest.H21, 0: To file a lawsuit can beneficial.H24, 6: …and the army is being sent forth [in spite of this].H27, 3: …because [out there] you cannot accomplish anything for a very long time.H29, 3: If you fall into the pit hole you can accomplish nothing.

H29, 6: Tied up with rope and cord…H30, 6: When going out on a campaign the King…H33, 1: … [in this position] you can accomplish nothing.H35, 6: Advance in a bullish way, but only ? strike the city [where the leader is].H40, 6: The duke ? sends out a falcon over the high city wall to capture [game].H41, 0: [Just] using two small ritual bowls with millet will do to perform the sacrifice.H42, 1: It will be beneficial to carry out a great job.H42, 2: … the king makes a sacrifice to God.H42, 3: Enriched by unfortunate affairs, but confident in having done nothing wrong, you go toinform the duke with your honorary jade tablet.H42, 4: … [he will] benefit you by employing you…H44, 0: Do not choose this woman.H45, 2: … it will be advantageous to perform the summer sacrifice.H46, 0: You apply it when you go to see a great person…H46, 2: … you can fruitfully perform the summer sacrifice.H46, 4: The King performs an offering [up high] on Qi Mountain.H47, 2: It will be beneficial to make a sacrifice.H47, 5: … it will be beneficial to make a sacrifice.H48, 3: … but ? drawing water can [accelerate the clearing].H62, 4: … don’t [just habitually] do what is usually correct.

攸 You1. 32 occurrences. K1077a: Place, the place where, that which, whereby, mark of thepassive, far away. All instances of 攸 are preceded by either 无 or 有.

有 You3. 120 occurrences. K995o: Have, there is, (having=) rich.

有攸往 You3 You1 Wang3. Occurs 21 times and means “there is a place to go to” or “there issomewhere you want to go”, but also “go towards a goal”, “pursue an intention”, “have anobjective” or “have a destination to go towards”. It is necessary to adapt this sentence to thecontext and it is therefore not the same in all cases.

于 Yu2. 77 occurrences. K97a: To go, go to, to, in, at, on, an empty particle. HYDCD furthermoregives examples for the use of 于 meaning自, 從 “from” 如 “like”, 以 “because of”. A clearexample of the use of 于 is H35 line 2 受茲介福于其王母 where 受 indicates that the blessing isreceived.

遇 Yu4. 12 occurrences. K124h: Meet with.

月 Yue4. 4 occurrences. K306a: Moon, month.

則 Ze2. 9 occurrences. K906a: Law, rule, pattern, follow a law, imitate, accordingly, thus, then,thereupon.

征 Zheng1. 19 occurrences. K833o: (To correct:) go on a military expedition against, to punish,attack, to go, to progress, levy taxes. HYDCD: Right, straight, correct, go on a long journey, travelfar, go on a punitive expedition, traveller, levy taxes.A very good example of 征 meaning “go on” or “proceed” is H54 歸妹征凶 “A young womangoing to marry will meet misfortune if she proceeds”.

之 Zhi1. 78 occurrences. K962a: Go to, this, him, her, it, them, genitive and attributive particle.Pulleyblank: Go to, demonstrative; that, object pronoun; him, her, it, them; genitive marker, mark ofnominalization.

趾 Zhi3. 6 occurrences. K961g: Foot, heel. 趾 occurs in all six cases in the bottom line.

至 Zhi4. 8 occurrences. K413a: Arrive, come to, highest point, utmost, adequate, suitable.

終 Zhong1. 29 occurrences. K1002e: End, finish, persist, for ever, everlasting, definitely, indeed.

中 Zhong1. 14 occurrences. K1007a: Middle, midway, interior, in, mediocre, average, (centre:)heart, observing the middle way, proper, right, accomplish, pierce, hit the centre, hit, attain.

子 Zi3. 10 occurrences. K964a: Son, daughter, child, treat as child, the young of animals, gentleman,young lady, master, prince, viscount. (The five ranks of nobility: 公、侯、伯、子、男).

自 Zi4. 12 occurrences. K1237m: Self, to follow, from.

NEGATIONS

无 Wu1. 160 occurrences. K106a: Not have, not.

不 Bu4. 97 occurrences. K999a: Not.

勿 Wu4. 26 occurrences (of which 11 are in 勿用). K503a: Don’t.

勿用 Wu4 yong4. 11 occurrences. 勿 usually means “don’t” and 勿用 also means “don’t” in severallines. However, sometimes 勿用 clearly means “of no use” or “can accomplish nothing”.

匪 Fei3. 13 occurrences K579c: Not. In H8 and H14 the meaning is “wrong”.

弗 Fu2. 9 occurrences. K 500a: Not (especially not able to or not willing to). In the Zhou Yi 弗克

means “cannot”, 弗過 means “do not go passed”, 弗遇 means “not meeting” and 弗損益 means“do not decrease or increase”.

否 Fou3. 8 occurrences. K999e: Not. However, only one occurrence is an actual negation meaning

“not” (in H7).

NUMBERS

Numbers are usually not meant to be taken literally in Classical Chinese. The highest number in theZhou Yi is 億 “one hundred thousand” which just means “extremely many”. 三百 300 means “verymany” in relation to the situation in hexagram 6 line 2. Likewise, 100 Li 百里 in hexagram 51 means“far away” and 躋于九陵勿逐七日得 “…climb over nine hills not seeking for it, after seven daysyou will get it” is also to be taken as a figure of speech. Three 三 occurs 23 times in the text andmeans “a few”.

1 Wu Sue-mei: Instrumentality: The Core Meaning of the Coverb Yi 以 in Classical Chinese.

APPENDIX II — TRIGRAMS AND HEXAGRAMS

FOUND ON ARTEFACTS FROM THE LATE SHANG AND THE WESTERN ZHOU

The most convenient sources for an overview of excavated artefacts with digit-hexagrams andtrigrams are the article An Interpretation of the Divinatory Inscriptions on Early Chou Bronzes byZhang Zhenglang1 (ZZL) and vol. 2 of Pu Maozuo’s book Investigation of the Chu state bambooBook of Changes2 (PM). Some of the examples are the same in both works, but taking this intoaccount there are 81 different examples of hexagrams and 48 examples of trigrams—129 in all.

(Question marks stands for missing or illegible signs.)

ORACLE BONES

TRIGRAMS

666 (PM437); 6776 (PM438); 365 (PM439); 867 (PM443).

HEXAGRAMS

757666-787676-866587 (PM438-39); 678968-671679-776766 (PM440); 878785 (PM441); 766766(PM442); 766718 (PM4429); 66775? (PM 443); 766676 (PM 444); 161668 (PM447); 698186-911165 (PM447); 681118-886666-186855-681111 (PM447); 166661-668116 (PM448); 116111 (PM449); 511681-681151 (PM449); 875687-867688-876867 (PM450); 616661 (ZZL#4); ?66771(ZZL#12); 667718 (ZZL#13); 768676 (ZZL#14).

BRONZES

The character yao 爻 is the character for hexagram lines. It resembles the sign which has beenfound on bronzes and oracle bones a number of times—see the ten examples in PM435, 451-454. I donot count these as divination numbers.

The sign has been found on bronzes a number of times, there are 18 examples in PM455-462.Because the lines are crossed at the top it could be a variation of three crosses which could mean555. However, the sign has also been found a number of times. The top of the angles are not

crossed, so it could be 666. Four examples can be found in PM462-463.

TRIGRAMS

816 (PM463); 586 (PM465); 586 (PM466); 851 (PM467); 785 (PM467); 116 (twice side by side)(PM 468); 886 (PM468); 816 (ZZL#17); 666 (ZZL#21); 758 (ZZL#22).

HEXAGRAMS

867617 (PM469); 617616 (PM469); 768675 (PM 470); 661161 (PM470); 51781? (PM471); 618611(PM471); 767676 (PM472); 756667 (PM472); 786666-876666 (PM473); 661661 (PM473); 8868??(ZZL#16); 618611 (ZZL#19).

POTTERY, JADE, WEAPONS, GRINDSTONES

TRIGRAMS

On dagger axes: 161 (PM464); 161 (PM464); 161 (PM465).

On arrowheads of horn: 511 (PM481); of bone 15? (PM481); 161 (PM482).

On pottery pieces: 666-118-166 (PM485).

On a pottery bronze-mould piece: 586 (PM477).

HEXAGRAMS

On a grindstone: 767667-768767-665768-667668-811166-811116 (PM474-475).

On pottery pieces: 778667 (PM475); 667668-667675 (PM 476).

On pottery bronze-mould pieces: 576877-176786 (PM476); 861666 (PM478); ??6667-??7676(PM478); 6116??-116616 (PM479).

On a single pottery jar: 611511-161111-111688-116111-116185-181611-811816-685618-188111-116881-111111 (PM482); one on another pottery jar: 111181 (PM485).

On a pottery spindle: 188611 (PM480); 665668 (PM481).

On pottery pestles: 616161-161616 (PM483); 886818-816666-116111-111611 (PM484).

On a pottery urn: 111181 (PM 485).

On a jade artefact: 677111 (ZZL#30).

1 張政烺:試釋周初青銅器銘文中的易卦.2 濮茅左:楚竹書《周易》研究研究,下編 p. 435-485.

APPENDIX III — CHINESE TEXT

周易乾元亨利貞初九潛龍勿用九二見龍在田利見大人九三君子終日乾乾夕惕若厲无咎九四或躍在淵无咎九五飛龍在天利見大人上九亢龍有悔用九見群龍无首吉

坤元亨利牝馬之貞君子有攸往先迷後得主利西南得朋東北喪朋安貞吉初六履霜堅冰至六二直方大不習无不利六三含章可貞或從王事无成有終六四括囊无咎无譽六五黃裳元吉上六龍戰于野其血玄黃用六利永貞

屯元亨利貞勿用有攸往利建侯初九磐桓利居貞利建侯六二屯如邅如乘馬班如匪寇婚媾女子貞不字十年乃字六三既鹿无虞惟入于林中君子幾不如舍往吝六四乘馬班如求婚媾往吉无不利九五屯其膏小貞吉大貞凶上六乘馬班如泣血漣如

蒙亨匪我求童蒙童蒙求我初筮告再三瀆瀆則不告利貞初六發蒙利用刑人用說桎梏以往吝九二包蒙吉納婦吉子克家六三勿用取女見金夫不有躬无攸利六四困蒙吝六五童蒙吉上九擊蒙不利為寇利禦寇

需有孚光亨貞吉利涉大川初九需于郊利用恆无咎九二需于沙小有言終吉九三需于泥致寇至

六四需于血出自穴九五需于酒食貞吉上六入于穴有不速之客三人來敬之終吉

訟有孚窒惕中吉終凶利見大人不利涉大川初六不永所事小有言終吉九二不克訟歸而逋其邑人三百戶无眚六三食舊德貞厲終吉或從王事无成九四不克訟復即命渝安貞吉九五訟元吉上九或錫之鞶帶終朝三褫之

師貞丈人吉无咎初六師出以律否臧凶九二在師中吉无咎王三錫命六三師或輿尸凶六四師左次无咎六五田有禽利執言无咎長子帥師弟子輿尸貞凶上六大君有命開國承家小人勿用

比吉原筮元永貞无咎不寧方來後夫凶初六有孚比之无咎有孚盈缶終來有它吉六二比之自內貞吉六三比之匪人六四外比之貞吉九五顯比王用三驅失前禽邑人不誡吉上六比之无首凶

小畜亨密雲不雨自我西郊初九復自道何其咎吉九二牽復吉九三輿說輻夫妻反目六四有孚血去逖出无咎九五有孚攣如富以其鄰上九既雨既處尚德載婦貞厲月幾望君子征凶

履虎尾不咥人亨初九素履往无咎九二履道坦坦幽人貞吉六三眇能視跛能履履虎尾咥人凶武人為于大君九四履虎尾愬愬終吉九五夬履貞厲上九視履考祥其旋元吉

泰小往大來吉亨初九拔茅茹以其彙征吉九二包荒用馮河不遐遺朋亡得尚于中行九三无平不陂无往不復艱貞无咎勿恤其孚于食有福六四翩翩不富以其鄰不戒以孚六五帝乙歸妹以祉元吉上六城復于隍勿用師自邑告命貞吝

否之匪人不利君子貞大往小來初六拔茅茹以其彙貞吉亨六二包承小人吉大人否亨六三包羞九四有命无咎疇離祉九五休否大人吉其亡其亡繫于苞桑上九傾否先否後喜

同人于野亨利涉大川利君子貞初九同人于門无咎六二同人于宗吝九三伏戎于莽升其高陵三歲不興九四乘其墉弗克攻吉九五同人先號咷而後笑大師克相遇上九同人于郊无悔

大有元亨初九无交害匪咎艱則无咎九二大車以載有攸往无咎九三公用亨于天子小人弗克九四匪其彭无咎六五厥孚交如威如吉上九自天祐之吉无不利

謙亨君子有終初六謙謙君子用涉大川吉六二鳴謙貞吉九三勞謙君子有終吉六四无不利撝謙六五不富以其鄰利用侵伐无不利上六鳴謙利用行師征邑國

豫利建侯行師初六鳴豫凶

六二介于石不終日貞吉六三盱豫悔遲有悔九四由豫大有得勿疑朋盍簪六五貞疾恆不死上六冥豫成有渝无咎

隨元亨利貞无咎初九官有渝貞吉出門交有功六二係小子失丈夫六三係丈夫失小子隨有求得利居貞九四隨有獲貞凶有孚在道以明何咎九五孚于嘉吉上六拘係之乃從維之王用亨于西山

蠱元亨利涉大川先甲三日後甲三日初六幹父之蠱有子考无咎厲終吉九二幹母之蠱不可貞九三幹父之蠱小有悔无大咎六四裕父之蠱往見吝六五幹父之蠱用譽上九不事王侯高尚其事

臨元亨利貞至于八月有凶初九咸臨貞吉九二咸臨吉无不利六三甘臨无攸利既憂之无咎六四至臨无咎六五知臨大君之宜吉上六敦臨吉无咎

觀盥而不薦有孚顒若初六童觀小人无咎君子吝六二闚觀利女貞六三觀我生進退六四觀國之光利用賓于王九五觀我生君子无咎上九觀其生君子无咎

噬嗑亨利用獄初九履校滅趾无咎六二噬膚滅鼻无咎六三噬腊肉遇毒小吝无咎九四噬乾胏得金矢利艱貞吉

六五噬乾肉得黃金貞厲无咎上九何校滅耳凶

賁亨小利有攸往初九賁其趾舍車而徒六二賁其須九三賁如濡如永貞吉六四賁如皤如白馬翰如匪寇婚媾六五賁于丘園束帛戔戔吝終吉上九白賁无咎

剝不利有攸往初六剝牀以足蔑貞凶六二剝牀以辨蔑貞凶六三剝之无咎六四剝牀以膚凶六五貫魚以宮人寵无不利上九碩果不食君子得輿小人剝廬

復亨出入无疾朋來无咎反復其道七日來復利有攸往初九不遠復无祇悔元吉六二休復吉六三頻復厲无咎六四中行獨復六五敦復无悔上六迷復凶有災眚用行師終有大敗以其國君凶至于十年不克征

无妄元亨利貞其匪正有眚不利有攸往初九无妄往吉六二不耕穫不菑畬則利有攸往六三无妄之災或繫之牛行人之得邑人之災九四可貞无咎九五无妄之疾勿藥有喜上九无妄行有眚无攸利

大畜利貞不家食吉利涉大川初九有厲利已九二輿說輹九三良馬逐利艱貞曰閑輿衛利有攸往六四童牛之牿元吉六五豶豕之牙吉上九何天之衢亨

頤貞吉觀頤自求口實初九舍爾靈龜觀我朵頤凶六二顛頤拂經于丘頤征凶六三拂頤貞凶十年勿用无攸利六四顛頤吉虎視眈眈其欲逐逐无咎六五拂經居貞吉不可涉大川上九由頤厲吉利涉大川

大過棟橈利有攸往亨初六藉用白茅无咎九二枯楊生稊老夫得其女妻无不利九三棟橈凶九四棟隆吉有它吝九五枯楊生華老婦得其士夫无咎无譽上六過涉滅頂凶无咎

習坎有孚維心亨行有尚初六習坎入于坎窞凶九二坎有險求小得六三來之坎坎險且枕入于坎窞勿用六四樽酒簋貳用缶納約自牖終无咎九五坎不盈祇既平无咎上六係用徽纆寘于叢棘三歲不得凶

離利貞亨畜牝牛吉初九履錯然敬之无咎六二黃離元吉九三日昃之離不鼓缶而歌則大耋之嗟凶九四突如其來如焚如死如棄如六五出涕沱若戚嗟若吉上九王用出征有嘉折首獲匪其醜无咎

咸亨利貞取女吉初六咸其拇六二咸其腓凶居吉九三咸其股執其隨往吝九四貞吉悔亡憧憧往來朋從爾思九五咸其脢无悔上六咸其輔頰舌

恆亨无咎利貞利有攸往初六浚恆貞凶无攸利九二悔亡

九三不恆其德或承之羞貞吝九四田无禽六五恆其德貞婦人吉夫子凶上六振恆凶

遯亨小利貞初六遯尾厲勿用有攸往六二執之用黃牛之革莫之勝說九三係遯有疾厲畜臣妾吉九四好遯君子吉小人否九五嘉遯貞吉上九肥遯无不利

大壯利貞初九壯于趾征凶有孚九二貞吉九三小人用壯君子用罔貞厲羝羊觸藩羸其角九四貞吉悔亡藩決不羸壯于大輿之輹六五喪羊于易无悔上六羝羊觸藩不能退不能遂无攸利艱則吉

晉康侯用錫馬蕃庶晝日三接初六晉如摧如貞吉罔孚裕无咎六二晉如愁如貞吉受茲介福于其王母六三眾允悔亡九四晉如鼫鼠貞厲六五悔亡失得勿恤往吉无不利上九晉其角維用伐邑厲吉无咎貞吝

明夷利艱貞初九明夷于飛垂其翼君子于行三日不食有攸往主人有言六二明夷夷于左股用拯馬壯吉九三明夷于南狩得其大首不可疾貞六四入于左腹獲明夷之心于出門庭六五箕子之明夷利貞上六不明晦初登于天後入于地

家人利女貞初九閑有家悔亡六二无攸遂在中饋貞吉九三家人嗃嗃悔厲吉婦子嘻嘻終吝六四富家大吉九五王假有家勿恤吉

上九有孚威如終吉

睽小事吉初九悔亡喪馬勿逐自復見惡人无咎九二遇主于巷无咎六三見輿曳其牛掣其人天且劓无初有終九四睽孤遇元夫交孚厲无咎六五悔亡厥宗噬膚往何咎上九睽孤見豕負塗載鬼一車先張之弧後說之弧匪寇婚媾往遇雨則吉

蹇利西南不利東北利見大人貞吉初六往蹇來譽六二王臣蹇蹇匪躬之故九三往蹇來反六四往蹇來連九五大蹇朋來上六往蹇來碩吉利見大人

解利西南无所往其來復吉有攸往夙吉初六无咎九二田獲三狐得黃矢貞吉六三負且乘致寇至貞吝九四解而拇朋至斯孚六五君子維有解吉有孚于小人上六公用射隼于高墉之上獲之无不利

損有孚元吉无咎可貞利有攸往曷之用二簋可用享初九已事遄往无咎酌損之九二利貞征凶弗損益之六三三人行則損一人一人行則得其友六四損其疾使遄有喜无咎六五或益之十朋之龜弗克違元吉上九弗損益之无咎貞吉利有攸往得臣无家

益利有攸往利涉大川初九利用為大作元吉无咎六二或益之十朋之龜弗克違永貞吉王用享于帝吉六三益之用凶事无咎有孚中行告公用圭六四中行告公從利用為依遷國九五有孚惠心勿問元吉有孚惠我德上九莫益之或擊之立心勿恆凶

夬揚于王庭孚號有厲告自邑不利即戎利有攸往

初九壯于前趾往不勝為咎九二惕號莫夜有戎勿恤九三壯于頄有凶君子夬夬獨行遇雨若濡有慍无咎九四臀无膚其行次且牽羊悔亡聞言不信九五莧陸夬夬中行无咎上六无號終有凶

姤女壯勿用取女初六繫于金柅貞吉有攸往見凶羸豕孚蹢躅九二包有魚无咎不利賓九三臀无膚其行次且厲无大咎九四包无魚起凶九五以杞包瓜含章有隕自天上九姤其角吝无咎

萃亨王假有廟利見大人亨利貞用大牲吉利有攸往初六有孚不終乃亂乃萃若號一握為笑勿恤往无咎六二引吉无咎孚乃利用禴六三萃如嗟如无攸利往无咎小吝九四大吉无咎九五萃有位无咎匪孚元永貞悔亡上六齎咨涕洟无咎

升元亨用見大人勿恤南征吉初六允升大吉九二孚乃利用禴无咎九三升虛邑六四王用亨于岐山吉无咎六五貞吉升階上六冥升利于不息之貞

困亨貞大人吉无咎有言不信初六臀困于株木入于幽谷三歲不覿九二困于酒食朱紱方來利用享祀征凶无咎六三困于石據于蒺蔾入于其宮不見其妻凶九四來徐徐困于金車吝有終九五劓刖困于赤紱乃徐有說利用祭祀上六困于葛藟于臲卼動悔有悔征吉

井改邑不改井无喪无得往來井井汔至亦未繘井羸其瓶凶初六井泥不食舊井无禽九二井谷射鮒甕敝漏九三井渫不食為我心惻可用汲王明並受其福

六四井甃无咎九五井冽寒泉食上六井收勿幕有孚元吉

革已日乃孚元亨利貞悔亡初九鞏用黃牛之革六二已日乃革之征吉无咎九三征凶貞厲革言三就有孚九四悔亡有孚改命吉九五大人虎變未占有孚上六君子豹變小人革面征凶居貞吉

鼎元吉亨初六鼎顛趾利出否得妾以其子无咎九二鼎有實我仇有疾不我能即吉九三鼎耳革其行塞雉膏不食方雨虧悔終吉九四鼎折足覆公餗其形渥凶六五鼎黃耳金鉉利貞上九鼎玉鉉大吉无不利

震亨震來虩虩笑言啞啞震驚百里不喪匕鬯初九震來虩虩後笑言啞啞吉六二震來厲億喪貝躋于九陵勿逐七日得六三震蘇蘇震行无眚九四震遂泥六五震往來厲億无喪有事上六震索索視矍矍征凶震不于其躬于其鄰无咎婚媾有言

艮其背不獲其身行其庭不見其人无咎初六艮其趾无咎利永貞六二艮其腓不拯其隨其心不快九三艮其限列其夤厲薰心六四艮其身无咎六五艮其輔言有序悔亡上九敦艮吉

漸女歸吉利貞初六鴻漸于干小子厲有言无咎六二鴻漸于磐飲食衎衎吉九三鴻漸于陸夫征不復婦孕不育凶利禦寇六四鴻漸于木或得其桷无咎九五鴻漸于陵婦三歲不孕終莫之勝吉上九鴻漸于陸其羽可用為儀吉

歸妹征凶无攸利初九歸妹以娣跛能履征吉九二眇能視利幽人之貞六三歸妹以須反歸以娣九四歸妹愆期遲歸有時六五帝乙歸妹其君之袂不如其娣之袂良月幾望吉上六女承筐无實士刲羊无血无攸利

豐亨王假之勿憂宜日中初九遇其配主雖旬无咎往有尚六二豐其蔀日中見斗往得疑疾有孚發若吉九三豐其沛日中見沫折其右肱无咎九四豐其蔀日中見斗遇其夷主吉六五來章有慶譽吉上六豐其屋蔀其家闚其戶闃其无人三歲不覿凶

旅小亨旅貞吉初六旅瑣瑣斯其所取災六二旅即次懷其資得童僕貞九三旅焚其次喪其童僕貞厲九四旅于處得其資斧我心不快六五射雉一矢亡終以譽命上九鳥焚其巢旅人先笑後號咷喪牛于易凶

巽小亨利有攸往利見大人初六進退利武人之貞九二巽在牀下用史巫紛若吉无咎九三頻巽吝六四悔亡田獲三品九五貞吉悔亡无不利无初有終先庚三日後庚三日吉上九巽在牀下喪其資斧貞凶

兌亨利貞初九和兌吉九二孚兌吉悔亡六三來兌凶九四商兌未寧介疾有喜九五孚于剝有厲上六引兌

渙亨王假有廟利涉大川利貞初六用拯馬壯吉

九二渙奔其机悔亡六三渙其躬无悔六四渙其群元吉渙有丘匪夷所思九五渙汗其大號渙王居无咎上九渙其血去逖出无咎

節亨苦節不可貞初九不出戶庭无咎九二不出門庭凶六三不節若則嗟若无咎六四安節亨九五甘節吉往有尚上六苦節貞凶悔亡

中孚豚魚吉利涉大川利貞初九虞吉有它不燕九二鳴鶴在陰其子和之我有好爵吾與爾靡之六三得敵或鼓或罷或泣或歌六四月幾望馬匹亡无咎九五有孚攣如无咎上九翰音登于天貞凶

小過亨利貞可小事不可大事飛鳥遺之音不宜上宜下大吉初六飛鳥以凶六二過其祖遇其妣不及其君遇其臣无咎九三弗過防之從或戕之凶九四无咎弗過遇之往厲必戒勿用永貞六五密雲不雨自我西郊公弋取彼在穴上六弗遇過之飛鳥離之凶是謂災眚

既濟亨小利貞初吉終亂初九曳其輪濡其尾无咎六二婦喪其茀勿逐七日得九三高宗伐鬼方三年克之小人勿用六四繻有衣袽終日戒九五東鄰殺牛不如西鄰之禴祭實受其福上六濡其首厲

未濟亨小狐汔濟濡其尾无攸利初六濡其尾吝九二曳其輪貞吉六三未濟征凶利涉大川九四貞吉悔亡震用伐鬼方三年有賞于大國

六五貞吉无悔君子之光有孚吉上九有孚于飲酒无咎濡其首有孚失是

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Shaughnessy, Edward L.: I Ching - The Classic of Changes. Ballantine Books 1997.

Whincup, Gregory: Rediscovering the I Ching. St. Martin’s Griffin. New York 1996.

Wilhelm, Richard: The I Ching or Book of Changes. (Transl. C.F. Baynes). Princeton UniversityPress. 1950.

Hatcher, Bradford: The Book of Changes. Word by Word. Private publication 2005.

www.hermetica.info, PO Box 613, Nucla, CO, 81424. USA.

ILLUSTRATIONS

TRIGRAMS AND HEXAGRAMS:

Bronze Ding 史斿父鼎. Exhibited at the Beijing Gu Gong Museum. The two photos are used manyplaces on the internet, but its origin is unknown. The rubbing is from Luo Zhenyu 羅振玉：三代吉金文存.（全3冊）.中華書局 1983, chapter 3, p. 18.

Drawing of oracle bone with three hexagrams. (Pu Maozuo p. 438-39).

Ancient style of the numbers 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 created by author.

STRUCTURE AND CONTEXT:

Two diagrams by myself.

THE YARROW STICKS METHOD:

Illustration by author for Gao Heng’s explanation.

HEXAGRAM 23:

Drawings of chairs and beds from the Han dynasty. (Sun, Ji: Handai wuzhi wenhua ziliao tushuo p.221).

A picture from the Han dynasty with a wooden bed at top left. (Fu, Xihua II, pl. 81, fig. 118).

HEXAGRAM 26:

Drawing of a carriage showing the location of the 伏兔 (Sun Ji: Handai wuzhi wenhua ziliaotushuo p. 114).

TRANSLATION OF THE ZHOU YI WITH TRANSLATOR’S

INTERPRETATIONS

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INTERPRETATIONS ARE ADDED BELOW EACH LINE OF TRANSLATION INCURSIVE SCRIPT

-----EACH PAGE HAS A HYPERLINK LEADING BACK TO THE LIST OF HEXAGRAMS

1 - The Masculine2 - The Feminine3 - Building Up4 - Ignorance5 - Waiting6 - Dispute7 - The Army8 - Uniting9 - Raising Small Livestock10 - Stepping on the Tiger’s Tail11 - Greatness12 - Refraining From13 - Fellows14 - Great Possessions15 - Modest Means16 - Enthusiasm17 - Following18 - Harmful Ways19 - Overseeing20 - Observing21- Chewing22 - Adornment23 - Decay24 - Returning25 - The Unforeseen26 - Raising Large Livestock27 - Nourishment28 - Great Excess29 - Pits30 - Light31 - Completing32 - Duration33 - Withdrawing34 - Great Power35 - Progress36 - Enlighten the Unenlightened37 - The Family38 - Opposites39 - Obstruction40 - Freedom41 - Decrease42 - Increase43 - Determination

44 - Rejection45 - Gathering46 - Moving Upwards47 - Pressure48 - The Well49 - Change50 - The Tripod51 - Thunder52 - Stilling53 - Gradual Development54 - The Marrying Woman55 - Abundance56 - The Traveller57 - Yielding58 - Joy59 - Dispersing60 - Moderation61 - Inner Confidence62 - A Little Too Far63 - After the Crossing64 - Not Yet Crossed

List of hexagrams

1 - THE MASCULINE

The basic nature of the male is to make things go well, therefore, it will be of benefit to correctthings.Constructive action and creativity.

Beginning 9: A dragon at the bottom of the sea can’t be of any use.Inactivity achieves nothing.

Second 9: A dragon is seen on the field. It is of benefit to see a great person.Grasp possibilities.

Third 9: The wise person is active all day long, and is even on guard in the evening. It would seemthis could be harmful but is in this case not a mistake.At all times, be active.

Fourth 9: Some are jumping about in the deep pool. This is not wrong.A space where you can be creative in your right element.

Fifth 9: A dragon flying in the sky. It will be beneficial to see a great person.A connection with someone of high status can be helpful.

Top 9: A dragon forcing through its will will regret it.Don’t act too resolutely.

All lines 9: A group of dragons is seen. They have no leader, but that is good.If all are in accord and all have the same objective, their combined force can be very strong.

List of hexagrams

2 - THE FEMININE

The basic nature of the female is to make things go smoothly by correcting things with a mild attitudelike the one of a mare. The wise person has a goal; first confused but no longer after finding a master.It can be of advantage to make friends in the South West, but then you can lose your friends in theNorth East. You must help keep peace between them so that all is correct and good.A soft attitude can actually be a strength. Subordinating yourself to someone wiser may give youdirection. Different people may be good friends with you but not like each other. You must helpkeep peace between them just like a mother distributes her love between jealous children.

Beginning 6: If you walk on hoarfrost, solid ice will soon come.Take due care when even the smallest of signs are present.

Second 6: If you are straight, square and large, even without practice there is nothing that you can’tmake a gain from.Room and capacity within yourself.

Third 6: Even though hiding your splendour you can correct things. You undertake an assignment forthe King. Without fulfilling it yourself others will finish it.You are content with doing a task even though you will not get the credit for its completion.

Fourth 6: It is no mistake to keep the sack closed, but you will get no credit for what is in it.Refraining from revealing your abilities can be both good and bad.

Fifth 6: Wearing a yellow skirt is basically a good thing.Dressing well is a fundamental way of gaining confidence.

Top 6: Dragons fighting out in the open. Their blood is dark yellow.Negative female nature.

All lines 6: It will be beneficial to always be busy correcting things.Things don’t always progress well without help and support.

List of hexagrams

3 - BUILDING UP

Building up is the foundation of success. It will be beneficial to correct things. It is of no use to havean objective yet, but it will be beneficial to build up alliances.In the beginning of developing anything, a strong foundation is needed before continuing.

Beginning 9: Unmovable like a stone sign post, it will be advantageous to stay where you are. It willbe of advantage to build up alliances.Consolidate and get allies.

Second 6: He tries to build up her confidence in him by driving around her in a horse carriage.Although he is not a bandit but a suitor, a woman acting correctly will not agree because of hisbehaviour, but after a long time she will.Don’t just charge forward demanding what you want. Build up trust first.

Third 6: Having gone to hunt deer without a forester. Only coming into the middle of the forest, thewise person begins to realize that it is better to stop. Going on will cause regret.Don’t go ahead without guidance.

Fourth 6: If he drives a carriage and goes to propose marriage it will go well and whatever he doeswill be of advantage.After having built up trust and confidence, you can now act.

Fifth 9: To fatten up livestock it is correct and good to use light fodder. To use heavy fodder may becorrect but harmful for the animal.Now that you can go ahead, don’t take steps that are too big.

Top 6: Driving a horse carriage so fast it seems the horses weep dripping blood.Full speed ahead.

List of hexagrams

4 - IGNORANCE

If ignorant persons shall come to make things go well, I don’t seek out them, they must seek out me.The first time I divine with yarrow stalks and explain the meaning. But if they keep asking two andthree times it is pestering and I don’t answer. This way of action is beneficial and correct.You will be wise to take a good advice. If you don’t, you must learn from experience.

Beginning 6: In order to enlighten ignorant persons, it will be of advantage to punish them and to warnthem that shackles can be used and if they go on like this they will regret it.In order to prevent bad things from happening the imposition of severe measures on ignorantpersons is still better than the terrible consequences of actions that might be committed byignorant persons if measures are not imposed.

Second 9: It is good to envelop an ignorant person with support; if you present your son with a wifehe can establish a family.Not all help is a disservice.

Third 6: Do not choose a woman who has no self-control when she sees a rich man. There will be noadvantage in having plans with such a woman.Envy could be said to be a lack of the appreciation of the value of the good things that you alreadyhave as well as also to be a lack of understanding how to get what you want by your own means.

Fourth 6: To put pressure on someone who is ignorant will just cause regret.Don’t demand what others can’t deliver.

Fifth 6: It is good that children are ignorant.It is good not to understand more than you can cope with.

Top 9: To beat anyone because of their ignorance is not useful. Only for a bandit is it useful to bebrutal to other bandits.Don’t lose the confidence of those you want to guide.

List of hexagrams

5 - WAITING

Waiting with confidence in glory and that things will go smoothly is correct and good, but it will bebeneficial to cross the great river to get ready.Waiting can be just as important for a good outcome as action.

Beginning 9: Waiting at the outskirts. It will be advantageous and no mistake to stay here.Just wait.

Second 9: Waiting at the beach. There will be some talk about why you don’t go on but in the end itwill be good.Continue waiting, even if others find it odd.

Third 9: Waiting in mud, robbers can get to you.Don’t get stuck.

Fourth 6: Waiting in a terrible place, it is better to come out from this cave.Don’t wait here.

Fifth 9: Waiting at a place with wine and food is correct and good.You might as well spend the time while you are waiting in a pleasant manner.

Top 6: While waiting in a cave three unexpected guests come in. Treat them respectfully and therewill be a good end to things.If you are on the move, no one can find you.

List of hexagrams

6 - DISPUTE

In a dispute, initially there is confidence, but halt and be cautious at the middle when things are stillgood. If you press all the way through it will go badly. It is advantageous to seek a great person’sadvice, but not to cross the great river with the army.Stop while the going is good—go only halfway.

Beginning 6: Do not prolong cases. If you only talk little about it, it will end well.Do not stoke a fire that you want to die.

Second 9: You cannot take this matter to court. Turn back and flee, then the people of the 300households of your home town will avoid calamity.Your mistakes can harm those that are dependent on you.

Third 6: Food that was formerly highly valued may seem correct to eat but, if in fact, it is harmful, weshouldn’t eat it because we want things to end well. You are undertaking an assignment for the King,but it should not be completed.It can be dangerous to act habitually.

Fourth 9: You can’t win this case. Return to attend your assignment and change for peace; this will becorrect and good.Prefer peace over justice.

Fifth 9: This case you can take to court, because the foundation is good.You can win this one.

Top 9: Someone bestows on you a fine ceremonial belt, but before noon you will be deprived of itthree times.Don’t fight for a fruitless purpose.

List of hexagrams

7 - THE ARMY

For the army to act correctly it must have a senior leader, then the outcome of the battles will be goodand there will be no failure.An experienced leader must be in control of the mission.

Beginning 6: The army must set out in the correct order; if not, the mission will go wrong.A foundation must be built sensibly.

Second 9: It is good and not a mistake for the general to be in the middle of his army. Three times theKing will award him the command.Success lies in teamwork and the leader must be part of it.

Third 6: It is bad if anyone in the army needs to be wheeling corpses away.An army can have casualties and still win, but any casualty is a defeat in itself.

Fourth 6: It is no mistake if the army retreats and tries to attack again on the left flank instead.Press through only where you can.

Fifth 6: There is game in the field, if you want to catch it, it will be advantageous and of no mistake tohold your tongue. The senior soldier is commanding troops, the junior is wheeling corpses. It mayseem correct for the junior to be in this position, but it is in fact bad.Sometimes it can be beneficial to lay low, but in general it is better to be on top.

Top 6: A great lord has been given an assignment to make the country bigger so it can support itsfamilies. For such a task people of small ability will be of no use.A great task demands capable and experienced people.

List of hexagrams

8 - UNITING

Unite with what is good. But first determine by divining with yarrow stalks whether its basic nature islong lasting, correct and faultless. If so, you have no peace any place, because you know it is bad ifyou are late to get it.Unite with it only when you are certain it is good.

Beginning 6: When you are confident that it is good, it is not a mistake to unite with it. When you areconfident that it is good fill pots with it, so in the end there is some extra left. That will be good.When you find something very good then get it and keep some extra.

Second 6: Uniting with what comes from within is correct and good.Only unite with what is a desire that has arisen from within in yourself.

Third 6: Don’t unite with these people, they are bad.Don’t unite with what is not right for you.

Fourth 6: Uniting with somebody outside is correct and good.Unite with people and things outside your own circles.

Fifth 9: To display that he is in unison with the people the King hunts on three sides only letting thegame escape through the front. This way, the people of the town will not feel insecure but regard himas good.Act with fairness, if you want people to join you.

Top 6: Uniting with them without a leader will go badly.Unite with these people only if there is a leader who can hold you all together.

List of hexagrams

9 - RAISING SMALL LIVESTOCK

Raising small livestock to make life go well. Dense clouds that are not giving rain come from ourwestern outskirts.Raising a large number of small livestock can support the family. Clouds that accumulate tinydrops of moist will, eventually, give rain for the crops.

Beginning 9: How can it be a mistake to return to your own way? It is good.You spend a lot of energy with other people; when alone again, you can re-charge.

Second 9: It is good to be led back.If you don’t return by yourself to re-charge, it is good if someone can help you to turn back.

Third 9: Spokes come off the wagon’s wheel. It is like when the husband and wife turn against eachother.Spokes are small parts that are only strong when together, just like a husband and wife are onlyable to make a family prosperous and peaceful by working together.

Fourth 6: When you have inner confidence it will drive terrible feelings far away so there is nothingwrong.Accumulated bad feelings are driven out by a good feeling of inner confidence.

Fifth 9: If you have inner confidence it is like a bond that will cause you to be enriched by yourneighbour.If you have accumulated inner confidence, it will draw people to you.

Top 9: Now it has started raining and you have reached a place to rest, you should stay here, valuedfor your good deeds. To carry the woman on through this weather may seem correct but will beharmful. Furthermore, the moon has just come out, it will be bad for the wise person to go on at such alate time.Stop using energy when you are nearly drained.

List of hexagrams

10 - STEPPING ON THE TIGER’S TAIL

Stepping on the tiger’s tail. The tiger won’t bite the man, it will go well.Carefully doing something that is a little dangerous.

Beginning 9: If you are unadorned when you walk along the tiger’s tail you will not fail.Don’t be conspicuous if you don’t want to be noticed.

Second 9: Stepping the Way evenly, the hermit corrects things to be good.A calm and easy way of living life is necessary for those who want to live the Way.

Third 6: A weak-sighted person can still see something and someone with a limp can still walk, but ifthey step on the tiger’s tail, the tiger will bite. The warrior acts for his lord.Don’t try to do dangerous things if you are not fit for it. A skilled warrior can fight for himself butmay not know which are the right battles to fight.

Fourth 9: By stepping fearfully on the tiger’s tail, it will end well.Take precautions if it is dangerous.

Fifth 9: Stepping firmly on the tiger’s tail may be considered correct to do, but it is dangerous.Being right is useless if you’re dead.

Top 9: Look when you step on the tiger’s tail and observe any signs that indicate that the tiger willturn around. This is the basic method to insure things turn out for the good.Watch every step of the way if the path is safe.

List of hexagrams

11 - GREATNESS

Greatness is when the small goes away and the great arrives. Life is good and things go well.Great is good.

Beginning 9: When pulling out grass roots be sure to make the whole network of roots come out; thenyou can go on and there will be a good outcome of the harvest.A sound foundation is necessary for lasting greatness.

Second 9: Include the outcasts of society. Just like when crossing the river you should not go farahead and lose your friends. You will win esteem from walking in the middle with the others.True greatness also involves including others around you.

Third 9: Like there is no plain without a slope, there is no going out without coming back. If youcorrect difficult circumstances so there is nothing wrong, you need not worry. We can be happy if weare confident about sustenance.Life goes up and down, but with a little care all will go well and we can feel secure and beprosperous.

Fourth 6: Don’t go back and forth many times to enrich yourself with help from your neighbour, don’tfeel unsafe but use your inner confidence.True greatness is not reliance on others, but reliance on your own inner confidence.

Fifth 6: Emperor Yi married away a daughter for the sake of happiness. This is a basic way of makingthings good.Become greater by making alliances.

Top 6: Do not dispatch the army from the city when the rampart has collapsed into the moat. Tellpeople it may seem correct but they will deeply regret it.Don’t struggle if the battle is lost.

List of hexagrams

12 - REFRAINING FROM

Refrain from this. There is no one that does not want gain, but the wise person acts correctly when helets great things go away and settles with the smaller.Sometimes you must refrain from good things.

Beginning 6: When pulling out grass roots make the whole network of roots come out. If you correctthis good then crops can grow with success.You must refrain from going further until the foundation is sound.

Second 6: To shelter and support small people is good. However, by refraining from doing so thegreat man actually makes things go well.Supporting weak people can sometimes be a disservice.

Third 6: Conceal what is shameful.Refrain from showing bad conditions.

Fourth 9: If you have an assignment leaving your farmland is not a mistake but, in fact, a blessing.It may be necessary to let go of something important for the sake of an even higher purpose.

Fifth 9: For a great man it can be good to refrain from resting. If he did rest he would just be worrying“will they die, will they die?” He then keeps working, securing the mulberry shoots.Refrain from resting to ensure a good outcome; because of anxiety you would not be able to restanyway.

Top 9: Overturn the circumstances that make you have to refrain. First, you have to refrain but lateryou can be happy.Make things turn around, you can’t refrain forever.

List of hexagrams

13 - FELLOWS

If fellows join together out in the wild it will make things go well. It is beneficial to ford the greatriver. It will be beneficial if the wise man acts correctly out there.When far from home, it is good to have friends.

Beginning 9: Fellows at the gate is no mistake.It is not a mistake to let friendly people come close.

Second 6: Fellows at the ancestral temple will cause regret.It is a mistake to let other people come too close.

Third 9: Fellows hiding their weapons in the bushes, going up in the high hills to lay low and notrising for a long time.Fellows withdrawing together at a safe distance.

Fourth 9: It is good that even though they are crawling on the city wall they can’t attack.Brothers-in-arms keeping the enemy out.

Fifth 9: Fellows first cry and howl, but afterwards they smile. Generals can meet after the battle.There can be respect between former enemies. There is no need to carry hard feelings when thefight is over..

Top 9: There are no sad feelings if there is fellowship when you are out in the outskirts.Fellowship is especially important when you are away from home.

List of hexagrams

14 - GREAT POSSESSIONS

The foundation of having great possessions is that things go well.Having great possessions is a sign that things are going well.

Beginning 9: Have no contact with what is harmful, wrong or whatever you can be blamed for. Evenin hard times stay blameless.There is no point in wanting bad things or getting things in a bad way.

Second 9: Using a large wagon to carry many things is not wrong when you have a purpose with it.Having great possessions is not a burden, if there is a purpose to it.

Third 9: A Duke can afford to make an offering to the Son of Heaven, people of small means can’t.Don’t spend what you can’t afford.

Fourth 9: Not wanting to have grandness is no mistake.Sometimes it is good to abstain from something that is otherwise obviously good.

Fifth 6: It will turn out well if the confident manner with which you connect to others is awe-inspiring.Having a large amount of inner confidence is needed to connect to others.

Top 9: It is blessed from Heaven so it will turn out good, and everything about it is beneficial.What comes from Heaven must be very good.

List of hexagrams

15 - MODEST MEANS

By making things go well with modest means the wise person can finish the task.Where there’s a will there’s a way.

Beginning 6: With modest means the wise person wades the great river.It’s a tough job, but it can be done.

Second 6: Tell others enthusiastically to correct things for the better in spite of modest means.Inspire others to act in spite of the conditions.

Third 9: Working hard with modest means the wise person can finish the job.Completing a task with modest means can involve hard work.

Fourth 6: Everything is beneficial. Direct the troops so they utilize the modest means that they have.With proper guidance this task can be carried out in spite of modest means.

Fifth 6: Don’t enrich yourself with the help of your neighbouring country. It will simply be ofadvantage to assault it, it will be all gain.Do not modestly seek a little help, just take what you want.

Top 6: Tell others enthusiastically that even though it seems insufficient it will be beneficial to sendthe army forth and attack the neighbouring country and its cities.Doing an extremely demanding task with modest means.

List of hexagrams

16 - ENTHUSIASM

Enthusiasm. It will be beneficial to establish fiefs and send the army forth.Without enthusiasm nothing great is ever achieved.

Beginning 6: It is bad to be so enthusiastic that you are bragging.Don’t praise your own achievements before you know the true speed of your progress. Later, whenyou have achieved something, others will praise you.

Second 6: Protected behind rocks, but don’t stay there all day, go on and correct things for the better.After spending some time in safety and with no action, it is now time to move out beyond thepalisades.

Third 6: Staring ahead enthusiastically brings regret. To be tardy likewise brings regret.Find a well-balanced speed for your progress.

Fourth 9: From enthusiasm come great things. If you have no doubt, why would friends not gatheraround you like hair around a hairpin?True enthusiasm will inspire other people to join you.

Fifth 6: Correct the problem of the disease you had for a long time but didn’t die from.Be enthusiastic even about things that were for a long time not successful.

Top 6: Things are dark now, but enthusiastically complete the task; things will change and there willbe nothing wrong.Enthusiasm can pull you through difficult times.

List of hexagrams

17 - FOLLOWING

To follow is a fundamental way to become a success. To follow can be beneficial if you act correctlydoing nothing you can be blamed for.Sometimes it is good to follow other people’s advice, orders or ideas.

Beginning 9: When a government official is transferred to a new place his duty is to correct things forthe better. There will be good results if he goes out and interacts with people.Follow other people instead of waiting for them to come to you.

Second 6: If you bind yourself to the child, you lose the grown man.If you follow a man with knowledge or power you may benefit so don’t stay at home with thechildren.

Third 6: If you bind yourself to the grown man you lose the child. If you just follow you will get whatyou seek. It will be beneficial to stay and correct things.Don’t be too tough because it may hinder contact with children or others who need a softerapproach.

Fourth 9: To follow something and capture it may be correct or it may be bad. But if you let innerconfidence light up your way, how can you be doing a mistake?If you pursue something with true inner confidence your intentions can, of course, only be good.

Fifth 9: It will be good to have confidence in what really is excellence.To follow what is good may bring great gain.

Top 6: You seize and tie it so that it must follow. Bind it and the King will use it as sacrifice on theWestern Mountain.Although it might be considered a grand way to die, the animal that is about to be sacrificed mightthink otherwise. So you have to make it come along by dragging it.

List of hexagrams

18 - HARMFUL WAYS

Harmful ways. What we basically want is for things to go well. It is of benefit to cross the great river.Prepare for three days before commencement, and after settle on the other bank for three days.An important task such as an army campaign can only be done successfully with the right method.

Beginning 6: When handling the father’s harmful ways, it is not wrong if the son is critical. It may beunpleasant, but in the end all will be well.It is more important to correct the mistakes than to avoid hard feelings.

Second 9: When handling the mother’s harmful ways, you can’t correct her.If they are just small problems it is of no benefit to correct them, the other part will just becomevery sad.

Third 9: When handling the father’s harmful ways, there is some regret on your part, but it is not a bigmistake that he did.Correct this with the right measure.

Fourth 6: If you invest in what is actually harmful ways of your father, you will meet deep regret.Don’t continue along a wrong path.

Fifth 6: When handling the father’s harmful ways, praise him for what he did right.Being recognized for what is right makes it easier to face what is wrong.

Top 9: Do not serve king or lords; take your service even higher.The obvious way is good enough, but you can do even better than that.

List of hexagrams

19 - OVERSEEING

To oversee things is a basic requirement of making things go well. It will be beneficial to ensure thateverything is correct. Otherwise, when the eighth month arrives there will be misfortune of a badharvest.To ensure a good harvest, the farmer must keep an eye on the workers and the development of thecrops.

Beginning 9: To oversee that all is going correctly will be good.Don’t miss anything.

Second 9: To oversee all is good, then all will be beneficial.Benefit will come when everything is in order.

Third 6: You want to be comfortably overseeing things, but if you overlook things in this way nothingcan reap a benefit. Having to keep an eye on everything all the time makes you sad, but you can’treally be blamed for that.Things don’t run by themselves.

Fourth 6: When overseeing things, be certain to reach all to make sure there are no faults.A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

Fifth 6: To oversee with wisdom is fitting and good for a great man.Being clever saves trouble.

Top 6: It is good to oversee that things are solid, then there will be no failure.We need to ensure solidity.

List of hexagrams

20 - OBSERVING

Observe while the hand washing ritual is done. Even though the main event of the sacrificial animalhas not yet been laid out you must watch this minor event intently with inner confidence.Watch with awareness and concentration.

Beginning 6: To see things like a child is not a mistake for the small person, but for the wise person itbrings regret.Don’t be childish about adult tasks.

Second 6: To peep without being seen is beneficial and correct for a woman.It is not wrong to observe without being seen if you are in a vulnerable position.

Third 6: Observe one’s own life whether to retreat or advance.A decision must be based on a realistic view of the actual situation.

Fourth 6: To observe the glory of a land it will be beneficial to be the king’s guest.Go and see for yourself.

Fifth 9: Observing one’s own life is not a mistake for the wise person.To take into account one’s own needs and capacity is not a mistake.

Top 9: Observing other people’s lives is not a mistake for the wise person.The wise person can observe and make a fair judgment.

List of hexagrams

21- CHEWING

Chewing is to make things go well, just like to file a lawsuit can be beneficial.Chewing can be considered as a type of working on something to make it useful; like dried meatthat releases nutrition when chewed a long time.

Beginning 9: Walking with foot fetters will cause deep marks in your feet, but you have not made amistake walking anyway.Sometimes it may be necessary to work excessively hard.

Second 6: Chewing the flesh you got your nose too deeply into it, but this is not a mistake.Sometimes work is a little messy, but still beneficial.

Third 6: Chewing salted meat you get poisoned which is slightly regrettable, but you can’t really beblamed for doing it.Some work produces a harmful result.

Fourth 9: Chewing dried meat-bone you find a bronze arrow in it. It is beneficial to correct problemsfor the better.Some work is tough and boring but may yield good things.

Fifth 6: When you chew dried meat you find a piece of gold. It is correct to eat such tough meat buthard. However, it is not a mistake to do so.Hard work can yield surprisingly valuable benefits.

Top 9: It is bad if you carry a too heavy load with a yoke as it will cut into your ears.Don’t work too hard; it will harm you.

List of hexagrams

22 - ADORNMENT

To be elegant can help make things go well. It is a small thing to do, but can be beneficial when thereis somewhere you want to go.Adornment is a small thing that can have great leverage.

Beginning 9: Adorn your feet, leave the carriage and walk.If you do things by yourself, you don’t need to dress for others.

Second 6: Adorn your beard.Use something you already have.

Third 9: Adorn yourself so fine that you seem to be always glistening. This is correct and good.If it has a good effect, adorning yourself is, of course, good.

Fourth 6: Simply adorned he comes swift as if flying on a white, winged horse. She can see he is nota bandit but a suitor.Adorned simply, but with style, can inspire confidence.

Fifth 6: Adorned in hills and gardens, his roll of silk for an engagement gift is not impressing. This isregrettable, but in the end, he will have good luck.It is the thought that counts.

Top 9: It is no mistake to be adorned simply.Excessive adornment may sometimes have a negative effect.

List of hexagrams

23 - DECAY

When something is decaying it will not be useful to have further plans with it.Don’t put faith in things that are decaying. Just as with fruit when it is over ripe, it will only decayfurther.

Beginning 6: A bed decaying because its feet are rotting away. Trying to correct this is no good.Don’t spend energy on fixing things that have started to decay—even if the decay is just beginning.

Second 6: A bed decaying because its frame is rotting away. Trying to correct this is no good.Don’t spend energy on fixing things that have already been decaying for a while.

Third 6: To let it decay is not a mistake.When deterioration is too advanced we must let it rot; all things have their time.

Fourth 6: It is bad if the bed is decaying because of the leather that covers it is causing rot.If we cover things up without ventilation, they may rot.

Fifth 6: Give a string of fish as a favour to the people of the palace. Then none of them will not behelpful to you.Timely care saves us from trouble. It pays later to care for things and people now.

Top 9: A large fruit not eaten. The wise person acquires a carriage, the small man’s hut falls apart.Things are only useful to us if they haven’t started to decay, so make use of them in good time.

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24 - RETURNING

Returning from a journey that went well; you went out and came back unharmed. When friends havecome and all went well, they turn back and return to their own way. Then, after seven days they returnagain. It is beneficial to have a destination to go towards.Life goes in circles.

Beginning 9: If you only go a short distance and return with nothing, you will merely regret it, sinceyour original purpose was to achieve something good.Go further before turning back.

Second 6: Return to rest is good.Go back to rest.

Third 6: Having to return several times may be hard, but is no mistake.More than one time round may be necessary.

Fourth 6: Walk among others, return alone.Don’t lose yourself in the company of others.

Fifth 6: Return with a solid result, then there will be nothing to regret.It is satisfying when you return with a solid result.

Top 6: If you return to the battle ground with an unfocused attack, it will go badly. If there is a naturaldisaster or an eclipse and the army is being sent forth in spite of this, it will end with a great defeatcaused by the country’s lord who gave the order. This will be bad; for a very long time, you cannotattack.Don’t return before you are ready.

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25 - THE UNFORESEEN

The basic remedy to make unforeseen situations go well is to correct beforehand whatever is not inorder. During an eclipse it will not be of advantage to go towards any destination.You must be well prepared for the unforeseen, and don’t go when you can’t see where you aregoing.

Beginning 9: To go without knowing exactly where is good.Sometimes it is good to just act and see what happens.

Second 6: Do not plough when the field is ready for harvest and do not break soil that is alreadybroken; but it will be fruitful to have in view a goal to go towards.Wait and see when action is needed.

Third 6: An unexpected disaster. A tied-up ox. A passer-by’s gain. The resident’s misfortune.Things can happen.

Fourth 9: This can be corrected so it has no faults.It is not always easy to know if things will get better or worse, but don’t lose faith for no reason.

Fifth 9: For an unforeseen illness don’t use medicine, there will be happiness.No need to interfere with the natural process of healing.

Top 9: You go on without knowing exactly where to, but in the darkness of an eclipse there isnowhere beneficial to go.If you can’t see, don’t go on.

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26 - RAISING LARGE LIVESTOCK

When raising large livestock it will be beneficial to keep them correct and not let them eat inside thefamily compound, then it will turn out good. Horses and oxen can be of benefit to us when we crossthe wide river.Taming great powers so they can be of good use to us.

Beginning 9: If you have an unpleasant feeling of danger it will be best to stop.Having great power can tend to make you oversee signals of danger.

Second 9: The axle strut comes off the carriage.If a cart goes too fast it may be damaged.

Third 9: Fine horses compete; it will be beneficial to rein them, correct them by talking to them and tohave a barrier on the wagon for protection. It is beneficial to have a destination to go towards so weneed the horses to work well.It is natural to compete and show what you can, but it can be dangerous. This power is, however,beneficial if it is constrained.

Fourth 6: A pen for the piglets is a basic thing if it should turn out good.Piglets don’t know where they are supposed to be and must be held in a pen.

Fifth 6: A castrated boar’s teeth are a good thing.Small action that has a great calming effect.

Top 9: What is Heaven’s Way? To make things go well!The whole purpose of raising livestock is to make it useful, so we should apply all necessarymeasures to ensure a successful outcome.

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27 - NOURISHMENT

Nourishment should be of the correct kind and good for you. Therefore, observe if the nourishmentthat you seek out for your mouth has substance.Nourishment can be both good and bad.

Beginning 9: You released your magic turtle and now you are looking at me with mouth agape; that’sno good!Hold on to good things.

Second 6: Foraging on the top of the hill you are clearing a path to where the nourishment on the hillis, but to go on like this will be bad.The outcome should be bigger than the investment.

Third 6: Clearing a path to where the nourishment is, may be considered correct but is still not goodto do because out there you can accomplish nothing for a very long time, and there is really nothingmuch to find on the hill.A fruitless effort will wear you out.

Fourth 6: Foraging on the top of the hill is good. To stare like a tiger pursuing its prey is not wrong ofyou.Wanting something with a strong intent is good.

Fifth 6: You want to clear a path, but it is correct and good to stay where you are. Don’t cross thegreat river to seek other sources of nourishment.If you already have what you need, don’t risk anything.

Top 9: Going to the source of nourishment can be hard, but nourishment is good for us. Therefore, itwill be beneficial to cross the great river.Sometimes we are forced to defy danger and problems to get what we need.

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28 - GREAT EXCESS

If there is a great excess of weight, the beam will bend. It will be beneficial to have a place to divertthe pressure to in order to make things go well.If the load is too big, you must divert the pressure.

Beginning 6: It is no mistake to use plain grass for the sacrificial mat.A little less is not too little.

Second 9: A withered poplar tree shooting new shoots. An old man finds himself a younger woman tomarry. Everything can be fruitful.There can be more vitality than first appears. This is not too much for the old man, only good.

Third 9: It is bad if the beam bends.Avoid danger of a collapse.

Fourth 9: The beam is strong enough, but there are other parts of the construction that will causeregret.A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.

Fifth 9: A withered poplar flourishes. An old woman finds herself a younger gentleman. This is not amistake, but it will receive no praise.There can be more lifeforce than first appears. It is not too much for the old woman, but it is,maybe, too much for others to accept.

Top 6: When crossing the river it is bad if you get in so deep that the head goes under water, but itwas no mistake trying.Too much by far.

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29 - PITS

Going by pit after pit, but if there is inner confidence guiding your heart it will go well. If you gothrough you will be highly esteemed.Finding a way through a dangerous situation.

Beginning 6: Pit after pit, falling in the pit hole is bad.Focus on finding your way through; don’t fall in any of the holes.

Second 9: The pit is narrow. If you seek something inside it, what you find will naturally be small.If you look in a small place, you will only find small things.

Third 6: Pit after pit is coming, narrow and deep. If you fall into the pit hole you can accomplishnothing.If you fall in, you will be no good to anybody.

Fourth 6: Have a flask of wine and a bowl of food brought in, both just in simple clay pots. If youconstrain yourself from looking out the window, in the end you will make no mistakes.Constraining oneself in a room to concentrate and avoid distraction, as when preparing for anexamination.

Fifth 9: The pit is not overflowing; it is filled precisely to the brim.Completely filled—no more, no less.

Top 6: Tied up with rope and cord and placed among thorny bushes, for three years not achievinganything. This is bad.Confined in a bad place.

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30 - LIGHT

Light is beneficial so we can see what to correct in order to make things go well. Light produces thegrass as well so we can raise cows which are good for us.Light is essential in our life. When there is light we can see what is right and wrong. Furthermore,although we can’t live on light alone, the sun produces the grass that cows eat and cows arebeneficial to us in many ways; milk, food, leather, and they can pull our cart and plough.

Beginning 9: Walking awkwardly, but if done with respect you are making no mistake in approaching.Maybe you feel awkward, but if you never ask you’ll never get others to enlighten you.

Second 6: Yellow light is the basis of all good things.Sunlight is essential to life.

Third 9: It is bad if you sit in the light of the sunset not beating pots while singing, but only lamentingyour old age.Lighten up!

Fourth 9: It comes suddenly like a fire burning, dying out and then abandoned.A flash of light.

Fifth 6: Sadness and sighing with tears falling can, in fact, be good.We need to clear out dark feelings to make room for the bright feelings.

Top 9: When going out on a campaign the King has the satisfaction of killing the leader, but he doesnot kill, only capture, those of the followers that are not evil. This way of action is blameless.When you see in clear light you can distinguish what is the essential core.

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31 - COMPLETING

If complete, things go well. So it will be fruitful to correct what is not complete. Thus it will be goodfor a man to take a woman as wife.Like all dualities, man and woman complement each other and comprise a whole.

Beginning 6: Heal the big toe.The internal energy should reach all the way down.

Second 6: Heal the calves. If it feels bad, then stay until it is good.The unrest in the lower legs takes time to calm down.

Third 9: Heal the thighs. Hold what follows. If you let go you will regret.The unrest in the upper legs can be very hard to calm down.

Fourth 9: Correct things to be good and worries will go away. You go back and forth hesitating, butyour friends will comply with what you have in mind.If what you propose is good don’t worry, others will understand you and cooperate.

Fifth 9: Heal the back so there are no feelings of regret.Unrest in the back is very unpleasant.

Top 6: Heal the jaw, jowl and tongue.Unrest in the mind makes you talk too much.

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32 - DURATION

Enduring effort will ensure a perfect success. It will be fruitful to correct things and to have a goal togo towards.Great achievements take a long time.

Beginning 6: To keep digging a hole may seem correct but is actually bad if there is nothing of benefitin it.Do not stay with this. Get going.

Second 9: Let regret go.Don’t hang on to regrettable thoughts.

Third 9: If your good conduct is not enduring someone will bring forward what is shameful. This iscorrect of them but will cause regret to you.Always be impeccable; truth will come to light.

Fourth 9: No birds in the field.If there is nothing where you are, do not stay.

Fifth 6: Enduring virtue and correctness of conduct is good for a married woman but bad for a man.Sometimes there is reason to be loyal, sometimes not.

Top 6: To be moving energetically for a long time is bad.Sometimes a long time is needed; sometimes it is harmful.

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33 - WITHDRAWING

To withdraw is to make things go well. There is only little benefit in this, but it is correct to do so.Sometimes it is good to withdraw. Even though you don’t achieve anything, it is still best to do so.

Beginning 6: To withdraw all the way back is harmful because in this position you can accomplishnothing. There is an objective to go towards.Don’t withdraw too far.

Second 6: Tie it using a string of yellow dried ox hide; then no one will be able to get it loose.If you are determined, you do not have to retreat.

Third 6: If you have to retreat because someone is dependent on you it is a problem and a burden.Therefore, taking care of subjects and concubines will be good.Help those who are dependent on you in advance. Otherwise this burden can force you to retreat.

Fourth 9: Retreating to enjoy life is good for the superior man, but the small man cannot.You can only take a vacation if you saved money for it, and you can only retire if you have apension.

Fifth 9: Retreating happily is correct and good.Complete the job so you are satisfied and stop while the going is good.

Top 9: When the animal has become fat you can retreat from feeding it, and now it can be used for anyoccasion.Waiting a long time before retreating may yield a better result.

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34 - GREAT POWER

Great power is of benefit when applied properly.Strong power is good, but it can be a double-edged sword.

Beginning 9: Setting out with powerful steps is bad, there must be inner confidence.A marathon runner who starts out too fast will never reach the goal.

Second 9: Acting correctly will lead to a good outcome.Power must be properly applied.

Third 9: The small man uses force; the wise man makes use of deception. Both may seem correct, butis harmful. It is like a ram trying to force its way through a hedge; it will only entangle its horns.Trying to push through is bad whatever method you use.

Fourth 9: Correct things for the better and regret will vanish; the hedge opens and the ram does not getentangled. The force of its two horns is concentrated like all the weight on a large carriage resting onjust the two axle struts.If the hill is too steep, focus your strength and push through.

Fifth 6: Don’t have regrets about having lost a sheep by being careless.Don’t turn your power against yourself.

Top 6: A ram butts against the hedge. It cannot go back or advance; nowhere seems beneficial to go,but when there are difficulties then solve them so the situation becomes good.Don’t get stuck, but forcefully work your way through.

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35 - PROGRESS

Progress is similar to when the Marquis Kang used the horses he was bestowed with, to breed amultitude. He mated horses three times every day.There are infinite possibilities and potential for growth.

Beginning 6: Progress seems blocked. Then it is no mistake to correct this for the better by cleverlyconvincing others to have confidence in abundance.Explain to others about the possibilities; they might benefit too.

Second 6: You are anxiously progressing, but everything is correct and good because you havereceived this opportunity with a protective blessing from the royal mother.There is no shame in having a little help.

Third 6: Regret vanishes when you know you can rely on all.Things can only grow on a sound foundation, and with reliable associates.

Fourth 9: Progressing like rats hoarding food may seem correct to do but is, in fact, harmful.Don’t progress just for the sake of progress; there should be a specific purpose for every step.

Fifth 6: Let regret leave you; loss or gain, do not worry. To go on will be good; all will be of benefit.Now things start to develop.

Top 9: Advance in a bullish way, but only strike the city where the leader is. It is brutal, but good, itis no mistake to correct what is regrettable.Ruthless action is not wrong if it is for a good purpose.

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36 - ENLIGHTEN THE UNENLIGHTENED

To enlighten the unenlightened is beneficial. It may be difficult, but it is the correct thing to do.Sometimes we must endure hard work for a good purpose.

Beginning 9: While on a campaign to enlighten barbarians, although progressing like if you wereflying, you should lower your wings and come down. While the wise person is walking for three dayshe doesn’t eat because he has a set goal. However, his landlady has something to say about not eatingher food.Even though it would seem sensible to continue, it may be good to take a break, but not all peopleunderstand that.

Second 6: To enlighten the unenlightened one after another, you must find the strength of a cart-horseinside your left thigh to make things right.To do an overwhelming task, great strength is required.

Third 9: Enlightening barbarians on a campaign in the South and capturing their leader. You can’t rushcorrecting them.You can’t rush the process of enlightening the unenlightened.

Fourth 6: Go into the left side of the belly, get the core of what should be enlightened and bring it outinto the light of the courtyard.To obtain enlightenment, we need to search deep inside for dark things and bring them out in thelight.

Fifth 6: Ji Zi enlightened the unenlightened. It will be beneficial to correct things like he did.Ji Zi was an honest man doing his best to always enlighten the unenlightened under very difficultcircumstances.

Top 6: Not light but darkness. First he ascended up in Heaven later plunged down into Earth.We can work hard for a long time to spread knowledge, but we can’t enlighten the whole world.

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37 - THE FAMILY

In the family it will be fruitful if the woman keeps everything in order.Looking after a family is a full time job.

Beginning 9: When there is a family in the enclosure regret vanishes.We don’t worry when our family is secure and has a space to live inside.

Second 6: There is no place you can make progress so stay at home and prepare food. This is correctand good.If there is nowhere to go, then stay and make a difference.

Third 9: If the family members are talking harshly there may be some regret, but even though it isunpleasant it is good. It is regrettable if the women and children are giggling when you have finishedreprimanding.If it is necessary to correct others, be sure to get the message through.

Fourth 6: To make the family wealthy is very good.A family demands resources.

Fifth 9: When the king has free time he has a family to attend to. He shouldn’t worry; the kingdom willstay well in the meanwhile.Don’t bring your work home with you.

Top 9: Things will turn out well if [the parents] overwhelmingly inspire confidence.The state of the family reflects the effort of the parents.

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38 - OPPOSITES

When there are opposite interests, it will be good to settle for a smaller outcome of the case.Opposite interests can meet, if there is a compromise they can agree on.

Beginning 9: Let regret go if you lose a horse. Don’t search for it; it will return by itself. Even if yousee bad people this is not a mistake.The horse’s intention is to stray, which is the opposite of your intention. It will be difficult to findit, but it will come back. So let it go, and save your strength. Its will to stray is so strong thatthieves can’t catch it.

Second 9: Meeting your superior in a narrow alley, but you have done nothing wrong.Some opposing forces are stronger than you; better not give them cause to harm you.

Third 6: You see a carriage, the ox is dragged away and the people in it have been punished with ink-branding of the forehead and cutting off the nose. This is not a good beginning, but there will be agood end.Seeing terrible things happening to others frightens you. But you are not involved.

Fourth 9: Single because of disagreements, now meeting her original husband, interacting inconfidence. Although there are harsh words, meeting is not a mistake.A positive attitude and willingness to compromise will help in finding common ground to meet on.

Fifth 6: Regret disappears because one’s forefathers eat the meat that they are offered as sacrifice.How can it then be a mistake to go on?If the omens are good and the forefathers are not opposing your wishes, then why not go ahead?

Top 9: Estranged and lonely you see a pig with mud on its back and a chariot full of devils. First youdraw your bow, but then loosen it because you realize that they are not bandits but are a weddingparty. Even if you meet rainfall it is good to go on.Things may seem very bad, but might actually not be so.

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39 - OBSTRUCTION

The nature of obstruction is so that if the South West is advantageous, the North East is not. It will befruitful to see a great man for help to correct things for the better.Life flows one way like a river; downstream moves onwards, easily and fast but upstream there areobstructions.

Beginning 6: Going leads to obstruction, coming brings praise.Spotting in advance what is undefeatable wins praise.

Second 6: The king’s subject meets many obstructions, it is not his fault.Don’t blame yourself if it’s not your fault.

Third 9: Going leads to obstruction; come back and turn away from the problem.Some things can’t be solved.

Fourth 6: Going leads to obstruction; come back and unite with who is there.If you can’t go then stay and be present.

Fifth 9: If you meet great obstruction, friends will come to help.The problem is great, but you can find help.

Top 6: Going leads to obstruction so come back and enlarge your approach, then it will turn out good.It will be fruitful to see a great person for help.A problem can only be solved on a higher level than that on which it was created.

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40 - FREEDOM

To stay free is beneficial. If there is no place to go towards the South West, then coming back will begood. When there is a place to go towards, going soon will be good.Stay free if you don’t want to become entangled. Be in a position to act freely when there issomewhere beneficial to go to.

Beginning 6: Be faultless.If you don’t want to get entangled, you should be faultless.

Second 9: When hunting you capture three foxes and find a bronze arrow. This is correct and good.When you can act freely, there are unlimited possibilities.

Third 6: Carrying a visibly large load on the carriage attracts robbers. It may seem correct of you tocarry a big load, but it could cause regret.Don’t tempt others with attractive things. That way you can stay free of trouble.

Fourth 9: You have freed yourself from a relationship in a clumsy way. When your friend came to youthe confidence was torn.Don’t hurt anyone if you free yourself from a relationship.

Fifth 6: Only the wise person has the solution to make things good. But he can still have confidence insmall people.It is good to be independent but other people can still be helpful to you.

Top 6: The duke sends out a falcon over the high city wall to capture game. There is no way in whichthis will not be of advantage to him.Stay out of trouble. Have someone do the job, while you are safe at home.

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41 - DECREASE

If you have to decrease, have confidence that the result will be as good as it was originally supposedto be. You can correct the situation, and it will be fruitful to pursue your objective. How can that bedone? Just using two small ritual bowls will be sufficient to perform the sacrifice.Less can be enough.

Beginning 9: To end the job by going quickly is no mistake, but one should consider if leaving earlywill decrease the outcome of it.Decreasing can be harmful. Business before pleasure.

Second 9: It will be fruitful to correct things; going on a campaign now will be bad. Do not increaseor decrease.Keep going like this.

Third 6: Three people walking together, then decreases by one leaving. The one that leaves gets afriend.Decreasing can lead to an increase by clearing the way for new possibilities.

Fourth 6: Decreasing your problems will cause you to quickly become happy and free of faults.Some things should not be allowed to increase.

Fifth 6: Someone enriches him with a turtle shell worth ten cowrie strings and he can’t refuse. Butdon’t worry, an offer like this is basically a good thing.Don’t decrease just for the sake of it.

Top 9: Not decreasing or increasing this is not a mistake. Correct whatever is not in order so all isgood before going on. It will be fruitful to have a goal to go towards and get servants, but not to havea family yet.Prepare before increasing.

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42 - INCREASE

Increase. It will be fruitful to have a goal and to cross the great river.Act if you want things to develop.

Beginning 9: It will be beneficial to carry out a great job; this is the origin of good things and is nomistake.Great accomplishments take great effort.

Second 6: Someone enriches you with a turtle shell worth ten cowrie strings and you can’t refuse.This kind of action is always correct and good. It is good in just the same way as when the king makesa sacrifice to God.Don’t reject good offers.

Third 6: Enriched by unfortunate affairs, but confident in having done nothing wrong, you go to informthe duke with your honorary jade tablet.Your integrity has not been compromised by utilizing this opportunity.

Fourth 6: Going to the middle of the court informing the duke you want to serve him; he will benefityou by employing you for relocating the state.If you want opportunities, you must present yourself.

Fifth 9: If there is confidence and love in the heart you don’t need to ask because confidence and loveis the very origin of good. When we have inner confidence and love we are virtuous.If your actions come from a pure heart, how can you do wrong?

Top 9: If not expanding others will attack. Establishing a cordial relationship and then not make it lastlong will turn bad.If a state is never improving or expanding, it will be an easy target because it is only natural thatother states will increase their strength. Likewise, anyone would be discontent if a relationship, ofany kind, didn’t yield what they had expected.

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43 - DETERMINATION

To resolutely stand up in the king’s court and confidently raise your voice is being too bold. Likewise,it is not fruitful to be armed when approaching one’s own town to convey a message. But it is stillbeneficial to have the goal in view.Adapt your measures to the circumstances. Otherwise you may be rejected, and not get the messagethat you are determined to convey through to the receiver.

Beginning 9: You are making a mistake if you set out with powerful steps and then don’t make it.Only act if you can succeed.

Second 9: Alarmed by cries in the evening or late at night, but if you are armed you are not worried.If you are well prepared nothing can discourage you.

Third 9: If there is strain in the face, it is not good. The wise person walks alone, very determined butmeets rainfall and thus gets soaked. He can’t be blamed for being annoyed about this.Don’t be too determined.

Fourth 9: Your buttocks are galled and you limp after the encounter. If you just let yourself be led likea sheep regret will vanish. If you speak up, no one will believe you.Don’t be determined to set things right, you will just be severely rejected.

Fifth 9: If he determinedly walks directly to her with pokeweed flowers he will not fail.Being boldly determined can work, if you are obviously sincere.

Top 6: Without anyone giving a warning there will be misfortune in the end.Sometimes it is imperative that you speak up.

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44 - REJECTION

Reject the woman forcefully. Do not choose this woman.Don’t agree to this even though it is tempting.

Beginning 6: Binding the wagon’s wheel to a metal chock is correct and good. If you go towards anygoal you will meet harm. Just like a scrawny pig stays safe by slowing down and then stopping.The best way to avoid trouble is to anticipate it and stop before encountering it.

Second 9: There is fish in the bag so you have done nothing wrong, but it is of no benefit to the guest.If you don’t anticipate people’s needs, you may inadvertently reject them.

Third 9: His buttocks are galled and he limps. The rejection was very severe though it was really nota big mistake of the other part.Rejecting too harshly.

Fourth 9: It is bad if you go ahead without fish in the bag.If you have something to give you will not be rejected.

Fifth 9: The Goji trees cover for the gourds and hold the light that is coming down from above.Goji berries are nice, but the Goji tree is in the way of bigger fruit.

Top 9: Rejecting it harshly may lead to unpleasantness, but it is no mistake.Don’t agree just to avoid unpleasantness.

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45 - GATHERING

Gathering together can help make things go well. When the King is unoccupied with other royal dutiesthere is the temple to go to. It will be advantageous to see a great person perform the sacrifice, hewill benefit all by correcting things using a large sacrificial animal to make things good. It will beadvantageous to have a goal to go towards.Together we can achieve great things.

Beginning 6: There is confidence but it doesn’t last all the way, then it scatters then it gathers. Thencall out — once you grasp someone’s hand you will smile again and not worry. To go ahead is not amistake.We can help each other.

Second 6: Pulling people together is good. When everything is in order and there is confidence then itwill be advantageous to perform the summer sacrifice.Attracting people with something worthwhile for them to gather around.

Third 6: It is not wrong, only slightly regrettable, to gather with deep sighs when there is nobeneficial objective to go towards.When there is trouble we can listen to each other.

Fourth 9: Large is good and no mistake.There is nothing wrong in seeking to grow bigger.

Fifth 9: That people are gathering where there is someone who has a high position is not wrong. Ifthey have no trust in you, you must show them that your basic nature is to be always acting correctlyand their mistrust will go away.You must earn the confidence of others.

Top 6: To cry, sigh, weep and sob is not a mistake.When you are very sad, it is helpful to get it off your chest.

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46 - MOVING UPWARDS

Moving upwards is fundamental for things to go well. You apply it when you go to see a great personfor advice so you have no worries that the campaign to the south will go well.We get a broader view from above.

Beginning 6: Moving upwards with a sincere motive will be very good.A good intention is the precondition for a good outcome.

Second 9: When you have inner confidence you can fruitfully perform the summer sacrifice withoutmistakes.Prepare yourself before you apply to higher authorities.

Third 9: Go up to the empty village.You can see things better from above.

Fourth 6: The King performs an offering on Qi Mountain to make things good and ensure no failure.Heighten the level to ensure success.

Fifth 6: You will act correctly and things will be good if you move upwards step by step.You can’t ascend to high places in one step.

Top 6: Moving upwards in the dark will be beneficial if you act unceasingly correct.You need to be careful when you are in unknown territory; but unknown territory may also holdunknown benefits.

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47 - PRESSURE

It is a correct thing for a great man to urge himself and this will ensure that he doesn’t fail. If hemerely talks about what he intends to do no one will believe it.To press yourself is good; actions speak louder than words.

Beginning 6: Your buttocks are sore from sitting alone for a very long time on a tree-stump in asecluded valley.To press yourself is even tougher when you are all alone.

Second 9: Having pressured your body with too much food and drink, the physician will prescribe acure for you: “It will be beneficial to make a sacrifice. If you go on like this it will be bad, so youshould act faultlessly.”Don’t press yourself the wrong way; compel yourself to get out of it.

Third 6: Compelling himself to sit and wait on a stone, but it feels to him like sitting on spikey thorns.Because when going into his palace he couldn’t find his wife, and now he fears something bad hashappened to her.Pressure that seems unbearable.

Fourth 9: Coming slowly weighed down because it is a fine wagon decorated with bronze fittings;this may be regrettable but there will be an end to the trip.Luxury can also be a burden.

Fifth 9: Looking frightened believing the physician will be hard on you. But he just calmly explains toyou that it will be beneficial to make a sacrifice.Pressure can seem very frightening but it is still good.

Top 6: Paralyzed by anxiety as if tightly entangled by vines. If you move it feels bad, but to go onthrough will be good.Press on through to escape bad pressure.

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48 - THE WELL

The Well. It is bad if the village is renewed, but the well is neglected and not renewed. Withoutthinking about what they can lose or gain, people just come and go to the well. But the well can dry upeven to the point where you cannot quite reach down to draw water from the well, and prolonged usewill wear out its bucket.Water can only be drawn if the well is in good working order and the water is clean and withinreach. It is important to maintain it.

Beginning 6: The well is muddy and the water can’t be drunk. At an old well there are not even birds.The well is in a very bad condition and no one can use it.

Second 9: You can shoot carps in the pool of the well. The jug is worn and it leaks.The well is in bad condition—only fish can use it.

Third 9: The well is being cleaned up and so, meanwhile, the water can’t be drunk. This is distressfulfor us, but drawing water can accelerate the clearing. If the King explains about this and stands sideby side with the people while this is done, he will receive their good will.A better condition of the well is underway; we must wait and support the process.

Fourth 6: The well is being tiled, so it will be in perfect order.A better condition of the well is underway; this will make it solid and accessible.

Fifth 9: The well is cool like an ice cold spring to drink from.The well is now in a good useful condition.

Top 6: The well can be drawn from, so don’t cover it, then there will be confidence that this is a goodwell—through and through.The well is now in a good useful condition. Show people that it is available.

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49 - CHANGE

Change. When the right day has arrived there will be confidence in change. This is the veryfoundation of a successful transition. It is beneficial to correct things, then regret will go away.Change can come about when the time is right.

Beginning 9: When you want to bind something together use string of yellow oxen hide.Tough determination is needed to change old ways.

Second 6: When the right day has arrived then change; to attack at that time is good and there will beno failure.Act as soon as you are ready.

Third 9: To proceed now may seem correct but will evoke criticism; talk it over three times, thenthere will be confidence.Be ready and well prepared before commencing the change.

Fourth 9: When regret has vanished and there is confidence, the leadership can be replaced with abetter.In the beginning people have no confidence in new leadership, so trust must be present first.

Fifth 9: The great man adapts himself like a tiger; without resorting to divination he is confident.When the great man knows within himself precisely what to do, it is the right moment for change.

Top 6: The wise person adapts like a leopard, small men can merely change their attitude. To attacknow will be bad; to stay is correct and good.When things change, some end on top and some below.

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50 - THE TRIPOD

A tripod is the foundation of good fortune and success.Solidity is good.

Beginning 6: The Ding turned over with its legs up; it will be fruitful to clear out what is bad insideit. To take a concubine in order to get a son is not a mistake.Sometimes, you need to do something not entirely honourable if it consolidates the purpose.

Second 9: The tripod is solid. Our enemies are jealous; it is good they can’t reach us.Wealth and solidity is good, but it can evoke jealousy; so it is good to have a solid defence.

Third 9: The handles of the tripod are detached so the moving of it is hindered. Because of that the fatstock of the pheasant is not eaten because now it is raining all over and the rain is thinning the stock.It is regrettable but in the end things will be good.When things are too solid and immovable they can be ruined.

Fourth 9: It is bad if the leg of the tripod breaks so the lord’s stew is overturned and his stylishappearance is soaked.Solid things must have a stable foundation.

Fifth 6: It is beneficial and correct that the tripod has golden handles and a bronze carrying hook.Even though it is not of much practical use, it is good to possess wealth like an imposing tripod.

Top 9: If the tripod has a carrying hook of jade, it is great good fortune and there is nothing it will notbe of benefit to.Although a carrying hook of jade for the tripod is not practical, it is a manifestation of greatwealth.

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51 - THUNDER

There is thunder but all will be well. When thunder comes causing fright, we just laugh Ha Ha!Thunder scares a hundred miles away, but we don’t drop the ladle with sacrificial wine.Don’t be afraid, it’s not really dangerous.

Beginning 9: Thunder comes causing fright, but after we laugh Ha Ha! All is well.Don’t be afraid; all will be well soon.

Second 6: Thunder is coming; it can be dangerous but only one in a million would strike us. It is justlike if you lose some money, then just climb over nine hills not seeking for it; after seven days youwill get money again.Don’t be afraid, you should not worry about what could happen. If anything did happen, it wouldsoon be well again.

Third 6: Thunder causes you to tremble with fear. The thunder causes you to act, but there will be nodisaster.Fear can make you act, but it is not necessary to do anything.

Fourth 9: Thunder is followed by mud.Thunder is not really dangerous, but the rain that accompanies it does cause some trouble. Theanxiety that follows a shock is like mud after thunder.

Fifth 6: Thunder claps going back and forth. It can be dangerous but in a million people, not onewould lose their life. So don’t mind the thunder there is work to be done.Don’t let fear impede you.

Top 6: Thunder makes you tremble with fear and look around frightfully believing it is bad to goanywhere. However, lightning will not strike at you but maybe your neighbour. Be faultless becausethere is slander about your marriage.The probability that lightning will strike you is very small, but it will strike somewhere, so it isbetter to take appropriate measures. Slander is not a direct threat, but it is better to avoid it.

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52 - STILLING

Stilling the back as if having no hold of the body. When walking in the courtyard, not noticing thepeople there is not wrong.Sometimes it is not wrong to be inactive and focus inwards.

Beginning 6: Stilling the feet is not a mistake. It will be beneficial to remain correct.Compel yourself to stay where you are.

Second 6: Stilling the calves. You are not happy because you cannot rescue those who follow you.Compel yourself to let go of your urge to save everyone.

Third 9: Stilling the lower back and straighten the spine. Sharp feelings suffocate the heart.Holding your body still will make you able to be aware of any bad feelings that you hold inside.

Fourth 6: Stilling the body is no mistake.We praise activity, but sometimes inactivity is good.

Fifth 6: Stilling the jaws. Regret will vanish if your words are well thought out.Think calmly before you speak.

Top 9: Holding still with a solid strong feeling is good.When you are completely calm there is room to develop a strong good feeling inside.

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53 - GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT

A woman make plans for marriage step by step, this way it will turn out good. It will be advantageousfor her to act correctly.Be certain that your step is safe before taking another.

Beginning 6: The wild goose gradually advances towards the river bank. There is already a youngchild before marriage. You will be criticized and there is talk, but you have done nothing wrong.The first steps can cause mistrust from others.

Second 6: The wild goose gradually advances towards a large rock. It is eating and drinking happily.Advancing takes time, spend it happily.

Third 9: The wild goose gradually advances towards the dry land. It is bad if the husband goes on acampaign and does not return or the wife is pregnant but does not give birth. It will be best to takeprecautions against bandits.Be sure that you can return safely before you set out.

Fourth 6: The wild goose gradually advances towards the tree and selects a branch for itself, thennothing will go wrong.Find a safe base.

Fifth 9: The wild goose gradually advances towards the hillock. The woman is not pregnant for threeyears, but in the end nothing can hinder it and all will be well.Good things may take a long time to obtain.

Top 9: The wild goose gradually advances towards the dry land. Its feathers can be used forceremonies to make them go well.A long journey is worthwhile.

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54 - THE MARRYING WOMAN

A young woman going to marry will meet misfortune if she proceeds; there is nothing of benefit in itfor her.Do what is good for you, not what is only good for others.

Beginning 9: A young woman going to marry as a concubine, just like a limp person can still walk. Togo on with the marriage will be good.Not ideal, but still good.

Second 9: A one eyed can see, likewise the hermit’s way of correcting his mind by being alone can bebeneficial.Although expectations are to get married, it can be good to be single.

Third 6: A young woman going to marry hesitates and turns back; she marries as a concubine instead.Better small and good than big and bad.

Fourth 9: A young woman going to marry exceeds the proper time and waits; she has time enough.Wait until there is a fruitful goal in view.

Fifth 6: The sleeves of Emperor Yi’s queen’s robe were not as fine as that of his concubine‘s robe.That the moon is only nearly full is also good.Someone of humble status may still achieve unexpectedly good results.

Top 6: The woman is holding a basket, but there is nothing in it. The man is stabbing the sheep, but noblood comes out. There is no goal that is beneficial.Nothing fruitful comes from this.

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55 - ABUNDANCE

There is abundance and things go well. So that the king is resting and does not worry is quiteappropriate, even in the middle of the day.Don’t worry, when all is well.

Beginning 9: Visiting a lord of equal rank, even if you stay a whole week, it is not a mistake. Go on;you will be held in high esteem.You can’t benefit from interaction if you worry that you are being inconvenient.

Second 6: The abundance is screening off. Like during a solar eclipse where you can see the BigDipper at midday. If you go ahead but become doubtful, have inner confidence and send it forwardenvisaging a good outcome.When the goal is obscured, being free of doubt and visualizing a good result will light up the wayahead.

Third 9: The abundance is obscuring. At midday there is a haze so you break your right arm, but it isnot your fault.Obscurity causes accidents, but don’t blame yourself because you couldn’t see clearly.

Fourth 9: The abundance is screening off. Like during a solar eclipse where you can see the BigDipper at midday. You meet your unenlightened chief, and this is good.A little light can still shine through the obscurity.

Fifth 6: Things will turn out good, brilliance will come with reward and recognition.Don’t worry, if there is nothing to worry about.

Top 6: Abundance to a degree where the luxury of your house is screening off the outside world. It isbad if you peer into the house and it is quiet with no people, and there has been no one visiting for along time.Abundance can be a pretext for inaction.

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56 - THE TRAVELLER

While travelling, you can only expect to achieve small things and the traveller must act correctly if itshall turn out good.Things can be difficult when alone and away from home.

Beginning 6: If the traveller dallies with unimportant matters he is heading for calamity.Act on your own. Go right ahead with the important tasks.

Second 6: The traveller comes to an inn; he keeps his valuables close. Winning the confidence of theyoung servant is correct of him.Travelling alone, you are safer with people who trust you.

Third 9: The traveller causes his lodge to burn down and he loses the confidence of his youngservant. He tries to correct his mistake but is still criticized.Alone again. Apologizing is not worth much if you have ruined something for others.

Fourth 9: The traveller retrieves his valuables from the site of the burnt down inn, but he is still nothappy in his heart.Things are better but still not good.

Fifth 6: Shooting at a pheasant an arrow is lost, but when the hunt is over you praise it as Heaven’swill.A positive attitude is more helpful than regrets.

Top 9: A bird burns its own nest. The traveller first laughs, later cries and wails; he has lost his ox bybeing careless.Don’t ruin what you have.

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57 - YIELDING

Only little success can come from yielding. Therefore, it will be fruitful to have your goal in view. Itwill be of benefit to see a great person for help.You can be forced to yield to others, but it is not good for your own purpose. So take the case to ahigher level for support and advice so that you don’t have to yield.

Beginning 6: Advancing and retreating; it benefits the military person to act correctly in this.Sometimes you have to yield, sometimes not; it all depends on the strength of the adversary.

Second 9: You are yielding and stay seated. It is not a mistake to use different diviners and shamans tosee if things can go well.If you are in a position where you can’t overview the situation, you have to use other means todetermine what to do.

Third 9: Having to yield several times is regrettable.Don’t be in a position where you are continuously unable to fulfil your purpose.

Fourth 6: Regret vanishes because you catch three kinds of game on the hunt.If you don’t have to yield to anybody, you can enjoy your own achievements.

Fifth 9: Correct things for the better; then regret disappears and all is beneficial. Not much of abeginning but there will be an end. Allow three days before the seventh day and three days after; thisway things turn out good.With proper time for preparation and time to settle afterwards we don’t have to yield to obstacles.

Top 9: You are yielding and stay seated while losing your property. Although this may be the correctway of acting it is still bad.Yielding can be necessary, but it doesn’t make it a good thing.

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58 - JOY

There can be joy when things go well. Therefore, it will be beneficial to correct things.Joy can come when all is well.

Beginning 9: Responding to joy is good.To be happy we must be able to feel and respond to joy.

Second 9: Joy based on inner confidence is good and will make sadness go away.True joy comes from within.

Third 6: Joy coming from others may turn bad.Joy that is dependent on others is unreliable.

Fourth 9: Talking about joy, but there is still not peace. When harm is warded off there can behappiness.Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.

Fifth 9: It is harmful to have confidence in what is decaying.True joy is based on a solid foundation.

Top 6: Pull joy forward.When everything is already well, but joy is still not there, just make it come.

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59 - DISPERSING

Dispersing will make things go well. When the King is unoccupied with other royal duties there is thetemple that needs his attention. Likewise, it will be advantageous to cross the great river and tocorrect things.You may think spreading your efforts or dispersing your efforts on correcting things can be a loss,but this is what is required to make things go well.

Beginning 6: It will be good to use the strength of a cart-horse.Using energy for a good purpose.

Second 9: When things disperses hurry to their point of origin; what was regrettable there is nowgone.Releasing tension and bad thoughts make room for good feelings and ideas.

Third 6: Dissolving one’s self-importance, there will be no regrets.Self-importance can impede interaction with other people.

Fourth 6: Breaking up one’s group is basically a good thing. Likewise it may be good to disperse yourproperty, but small-minded people don’t think like this.Being light and free can be an advantage.

Fifth 9: You can’t be blamed for sweating and crying loudly when being sent away from where theking is.It can be painful to be separated from what is most important to you.

Top 9: Disperse the terrible feelings far away so there is nothing wrong.Expel what is bad.

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60 - MODERATION

Moderation will make things go well. But bitter moderation cannot be considered correct.Moderation can be good, but only when it is necessary.

Beginning 9: It is no mistake that you don’t go out from the inner courtyard.Limit yourself.

Second 9: It is bad if you don’t go out from the outer courtyard.Don’t limit yourself.

Third 6: If you don’t moderate yourself you will come to regret it, even if it seems you have donenothing wrong.Even good things can be exaggerated.

Fourth 6: Peaceful moderation will make things go well.By not going too far, you can still be at peace.

Fifth 9: Sweet moderation is good; to go on like this is better.When you are forced to moderate your activities it is best to enjoy yourself in the meantime.

Top 6: Bitter moderation may seem correct but is still not good. Make regret go away.Do not limit yourself so much that you suffer.

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61 - INNER CONFIDENCE

You have inner confidence when you have pigs and fish because this is good. Therefore, it will befruitful to cross the great river and to correct things.Inner confidence comes when you have built up a secure life.

Beginning 9: Take precautions to ensure a good outcome; if there is anything that is not prepared for,you will feel uneasy.There can be inner confidence when you are certain of a good outcome.

Second 9: A crane in the shade calls and its young ones answer. “I have something good to feed you; Iwill share it with you.”To inspire confidence you can offer something desirable.

Third 6: You get to deal with someone who first beats the drum but then gets tired of it, then weeps,then sings.We become mentally unbalanced when there is no inner confidence.

Fourth 6: A group of horses run away when it is nearly full moon, and who can blame them?There is ample confidence: Everyone is sleeping and the night is bright, why not try?

Fifth 9: Having inner confidence is like a feeling of connection. Then you will not fail.If you have inner confidence you act confidently.

Top 9: A soaring sound rising to heaven seems to be correct but is in fact bad.Don’t be too self-assured.

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62 - A LITTLE TOO FAR

A little too far. In order to make things go well you must act correctly, and you can do only smallthings not big things. The soaring bird loses the volume of its sound. It should not fly high but low, thiswill be very good.The higher the ambition, the bigger the problems. The higher the speed, the more difficult tocontrol. The higher in the air, the more difficult to call somebody on the ground.

Beginning 6: If a bird flies high, it will result in misfortune.Don’t be over-ambitious.

Second 6: Passing by one’s grandfather and only meeting one’s grandmother. Or not reaching the lord,but only meeting his official. In both cases it is not wrong.Less can be good enough.

Third 9: A bodyguard should not be ahead but right next to whom he protects. It is bad if the client iskilled by someone pursuing him.Be very careful not to miss anything by being ahead.

Fourth 9: If you are faultless and don’t go too far you will meet him. Going straight ahead is bad, youmust be very attentive; don’t just habitually do what is usually correct.Adapt precisely to the situation.

Fifth 6: Dense clouds from the western outskirts but no rain. The duke shoots with a retractablearrow, taking the animal from its cave.It is not the right time yet, but do what you can under the circumstances.

Top 6: It is bad if you don’t meet them but go passed and the birds fly away. This is what we calldisaster.You must be right on the mark when you aim for something important.

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63 - AFTER THE CROSSING

Having just crossed the river, although successfully, there is only little to gain now. Things must becorrected. In the beginning things are good; in the end there is disorder.After completion, a new situation arises and new situations may be difficult. When things are newthey are good, but in the end they fall apart.

Beginning 9: If the carriage is stuck while crossing the ford it is no mistake to get out and drag thewheels even though it involves getting the behind wet.To complete something can be arduous.

Second 6: The woman loses her carriage curtain but she should not look for it, she will get anotherafter a few days.Don’t try to make things last at any price.

Third 9: King Wu Ding attacked the devil’s land and could do it in three years; for such a task lesscapable men cannot be used.It takes strong people to complete a great task.

Fourth 6: Your fine coloured silk cloth has been worn for so long it is nearly worn-out. Towards theend of its days you must be careful not to rip it.Things are less strong closer to their end.

Fifth 9: The neighbour to the East killed an ox; this was not as substantial as the summer sacrifice ofthe neighbour to the West but the neighbour to the East still received the blessing.Less can be sufficient.

Top 6: It is dangerous if the water is too deep and rises over the head.You want to finish the job, but it is more than you can cope with.

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64 - NOT YET CROSSED

Having not yet crossed things are still going well. A small fox is crossing dry-shod but getting its tailwet. There is no beneficial goal.Don’t cross if you can’t make it completely, things are still good on this side.

Beginning 6: It is regrettable if the small fox gets its tail wet.To be a success, things must be done completely.

Second 9: To drag the wheels will ensure a correct and good crossing.It takes effort to reach the goal.

Third 6: It will go badly if the campaign is commenced before everyone having crossed the greatriver; it will be beneficial to finish the crossing first.Wait until you are completely ready.

Fourth 9: Correct things for the better then regret will vanish. Use great power when attacking thedevil’s land. It may take three years, but then you will have the reward of a greater country.A great accomplishment takes a long time, but the reward is great.

Fifth 6: If you have corrected things so that all is good there will be no regrets. The wise person caninspire with his inner confidence so things turn out good.A person who has great inner confidence can inspire others to keep going.

Top 9: To drink wine is no mistake if retaining confidence, but in getting drunk the confidence will belost.If you lose confidence, you can’t reach people.

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HOW TO USE THE YARROW STICKS AND COINS

GENERAL PROCEDURE

Write the question simply and clearly.

Draw the six lines of the hexagram from the bottom up.

Mark each line with the number produced by the coins or sticks.

If there are any changing lines a second hexagram must be drawn where the lines with 6 or 9changes so broken lines becomes straight and vice versa.

If no lines are changing, only the title line of the hexagram is interpreted.

If there are changing lines, the changing lines of the first hexagram and the title line of thefollowing hexagram are interpreted.

THE COIN METHOD

Three coins are used. Old Chinese coins are, of course, nice for this purpose, but any three identicalcoins will do. Be sure that you shuffle the coins properly and avoid rolling them onto the floor. Eachcoin should be turned a few times before shaking them in the hands and lay them softly on the table.

1. The coins are shuffled and put on the table six times, one for each line.

2. The front of the coin is three and the reverse of the coin is two. Therefore, the result will alwaysbe either 6, 7, 8, or 9.

3. Make a note. This produced one line out of six.

THE YARROW METHOD

1. 49 thin sticks are divided in two heaps.

2. One stick is put aside. (This helps to keep track of the three operations).

3. One heap is counted in fours until 1, 2, 3 or 4 remains. The remainder is put aside.

4. The heap that was first put aside is also counted in fours and the remainder is likewise putaside.

5. Repeat step 1-4 two more times, three operations in all, using only the sticks that have not beenput aside.

6. Count how many groups of four there are left; it will be 6, 7, 8 or 9.

7. Make a note. This produced one line out of six.