Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 15 · Qiān ䷎
Hexagram 15 · Qiān ䷎ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
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。
彖曰：謙，亨，天道下濟而光明，地道卑而上行。天道虧盈而益謙，地道變盈而流謙，鬼神害盈而福謙，人道惡盈而好謙。謙尊而光，卑而不可逾，君子之終也。
象曰：地中有山，謙；君子以裒多益寡，稱物平施。
謙謙君子，卑以自牧也。
鳴謙貞吉，中心得也。
勞謙君子，萬民服也。
无不利撝謙；不違則也。
利用侵伐，征不服也。
鳴謙，志未得也。可用行師，征邑國也。
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the classical Chinese, passage for passage, covering all 64 hexagrams with their judgments, line statements and attached commentaries, and the remaining Wings (the Great Commentary, the Discussion of the Trigrams, the Sequence and the Contrasts of the Hexagrams), 1,204 passages in all.
Qian (Modesty): Success. The noble person brings things to completion.
Six at the beginning: The noble person, modest in modesty, may cross the great river. Good fortune.
Six in the second place: Modesty that speaks aloud. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place: The noble person who works and remains modest comes to completion. Good fortune.
Six in the fourth place: Nothing unfavorable in spreading modesty.
Six in the fifth place: Not rich, but supported by neighbors. It is favorable to invade and strike; nothing is unfavorable.
Six at the top: Modesty that speaks aloud. It is favorable to mobilize the army and march against towns and states.
The Judgment Commentary says: Modesty brings success. Heaven's way descends to aid and shines brightly; earth's way stays low and rises upward. Heaven's way diminishes what is full and augments what is modest. Earth's way transforms fullness and flows toward modesty. Spirits harm the full and bless the modest; the human way hates fullness and loves modesty. Modesty shines when exalted, and cannot be surpassed when lowly: such is the noble person's completion.
The Image Commentary says: A mountain within the earth: Qian. Thus the noble person takes from abundance to add to scarcity, weighing things to distribute them fairly.
The noble person modest in modesty humbles himself in self-discipline.
Modesty that speaks aloud and steadfast good fortune: the center of the heart has found its place.
The working, modest noble person: the myriad people submit.
Nothing unfavorable in spreading modesty: one does not violate the rule.
It is favorable to invade and strike: march against those who will not submit.
Modesty that speaks aloud: the aspiration is not yet fulfilled. The army may be used to march against towns and states.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the classical Chinese, covering all 64 hexagrams with their judgments, line statements and attached commentaries, and the remaining Wings (the Great Commentary, the Discussion of the Trigrams, the Sequence and the Contrasts of the Hexagrams), 1,204 passages in all.
Qian (Modesty): Success. The noble person brings things to completion.
Six at the beginning: A noble person who is modest and remains modest can cross the great river. Good fortune.
Six in the second place: Modesty makes itself heard. Staying steady brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place: The noble person works hard and stays modest. He completes the task. Good fortune.
Six in the fourth place: Nothing is unfavorable. Show modesty in everything you do.
Six in the fifth place: Not wealthy, but supported by your neighbors. It is favorable to attack those who do not obey. Nothing is unfavorable.
Six at the top: Modesty makes itself heard. It is favorable to mobilize the army and attack your own towns and state.
The Judgment Commentary says: Modesty brings success. Heaven's way comes down to help and becomes bright; earth's way stays low and rises upward. Heaven reduces what is full and adds to what is modest. Earth changes what is full and flows toward what is low. Spirits and gods harm those who are full of themselves and bless the modest. People dislike those who are full of themselves and like the modest. Modesty in high rank shines; in low rank it cannot be surpassed. This is how the noble person brings things to completion.
The Image Commentary says: A mountain is inside the earth: this is Qian. The noble person therefore takes from what has too much and adds to what has too little, weighing things and distributing them fairly.
The noble person is modest and remains modest; he humbles himself to guide his own conduct.
Modesty makes itself heard and staying steady brings good fortune, because he achieves inward balance.
The hardworking, modest noble person wins the obedience of all the people.
Nothing is unfavorable when one shows modesty, because this does not break the rules.
Attacking is favorable when one goes against those who do not obey.
Modesty makes itself heard, but the aim has not yet been fulfilled. The army can be mobilized to attack one's own towns and state.