Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 40 · Xiè ䷧
Hexagram 40 · Xiè ䷧ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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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：君子惟有解，吉；有孚于小人。
上六：公用射隼，于高墉之上，獲之，无不利。
彖曰：解，險以動，動而免乎險，解。解利西南，往得眾也。其來復吉，乃得中也。有攸往夙吉，往有功也。天地解，而雷雨作，雷雨作，而百果草木皆甲坼，解之時義大矣哉！
象曰：雷雨作，解；君子以赦過宥罪。
剛柔之際，義无咎也。
九二貞吉，得中道也。
負且乘，亦可丑也，自我致戎，又誰咎也。
解而拇，未當位也。
君子有解，小人退也。
公用射隼，以解悖也。
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.
Xie (Deliverance): it is favorable toward the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, it is good fortune to turn and come back. If there is somewhere to go, it is good fortune to go at once.
Six at the beginning: No blame.
Nine in the second place: In the hunt he takes three foxes and finds a yellow arrow — steadfastness brings good fortune.
Six in the third place: To carry a burden on the back and yet ride in a carriage invites robbers to come — steadfastness brings humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place: Free the hold on your big toe, and friends come — then there is trust.
Six in the fifth place: Only when the noble person brings release is there good fortune — even the petty person puts faith in him.
Six at the top: A duke shoots a hawk from the top of a high wall — he takes it, and nothing is without advantage.
The Judgment Commentary says: In Xie (Deliverance) there is movement amid peril; to move and so escape the peril is deliverance. "Deliverance is favorable toward the southwest": in going one wins the multitude. "Its return brings good fortune": thereby one attains the middle. "If there is somewhere to go, it is good fortune to go at once": in going there is accomplishment. When heaven and earth are set loose, thunder and rain arise; when thunder and rain arise, the buds of all fruits and grasses and trees split open: great indeed is the meaning of Deliverance in its hour!
The Image Commentary says: Thunder and rain arise: Xie. Thus the noble person pardons faults and forgives offenses.
At the meeting of firm and yielding, rightly there is no blame.
The steadfastness of the nine in the second place brings good fortune: it holds the middle way.
To carry a burden and yet ride in a carriage is shame enough; he brings the attack on himself — whom else can he blame?
"Free the hold on your big toe": the place it holds is not yet the right one.
When the noble person brings release, the petty person falls back.
The duke shoots the hawk to put an end to violence.
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.
Xie (Release): The southwest is favorable. If there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
Six at the beginning: No blame.
Nine in the second place: Hunting catches three foxes and finds a yellow arrow. Staying the course brings good fortune.
Six in the third place: Carrying a load while riding in a carriage invites robbers. Staying the course brings humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place: Free yourself from your big toe; then friends will come and trust you.
Six in the fifth place: Only the noble person can bring release. Good fortune. The petty people will trust it.
Six at the top: A duke shoots a hawk atop a high wall and catches it. Nothing is unfavorable.
The Judgment Commentary says: Xie (Release) means moving out of danger: movement escapes danger and brings release. The southwest is favorable because going there wins the people. Returning brings good fortune because it finds the middle. Going early where there is somewhere to go brings good fortune because the journey accomplishes something. When heaven and earth release their tension, thunder and rain begin. When thunder and rain begin, the shells of all fruits split and plants sprout. How great is the meaning of release in its proper time!
The Image Commentary says: Thunder and rain arise: this is Xie (Release). So the noble person pardons mistakes and forgives crimes.
At the meeting of the firm and the yielding, there is rightly no blame.
Staying the course brings good fortune for the nine in the second place because it finds the middle way.
Carrying a load while riding in a carriage is disgraceful. If we ourselves invite armed attackers, who else can we blame?
Freeing yourself from your big toe means the position is not yet appropriate.
When the noble person brings release, the petty people retreat.
The duke shoots the hawk to put an end to disorder.