Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 44 · Gòu ䷫
Hexagram 44 · Gòu ䷫ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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姤：女壯，勿用取女。
初六：系于金柅，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。
彖曰：姤，遇也，柔遇剛也。勿用取女，不可與長也。天地相遇，品物咸章也。剛遇中正，天下大行也。姤之時義大矣哉！
象曰：天下有風，姤；后以施命誥四方。
系于金柅，柔道牽也。
包有魚，義不及賓也。
其行次且，行未牽也。
无魚之凶，遠民也。
九五含章，中正也。有隕自天，志不舍命也。
姤其角，上窮吝也。
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.
Gou (Coming to Meet): the woman is strong; one must not marry this woman.
Six at the beginning: Held fast by a brake of metal — steadfastness brings good fortune. But to go forward: misfortune appears. The lean pig, in its restlessness, paces back and forth.
Nine in the second place: In the kitchen there is fish — no blame, but it is not for the guests.
Nine in the third place: His buttocks have no skin; his steps falter — danger, but no great fault.
Nine in the fourth place: In the kitchen there is no fish — misfortune breaks out.
Nine in the fifth place: Like a willow shading the melons, he holds beauty within: something comes down from heaven.
Nine at the top: He meets at the horn — humiliation, but no blame.
The Judgment Commentary says: Gou means meeting: the yielding meets the firm. "One must not marry this woman": she cannot be lived with for long. Heaven and earth meet, and all things shine forth; the firm meets what is central and correct, and the way greatly prevails in the world: great indeed is the meaning of Coming to Meet in its hour!
The Image Commentary says: Wind under heaven: Gou. Thus the sovereign gives out his commands, proclaiming them to the four quarters.
Held fast by the metal brake: the yielding way is drawn and held.
In the kitchen there is fish: rightly it does not reach the guests.
His steps falter: he has not yet been drawn along.
The misfortune of no fish: he is far from the people.
That the nine in the fifth place holds beauty within: it is central and correct. That something comes down from heaven: his will does not forsake the decree of heaven.
Meeting at the horn: what is above is exhausted, hence the humiliation.
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.
Gou (Coming to Meet): The woman is strong. Do not marry this woman.
Six at the beginning: Tied to a metal brake. Staying the course brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, misfortune appears. A thin pig struggles about, as surely as expected.
Nine in the second place: There is a fish in the wrapping. No blame. It is not favorable for the guest.
Nine in the third place: His buttocks have no skin; he walks with difficulty. There is danger but no great blame.
Nine in the fourth place: No fish in the wrapping. Taking action brings misfortune.
Nine in the fifth place: A melon is wrapped in willow branches, hiding its beauty. Something falls from heaven.
Nine at the top: Coming to meet its horns. Humiliation, but no blame.
The Judgment Commentary says: Gou (Coming to Meet) means an encounter: the yielding meets the firm. “Do not marry this woman” means one cannot grow together with her. When heaven and earth meet, all kinds of things appear in full. When the firm meets what is centered and right, the great way spreads throughout the world. How great is the meaning of meeting in its proper time!
The Image Commentary says: Wind beneath heaven: this is Gou (Coming to Meet). So the ruler sends out commands and announces them in all four directions.
Tied to a metal brake means the way of the yielding is held back.
There is a fish in the wrapping: it rightly does not go to the guest.
He walks with difficulty because his progress is not yet held back.
The misfortune of having no fish comes from keeping distant from the people.
The nine in the fifth place hides its beauty because it is centered and right. Something falls from heaven because its purpose does not abandon its appointed task.
Coming to meet its horns means reaching an impasse at the top and facing humiliation.