Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 54 · Guī Mèi ䷵
Hexagram 54 · Guī Mèi ䷵ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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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。
彖曰：歸妹，天地之大義也。天地不交，而萬物不興，歸妹人之終始也。說以動，所歸妹也。征凶，位不當也。无攸利，柔乘剛也。
象曰：澤上有雷，歸妹；君子以永終知敝。
歸妹以娣，以恆也。跛能履吉，相承也。
利幽人之貞，未變常也。
歸妹以須，未當也。
愆期之志，有待而行也。
帝乙歸妹，不如其娣之袂良也。其位在中，以貴行也。
上六无實，承虛筐也。
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.
Gui Mei (The Marrying Maiden): Going forth brings misfortune. Nothing is favorable.
Nine at the beginning: The marrying maiden becomes a younger attendant wife. Though lame, she can walk. Going forth brings good fortune.
Nine in the second place: Though one-eyed, she can see. Steadfastness is favorable for one who lives in seclusion.
Six in the third place: The marrying maiden goes as a waiting woman; she returns to marry as a younger attendant wife.
Nine in the fourth place: The marrying maiden misses the appointed time. Though marriage is delayed, its time will come.
Six in the fifth place: Emperor Yi gives his younger sister in marriage. The princess's sleeves are not as fine as her attendant's. The moon is almost full. Good fortune.
Six at the top: The woman holds up a basket with nothing in it; the man cuts a sheep, but there is no blood. Nothing is favorable.
The Judgment Commentary says: Gui Mei is a great principle of heaven and earth. Without heaven and earth meeting, all beings could not arise; the marrying maiden marks humanity's endings and beginnings. Joy joined to movement leads to the maiden's marriage. Going forth brings misfortune because the positions are not fitting. Nothing is favorable because the yielding rides upon the firm.
The Image Commentary says: Thunder over the lake: Gui Mei. Thus the noble person knows what may fail in enduring relationships and their endings.
The marrying maiden goes as a younger attendant wife: this provides constancy. Though lame, she can walk and find good fortune: they support each other.
Steadfastness is favorable for one in seclusion: she has not altered the constant order.
The marrying maiden goes as a waiting woman: the time is not yet fitting.
The intention behind missing the appointed time: she waits before going forth.
Emperor Yi gives his younger sister in marriage; her sleeves are not as fine as her attendant's. Her position is central, and she goes forth honored.
The top six has nothing in it: she holds up an empty basket.
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.
Gui Mei (The Marrying Maiden): Setting out brings misfortune. Nothing is favorable.
Nine at the beginning: The marrying maiden goes as a younger sister accompanying the bride. One who limps can still walk. Setting out brings good fortune.
Nine in the second place: One with poor eyesight can still see. It is favorable for a person living in seclusion to stay the course.
Six in the third place: The marrying maiden goes as a waiting woman, then returns to marry as a younger sister accompanying the bride.
Nine in the fourth place: The marrying maiden misses the appointed time. A late marriage will come in its own time.
Six in the fifth place: Emperor Yi marries off his younger sister. Her sleeves are less fine than those of her attendant sister. The moon is nearly full. Good fortune.
Six at the top: The woman holds a basket with nothing in it; the man cuts a sheep, but no blood comes out. Nothing is favorable.
The Judgment Commentary says: Gui Mei (The Marrying Maiden) expresses a great principle of heaven and earth. If heaven and earth did not come together, nothing would flourish. Marriage marks the end and beginning of human life. Joy moves one to marry the maiden. Setting out brings misfortune because the positions are not appropriate. Nothing is favorable because the yielding rides above the firm.
The Image Commentary says: Thunder above the lake: this is Gui Mei (The Marrying Maiden). So the noble person thinks about lasting outcomes and knows what might go wrong.
The marrying maiden goes as a younger sister accompanying the bride so that things can last. The lame person walking brings good fortune through mutual support.
It is favorable for the person living in seclusion to stay the course because that person has not changed the usual rule.
The marrying maiden goes as a waiting woman because her position is not yet appropriate.
Missing the appointed time reflects the intention to wait before acting.
When Emperor Yi marries off his younger sister, her sleeves are less fine than those of her attendant sister. Her position is in the middle, and she acts with dignity.
The six at the top has nothing in it: she holds an empty basket.