Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 9 · Xiǎo Xù ䷈
Hexagram 9 · Xiǎo Xù ䷈ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
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：車說輹，夫妻反目。
六四：有孚，血去惕出，无咎。
九五：有孚攣如，富以其鄰。
上九：既雨既處，尚得載，婦貞厲，月幾望，君子征凶。
彖曰：小畜，柔得位而上下應之，曰小畜。健而巽，剛中而志行，乃亨。密雲不雨，尚往也。自我西郊，施未行也。
象曰：風行天上，小畜，君子以懿文德。
復自道，其義吉也。
牽復在中，亦不自失也。
夫妻反目，不能正室也。
有孚。惕出。上合志也。
有孚攣如，不獨富也。
既雨既處，德積載也。君子征凶，有所疑也。
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.
Xiao Xu (Small Taming): Success. Dense clouds without rain come from our western outskirts.
Nine at the beginning: Returning along one's own way: what blame could there be? Good fortune.
Nine in the second place: Drawn back in return. Good fortune.
Nine in the third place: The wheel fastening comes loose from the carriage; husband and wife turn against each other.
Six in the fourth place: With sincerity, bloodshed departs and fear passes. No blame.
Nine in the fifth place: Sincerity binds them together; wealth is shared with the neighbors.
Nine at the top: Rain has fallen and all is at rest; virtue has accumulated its burden. The wife's steadfastness brings danger. The moon is nearly full. For the noble person to march brings misfortune.
The Judgment Commentary says: In Xiao Xu, the yielding finds its place and those above and below respond; hence Small Taming. Strength joined to gentleness, firmness in the center advancing its purpose: thus success. Dense clouds without rain mean the movement is still upward. “From our western outskirts” means the gift has not yet been given.
The Image Commentary says: Wind travels above heaven: Xiao Xu. Thus the noble person refines the beauty of cultured virtue.
Returning along one's own way is rightly fortunate.
Drawn back in return within the center, one does not lose oneself.
Husband and wife turn against each other: he cannot set his household right.
There is sincerity, and fear passes: the will accords with what is above.
Sincerity binds them together: one does not keep wealth to oneself.
Rain has fallen and all is at rest: virtue has accumulated its burden. For the noble person to march brings misfortune: there is cause for doubt.
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.
Xiao Xu (Small Accumulation): Success. Thick clouds, but no rain, coming from our western outskirts.
Nine at the beginning: Return by your own road. How could there be blame? Good fortune.
Nine in the second place: Pulled back. Good fortune.
Nine in the third place: The wheel comes off the cart. Husband and wife turn against each other.
Six in the fourth place: There is trust. Bloodshed ends and fear passes. No blame.
Nine in the fifth place: Bound together in sincerity. Share your wealth with your neighbors.
Nine at the top: The rain has fallen and things have settled. Virtue has built up a full load. For the woman, staying steady is dangerous. The moon is almost full. For the noble person, setting out brings misfortune.
The Judgment Commentary says: Xiao Xu means that the yielding line has gained its position and the lines above and below answer it. It is strong but gentle; the firm line is central and its aim is carried out, so there is success. Thick clouds without rain mean it is still moving onward. “From our western outskirts” means its benefits have not yet been released.
The Image Commentary says: Wind moves across the sky: this is Xiao Xu. The noble person therefore makes his cultivated character more beautiful.
Returning by one's own road is right, and brings good fortune.
Being pulled back while in the middle also means not losing oneself.
Husband and wife turn against each other because they cannot put their household in order.
There is trust and fear passes because those above share the same aim.
Being bound together in sincerity means not keeping wealth to oneself.
Rain has fallen and things have settled because virtue has built up a full load. Setting out brings the noble person misfortune because there is reason for doubt.