Hexagram 22 of 64

Bì — Fire on the Hill

山火贲 · Legge: Pi · Mountain above, Fire below

Adornment carries small matters and not great ones; borrowed brilliance should not decide a case.

restrainttimingsincerity

The Judgment

Bì. There should be free course. There will be little advantage if it be allowed to advance.

Legge’s 1882 translation

Pi indicates that there should be free course (in what it denotes). There will be little advantage (however) if it be allowed to advance (and take the lead).

The Image

XXII. (The trigram representing) a mountain and that for fire under it form Pi. The superior man, in accordance with this, throws a brilliancy around his various processes of government, but does not dare (in a similar way) to decide cases of criminal litigation.

山下有火,贲;君子以明庶政,无敢折狱。

The Six Lines

The first nine · 初九

The first line, undivided, shows one adorning his feet. He can discard a carriage and walk on foot.

Legge’s 1882 translation

The first nine, undivided, shows one adorning (the way of) his feet. He can discard a carriage and walk on foot.

The second six · 六二

The second line, divided, shows one adorning his beard.

Legge’s 1882 translation

The second six, divided, shows one adorning his beard.

The third nine · 九三

The third line, undivided, shows its subject with the appearance of being adorned and bedewed. But let him ever maintain his firm correctness, and there will be good fortune.

Legge’s 1882 translation

The third nine, undivided, shows its subject with the appearance of being adorned and bedewed (with rich favors). But let him ever maintain his firm correctness, and there will be good fortune.

The fourth six · 六四

The fourth line, divided, shows one looking as if adorned, but only in white. As if a white horse, and furnished with wings, while, not as a robber, but intent on a matrimonial alliance.

Legge’s 1882 translation

The fourth six, divided, shows one looking as if adorned, but only in white. As if (mounted on) a white horse, and furnished with wings, (he seeks union with the subject of the first line), while (the intervening third pursues), not as a robber, but intent on a matrimonial alliance.

The fifth six · 六五

The fifth line, divided, shows its subject adorned by the occupants of the heights and gardens. He bears his roll of silk, small and slight. He may appear stingy; but there will be good fortune in the end.

Legge’s 1882 translation

The fifth six, divided, shows its subject adorned by (the occupants oo the heights and gardens. He bears his roll of silk, small and slight. He may appear stingy; but there will be good fortune in the end.

The topmost nine · 上九

The sixth line, undivided, shows one with white as his ornament. There will be no error.

Legge’s 1882 translation

The sixth nine, undivided, shows one with white as his (only) ornament. There will be no error.

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