Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 169-192

Numbers
1-24
25-48
49-72
73-96
97-120
121-144
145-168
169-192
193-216
217-240
241-264
265-288
289-312
313-336
337-360
361-384

169 Living now

遍書前前事
艱險往來難
若得清風便
扁舟過遠山

Everywhere books about past and future events
Hardships and dangers disasters coming and leaving
It seems a timely cool breeze comes up
A small boat crossing over to the distant mountains

170 Don’t regret what is gone

莫歎殘花
花開枯樹
屋頭春意
喜笑嘻嘻

Don’t sigh about flowers gone
Blossoms open on bare trees
Home of the awakening spring
Happiness and many smiles

  花開: blossoms open; tearful.

171 Confidence

一事總成空
一事還成喜
若遇口邊人
心下堪憑委

One enterprise turns into emptiness
One enterprise succeeds happily
When it looks like you meet a reliable person
In your gut you feel confidence and trust

  口邊: ‘mouth limit’, with common sense, reliable.

172 A touch of love

欲得月中兔
須憑桃李拂
高山來接引
雙喜照雙眉

A desire to reach the rabbit in the moon
Must be based on a touch of peach and plum blossoms
In the high mountains a guide comes
Double happiness shines on your brows

  Peaches and plums: the beauty of a woman.

173 Good and even better

事遂勿憂煎
春風喜自然
更垂三尺釣
得意獲鱗鮮

Matters succeed
do not be consumed by worry
A spring breeze and genuine happiness
Moreover you lower three feet of fishing line
Proud of yourself you capture a fresh fish

  憂煎: ‘worry fried’: in agonies of worry
  春風: spring breeze; with happy smiles; in a pleasant atmosphere.

174 Socializing is a skill

圓又缺
缺又圓
低低密密要周旋
時來始見緣

Full and again dark
Dark and again full
Very lowly and very meticulously you need to socialize
The time will come when you begin to see progress

  Full and dark like the moon.

175 Heed the danger

乘病馬
上危坡
防失跌
見蹉跎

Riding a sick horse
Along a dangerous slope
Guard against tumbling
Watch out for slipping and falling

  蹉跎 Slip and fall, miss a chance.

176 Singing in the rapids

兩事日和同
輕舟遇便風
道迷人得意
歌唱急流中

Today two events are in harmony together
A small boat and a favorable wind
A charming trip and pride in yourself
Singing in the rapids

177 Hidden treasure

白玉蒙塵
黃金埋土
久久光輝
也須人舉

White jade covered with dirt
Gold buried in the earth
Long-lasting brilliance
Still man has to raise them up

178 Connections

上接不穩
下接不和
相纏相擾
平地風波

Connections with higher ones are not stable
Connections with lower ones not harmonious
Bothering each other and disturbing each other
Wind and waves from level land

179 Smiling in the rear

背後笑嘻嘻
中行道最宜
所求終有望
不必皺雙眉

Smiling in the rear
It is best to walk the middle road
Seeking a place ends promising
No need to wrinkle the eyebrows

180 Empty words

憔悴無人問
林間聽杜鵑
一聲山月笛
千里淚涓涓

Wan and thin and no-one asks
In the woods one hears the cuckoo
The sound of a bamboo flute
under the mountain moon
An endless flow of tears trickling down

181 Lofty Míngshān

菱荷香裏受深恩
桂魄圓時印綬新
從此威名山岳重
光輝直上位經綸

The fragrance of water chestnut and lotus in
your chamber: receiving intimate favors
The time of the spirit of the laurel in your garden: new seal and ribbon
Henceforth a prestige like the lofty mountain Míngshān
Rising to the glory of statesmanship in a top position

182 Halfway

花落正逢春
行人在半程
事成還不就
牽絆兩三旬

Blossoms fading right when spring arrives
A traveler halfway his journey
Matters not yielding results right away
They get impeded for two or three weeks

  旬ten day period, the ancient 'week'.

183 Stop

欲行還止
徘徊不已
動搖莫強
得止且止

A desire to move and yet standing still
Pacing back and forth endlessly
Wavering and without vigor
If you can stop then stop

184 Meeting a dragon

心下事安然
周旋尚未全
逢龍還有吉
人月永團圓

In your heart matters are peaceful
Social relations are not yet complete
Meeting a dragon there is still auspiciousness
People and the moon always become full again

  龍Dragon; dragon-year or -person, beneficial bringer of rain, imperial, a feature in festivals: Dragon Boat Festival (summer solstice) and 'Dragon dance' in many others.

185 No smile yet

夢裡說關山
波深下釣難
利名終有望
目下未開顏

An inner dream speaks of mountains as barriers
And deep waves wich make fishing difficult
You hope for profits and fame in the end
Right now there is no smile yet.

186 A path through the clouds

三箭開雲路
營求指日成
許多閑口語
翻作笑歌聲

Three arrows open a path through the clouds
In a matter of days you come upon success
All the gossip and slander
Turn into laughter and singing

  雲路 cloud path: official rank.

187 Out of the courtyard

休眷戀
誤前程
終鬧亂
出門庭

Stop sentimental attachment
It harms the future
In the end it causes confusion
Come out of the courtyard

188 Wind and moon

萬里波濤靜
一天風月閑
利名無阻隔
行路出重關

Calm billows over a vast distance
An entire day of leisure in a beautiful scenery
Nothing stands in the way of profits and fame
A journey away from heavy concerns

  風月 Wind and moon: beautiful scenery, romance.
  重關A series of fortified passes; heavy concerns.

189 Tigers and dragons

渴望梅
饑畫餅
漫勞心
加捉影
遇虎龍
力可省

Longing for plums
Starving for the pie in the sky
The brain overflowing with activity
Add to that grasping shadows
You encounter tigers and dragons
Forces which might make you aware

   畫餅 pie in the sky: illusions.
  畫餅充飢 lit. to allay one's hunger using a picture of a cake: to feed on illusions (idiom).
  勞心 Work of the brain: worry.
  虎龍 Tigers and dragons: courage and (benign) rulership.

190 Medicine for the heart

事迷心不迷
事寬心不寬
一場歡喜會
不久出重關

Matters are confused but your heart is not confused
Matters are relaxed but your heart is not relaxed
In a court is a happy gathering
Before long you come out of your heavy concerns

   重關 Heavy concerns or a series of fortified passes.

191 A message

夜半渡無船
驚濤恐拍天
月斜雲淡處
音信有人傳

Around midnight crossing but there is no boat
Terrifying intimidating waves lash at heaven
A slanted moon and thin clouds
Someone passes on a message

192 No wish to see

事若羈留
人不出頭
往來閉塞
要見無有

Matters seem on hold
People do not lift their head
Contacts are closed off
They don’t want to meet

  出頭 Lift their head: free themselves.