Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 193-216

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

193 Journey on

萬里片帆轉
波平浪不驚
行行無阻滯
途處更通津

The turns of the gossamer sail bring you far away
The water is smooth the waves are calm
You journey on without obstructions
Crossing over ever more to distant places

194 East wind

身歷驚濤
東風便好
太平身退
目下還早

You personally experienced terrifying waves
The East wind is timely and pleasing
Peace and tranquility when you retreat
At present it is still early

   東風 East wind: good (versus evil), East: beginning, start.

195 A crane emerges

鶴自雲中出
人從月下歸
新歡盈臉上
不用皺雙眉

A crane emerges from the clouds
A person returns from under the moon
A new love and a face full of smiles
No need to wrinkle your brows

  鶴 Crane (emblem of longevity).

196 Growing up

深潭魚可釣
幽谷鳥可羅
只用久長心
不用生疑惑

You may fish in the deep natural pond
You may net birds in the deep secluded valley
Your heart only needs a long time growing up
No need to become uncertain

197 A bright pearl

進不安
退不可
上下相從
明珠一顆

Going forward is not easy
Going back is not worthy
When high and low follow each other
That is a bright pearl

198 No right or wrong

著著占先機
其中路不迷
目前無合意
乍免是和非

A divination about a decisive occasion hits the mark
Your middle way is not lost
At present things are not to your liking
How to refrain from right or wrong

199 Halfway

雀噪高枝上
行人古渡頭
半途不了事
日暮轉生愁

Loudly chirping sparrows on a high branch
A traveler at an ancient ferry station
Halfway and unsettled
At nightfall worry creeps in

200 Go for it

鑿石得玉
淘沙得珠
眼前目下
何用踏躇

Cutting the stone gets you the jade
Washing the sand gets you the pearl
Before your eyes right now
Why hesitate?

201 The people sing, the ruler sighs

無端風雨催春去
落盡枝頭桃李花
桃畔有人歌且笑
知君心事亂如麻

Unceasing wind and rain urge spring to leave
The blossoms of the peaches and plums
fall faded from the tips of the branches
At the border of the peach field
people are singing and laughing
Knowledge weighs on the ruler’s mind
chaotic like hempfibers

202 Paradise

閬苑一時春
庭前花柳新
聲傳好信息
草木盡欣欣

Once upon a time in spring in paradise
New willow catkins in the front yard
A sound carrying a good message
The vegetation is utterly enjoyable

  閬苑 Paradise: land where immortals dwell.
  New flowers and willows in the frontyard - or: the frontyard of a new brothel.

203 Many affairs

門外事重疊
陰人多遇合
賢女雖助巧
渺渺終難治

Outside the door discreet affairs pile up
You meet many women
Even though a virtuous women helps cleverly
What is indistinct ends up difficult to cure

204 Sun and moon in the kettle

事有喜
面有光
終始好商量
壺中日月長

Affairs are promising
Faces are shining
From beginning to end all can be settled by discussion
In the kettle sun and moon last for a long time

205 Darkness leaving

暗去有明來
憂心事可諧
終須成一笑
目下莫疑猜

When darkness leaves brightness comes
A worried mind calls for harmony
The unavoidable result being a smile
No misgivings now

   This verse is about the wisdom found in Daodejing verse 2

206 A mirror without dust

寶鏡無塵染
金貂已剪裁
也逢天意合
終不惹塵埃

A precious mirror without dust or dirt
The attendants already cut the garments
The meeting also conforms to Heaven’s will
To the end not provoking dust

  寶鏡 the precious mirror (of relations): two people very well matched.

207 Harmony

和合事
笑談成
喜音在半程
平步踏青雲

Harmonious events
A joke succeeds
Happy sounds halfway
Level steps to a high position

208 Quiet nights

花殘月缺
鏡破釵分
休來休往
事始安宵

The flowers are damaged
the moon is dark
The mirror is broken and the hairpins bent
Stop the future stop the past
Things begin in quiet nights

209 Arriving

門外好音來
生涯應有慶
名利有更遷
雁行終折陣

Outside the door good news is coming
Your career deserves celebrations
Fame and fortune change even more
The flight of wild geese ends and they break the formation

210 A beautiful world

萬里好江山
風沙盡日間
己吞釣上餌
何心遇波瀾

A great expanse of lovely rivers and mountains
An entire day of leisure on windblown sands
Already the bait on the hook has been swallowed
Why would your heart bother with great waves?

  波瀾 great waves; turns and twists of a piece

211 Invite happiness

雙燕銜書舞
指日一齊來
寂寞淹留客
從玆下釣臺

A pair of dancing swallows bearing a document
Soon they arrive together
Lonely and stranded since a long time you invite them to stay
From now on you descend to your shore fishing spot

  燕 Swallow: symbol of happiness and joy.
  舞 Dance: picture of a dancer holding some sort of ornaments in the hands.

212 Follow the moon

望去幾重山
高深漸可攀
舉頭天上看
明月出人間

Gazing at the vastness of the mountain range
Tall and deep
gradually you may climb them
Raise your head and look at the sky above
The moon is rising on the human world

  望full moon; gaze, longing.

213 Saddle up and ride out

用之則行
舍之則藏
一騎出重關
佳音咫尺間

Avail of moving
Forget about hiding
A ride on horseback out of your concerns
Good tidings are soon to come

  重關series of fortified passes: heavy concerns.

214 Accomplishments

積德施功有子孫
殺牛祭神及西鄰
功名兩字成全日
回首山河萬物新

Do good deeds and carry out meritorious
service and get children and grandchildren
Kill an ox for a sacrifice comparable to the
Western neighbor’s
The day you receive the document which
validates both honor and rank
You can turn around and the mountains and
rivers and all living things are new

215 Then peace, then disaster

安坦路平夷
雲中一雁飛
桃花逢驟雨
水畔女頻啼

The quiet level road is safe and smooth
In the clouds flies a wild goose
Peach blossoms meet a sudden rainstorm
At the shore a woman is wailing repeatedly

216 Family

門內起干戈
親仇兩不和
朱衣臨日月
始覺笑呵呵

Indoors weapons are raised
Family members want revenge and two cannot get along with each other
Sun and moon approach in red robes
Smiles awaken again

  朱衣臨日月 litt: red summer robe of sun and moon (emperor and empress) nearing.
  日月重光 the sun and moon shine once more: fig. things get back to normal after an upheaval.