Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

神數

“Shen Shu”, Spirit Numbers 289-312

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

289 To become true

功名雖多
實際何如
修煉成真
真身不朽
萬載長春

Even if you have many honors and official ranks
How about their usefulness?
Practice ascetism and become true
The real body of Buddha is immortal
Containing a myriad eternal springs

  真身 Your real self or: the real body of Buddha
  長春 Longlasting springs or: vitality.

290 Thinking it out

走走走
遇一狗
急思尋
司長久

Walking and walking
Meeting a dog
Urgently your thoughts are seeking
You take charge for a long time

291 Lock the doors

不知真消息
消息驀地來
月圓月缺夜
不許把門開

Not aware of the true information,
Information comes unexpectedly.
The moon waxes and wanes in the night,
You should not leave the locks of the doors open.

292 Learn about danger

火旺處要不疲
水深處要不呆
到頭當酌量
毋得惹他災

Deal with big fires or else they will not stop
Deal with deep waters or else you are a fool
In the end they serve as deliberation
Not to invoke disasters

293 Geese or ducks

賓雁遠湖地成陸
行建功勳早回程
貪戀終非世人福
莫教鸡警會相争

Geese return from distant lakes and fields to regain their home
After completing a grand work of merit you return quickly
After all clinging is no blessing for anyone
Do not teach chickens and ducks
to compete with each other

294 A beautiful night

天上風
天邊月
月白風清
兩兩相當

Wind high in heaven
Moon on the horizon
A pale moon and a refreshing breeze
Mutual balance

295 Immortality

葉歸根
長立天地
水清源長流河海
人得金丹長生淵涯

Leaves return to the roots
Heaven and earth exist for eons
Clear water from the source turns little by
little into rivers and oceans
A person who achieves the pill of immortality
has a long life at the deep shore

  A different translation of 2nd line: Heaven and earth will exist forever (for a long time)).

296 Flowers and rain

乘馬去長安
看花花正發
一日雨來淋
香色盡凋零

Riding on horseback to Cháng’ān
Beholding the flowers opening in perfection
One day rain will start pouring
Their fragrance and color will exhaust and wither

  A different translation of 2nd line: Looking tearfully showing one's feelings
  Cháng'ān (litt. longlasting peace): capital of China in the Han/Tang dynasties

297 Strong roots

木長春天根幹老
子實三秋枝葉凋
不凋不謝
不見根牢

A longstanding tree in spring
tough roots and trunk
Seeds in autumn
the branches bare and the leaves falling off
It doesn’t wither at all
You don’t see the durable roots

298 Wild grass

叫道叫道
天將明了
何不伸手舒眉
反做蓬蒿到老

What a road, what a road!
Heaven will be clear
Why not raise your head with pleasure
The opposite of ending in the wild grass

 舒眉with pleasure: litt. relaxing brows
 道 road or Dao

299 Medicine

藥餌真服了甯
三劑後足分明
神中神清中清
固得緊可長生

The medicine is genuine
taking it gives peace
Three doses later it is clear enough
Spirit is inner spirit
clarity is inner clarity
You certainly achieve tightness
you can live long

300 Heaven’s Hall

三天曾結社
四海盡知名
長騎駿馬
直入天庭

In the past you formed an association in three days
You made your name in the whole country
A long ride on an excellent steed
Entering right into Heaven’s Hall

301 Inner laughter

閑來夫子處
偶然遇一人
童顏鶴髮
笑裏生春

In your free time you encounter a master
By chance you happened upon this person
Healthy in old age
Inner laughter causes vitality

  夫子 Fuzi, confucian master or title of respect for the elders.
  春 vitality: litt. spring.

302 Starting a business

閒雲野鶴望東行
惟有鄉人便是知音
經營佈置兩三春
聯街灯火後
錦片前程

Free and unrestrained
Eagerly looking for a journey east
Only a fellow villager
Can really be an understanding friend
You manage to set up a business
in two or three springs
Later united under the streetlamp lights
A bright future in your hometown

 東行 Journey East: starting.

303 Every place has its dust

漢水無情
蜀水澄清
黃河滾滾
四處煙塵

The River of Han is ruthless
The river of Shu is clear
The Yellow River is billowy
Everywhere is smoke and dust

304 Submerged dragon

潛龍已受困
尚不見雲興
佇看雲四合
飛去到天庭

A submerged dragon enduring hard times
Still doesn’t see clouds rising
After waiting for a while he considers
how the clouds close in on all sides
And flutters up to heaven’s hall

  潛龍 Submerged dragon: unrecognized sage
  困 Hard times, kùn: hex.47.
  天庭 Heaven's hall also means middle of forehead.

305 Antidote

此處滋味濃
濃艷不耐久
何如談笑生風
倒好東奔西走

This place has a strong flavor
Too rich and gaudy to endure for long
How about talking and laughing and making trouble
Booing and hooting and running about

  東奔西走 running about: litt. run east rush west.

306 Get on your way

這裡有小人
切莫稍留停
忙打點
好起行,日月遊
勿久存

Here live villains
By no means stay or stop a bit
Hurry to pack up
It is better to set out
Sun and moon float along
Do not linger too long!

  日月遊 sun and moon travel: time moves on.

307 The horns of the dragon

龍生頭角
將沛甘霖
六七八早
好濟蒼生

The horns on the head of the dragon grow
There will be plenty and timely rainfall
At six seven and eight in the mornings
A good help for the peasants

  頭角 head horn, clue; lead, talent.

308 Dragon and snake

太白現西南
龍蛇相競逐
龍自飛上天
蛇卻被刑戮

Venus appears in the southwest
Dragon and snake compete
The dragon himself flies up sky-high
The snake however is covered in punishment

  太白現 〈astr.〉 Venus; Vesper. 太白Great bright(ness. 白etymol: sun rising.

309 Longing for spring

曾把樹栽
也要待春來
東風嫋嫋
開遍花街

In the past you took care of planting trees
And you want spring to come
A light and delicate Eastern breeze
And flowers blooming in all streets

310 Enjoy your life

四十餘年苦已深
而今汝樂度光陰
莫籌論恩愛
尚多歡喜事
惜甚青春
不減青春

Forty remaining years
and your hardship already deep
Now you should enjoy the time you still have
Do not plan or prepare for love
Rather greatly treasure occasions
of joy and happiness
Cherish highly your youth
Don’t decrease your youth

311 Got your masters, get your life

三冬足
文藝精
到頭處
亦成冰
急急回首
勿誤前程

Three winters are enough
To master literature and art
You managed it up to the end
Already ice arrives
In a hurry turn around
Do not miss your future

312 Strange events

奇怪奇怪
前番來了
今番又來
謹慎提防
勿被弄壞

Strange and amazing!
It happened before
Now it happens again
Be cautious and on guard
Do not cover it and cause a mess