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Chinese Text Project
Simplified Chinese version
Show translation:[None] [English]

《需 - Xu》

English translation: James Legge [?] Library Resources
1 需:
云上于天,需;君子以饮食宴乐。
Xiang Zhuan:
(The trigram for) clouds ascending over that for the sky forms Xu. The superior man, in accordance with this, eats and drinks, feasts and enjoys himself (as if there were nothing else to employ him).

2 需:
需于郊,不犯难行也。利用恒,无咎;未失常也。
Xiang Zhuan:
'He is waiting in the (distant) border:' - he makes no movement to encounter rashly the difficulties (of the situation). 'It will be advantageous for him constantly to maintain (the purpose thus shown), in which case there will be no error:' - he will not fail to pursue that regular course.

3 需:
需于沙,衍在中也。虽小有言,以终吉也。
Xiang Zhuan:
'He is waiting on the sand:' - he occupies his position in the centre with a generous forbearance. Though 'he suffer the small injury of being spoken (against),' he will bring things to a good issue.

4 需:
需于泥,灾在外也。自我致寇,敬慎不败也。
Xiang Zhuan:
'He is waiting in the mud:' - calamity is (close at hand, and as it were) in the outer (trigram). 'He himself invites the approach of injury:' - if he be reverent and careful, he will not be worsted.

5 需:
需于血,顺以听也。
Xiang Zhuan:
'He is waiting in (the place of) blood:' - he accommodates himself (to the circumstances of the time), and hearkens to (its requirements).

6 需:
酒食贞吉,以中正也。
Xiang Zhuan:
'The appliances of a feast, and the good fortune through being firm and correct,' are indicated by (the position in) the central and correct place.

7 需:
不速之客来,敬之终吉。虽不当位,未大失也。
Xiang Zhuan:
'Guests come unurged (to give their help), and if (the subject of the line) receive them respectfully, there will be good fortune in the end:' - though the occupant and the place are not suited to each other, there has been no great failure (in what has been done).

URN: ctp:book-of-changes/xu2