| | 讼: |
天与水违行，讼；君子以作事谋始。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
(The trigram representing) heaven and (that representing) water, moving away from each other, form Song. The superior man, in accordance with this, in the transaction of affairs takes good counsel about his first steps. |
| | 讼: |
不永所事，讼不可长也。虽有小言，其辩明也。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
'He does not perpetuate the matter about which (the contention is):' - contention should not be prolonged. Although 'he may suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against,' his argument is clear. |
| | 讼: |
不克讼，归而逋也。自下讼上，患至掇也。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
'He is unequal to the contention; he retires and keeps concealed, stealthily withdrawing from it:' - for him from his lower place to contend with (the stronger one) above, would be to (invite) calamity, as if he brought it with his hand to himself. |
| | 讼: |
食旧德，从上吉也。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
'He confines himself to the support assigned to him of old:' - (thus) following those above him, he will have good fortune. |
| | 讼: |
复即命，渝安贞；不失也。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
'He returns to (the study of Heaven's) ordinances, changes (his wish to contend), and rests in being firm and correct:' - he does not fail (in doing what is right). |
| | 讼: |
讼元吉，以中正也。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
'He contends; - and 'with great fortune: - this is shown by his holding the due mean and being in the correct place. |
| | 讼: |
以讼受服，亦不足敬也。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
'He receives the robe through his contention:' - but still be is not deserving of respect. |
