I Ching Hexagram 54 - Marrying Maiden
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 54 "Marrying Maiden"
歸妹 - Guī Mèi
Lôi Trạch Quy Muội
Marrying Maiden
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☳ Zhen, Thunder
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☱ Dui, Lake
Other Titles: Propriety, The Symbol of the Marriage of the Younger Sister, Marriageable Maiden, The Marrying Girl, Subordinate, Converting Maidenhood, Returning maiden, Making a young girl marry, Marrying a Maiden, Unilateral Action, Impropriety, Improper Advances
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: The Marrying Maiden. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.
Legge: Propriety indicates that action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.
Blofeld: The Marriageable Maiden. Advance brings misfortune. No goal (or destination) is now favorable.
Liu: The Marrying Girl. Undertaking leads to misfortune. Nothing benefits.
Shaughnessy: Returning maiden: To be upright is inauspicious; there is no place beneficial.
Cleary (1): Making a young girl marry: To go on will lead to misfortune; no profit is gained.
Cleary (2): Marrying a young girl. To go on an expedition leads to misfortune, with nothing gained.
Wu: Marrying a Maiden indicates that it will be foreboding to make moves. There is nothing to be gained.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Thunder over the lake: the image of The Marrying Maiden. Thus the superior man understands the transitory in the light of the eternity of the end.
Legge: The waters of a Marsh with Thunder over it form the hexagram of Propriety. The superior man, in accordance with this, having regard to the far-distant end, knows the mischief that may be done at the beginning.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes thunder over a pool. The Superior Man knows that, to achieve an enduring end, he must be aware of his mistakes at the beginning.
Liu: Thunder over the lake symbolizes the Marrying Girl. The superior man knows the cause of error, and persists in his virtue to the end.
Cleary (1): There is thunder above a lake, making a young girl marry. Thus superior people persist to the end and know what is wrong.
Cleary (2): Thunder over a lake – Marrying a young girl. Developed people consider lasting results and know what is wrong. [The way developed people handle things is that before they take the time to ask how to start something, they first consider lasting results. If they think of lasting results, they know what is wrong with acting prematurely, like marrying an immature girl. If you understand the meaning of this, you can apply it to government and to contemplating mind as well.]
Wu: There is thunder above the marsh; this is Marrying a Maiden. Thus, the jun zi in the pursuit of lasting excellence realizes the flaws and corrects them.
Line 1
初九: 歸妹以娣, 跛能履, 征吉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The Marrying Maiden as a concubine. A lame man who is able to tread. Undertakings bring good fortune.
Legge: The first line, dynamic, shows the young woman married off in a position ancillary to the real wife. It suggests the idea of a person lame in one leg who yet manages to tramp along. Going forward will be fortunate.
Blofeld: The maiden marries and becomes a concubine. The lame can walk -- to advance brings good fortune. [Some advance is indicated, but not a very splendid one. To become a concubine is doubtless better than remaining single; to walk with a limp is better than not walking at all – neither is greatly to be desired.]
Liu: The marrying maiden is to be a concubine. A crippled man can walk. Undertaking is good fortune. [Even with limited ability a person will achieve his undertakings by depending on someone influential.]
Shaughnessy: The returning maiden with younger sisters; the lame are able to walk; to be upright is auspicious.
Cleary (1): Marrying off a young girl as a junior wife. The lame can walk. It is good to go on. [The time is not right but her virtue is right, and she does not do anything improper. This represents the ability to maintain rectitude when the time is not right.]
Cleary (2): Marrying a young girl, taking junior wives. The lame can walk. To go on leads to good fortune.
Wu: The marrying of a young woman with her younger sister is like treading with one lame leg. It is auspicious to proceed.
Line 2
九二: 眇能視, 利幽人之貞．
Wilhelm/Baynes: A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, shows her blind of one eye, and yet able to see. There will be advantage in her maintaining the firm correctness of a solitary widow.
Blofeld: The one-eyed man can see. Righteous persistence brings advantage to the recluse. [It is not unusual for a one-eyed man to see, more or less, or for a recluse to benefit from persistence in his meditations and devotions; neither of them symbolizes anything at all remarkable.]
Liu: A one-eyed man can see. It benefits the solitary man to keep quiet.
Shaughnessy: The blind are able to see; beneficial for a dark man to determine.
Cleary: The one-eyed can see. It is beneficial to be chaste as a hermit.
Wu: It is like looking with one injured eye. It is advantageous to having a recluse’s perseverance.
Line 3
六三: 歸妹以須, 反歸以娣．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The Marrying Maiden as a slave. She marries as a concubine.
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows the young woman who was to be married off in a mean position. She returns and accepts an ancillary position.
Blofeld: From being a servant, the marriageable maiden becomes a concubine. [Again, a small advance is made, but nothing very satisfying is won.]
Liu: The marrying girl is to be a maidservant. She marries as a concubine.
Shaughnessy: The returning maiden with consorts turns around and returns with younger sisters.
Cleary: When the bride-to-be seeks, it will be the little sister who is married instead.
Wu: The marrying of the young woman is being put on hold. Instead, her younger sister is married in her place.
Line 4
九四: 歸妹, 愆期, 遲歸, 有時．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The Marrying Maiden draws out the allotted time. A late marriage comes in due course.
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows the young woman who is to be married off protracting the time. She may be late in being married, but the time will come.
Blofeld: The maiden stays unwed beyond the proper time, but the day comes when she makes a late marriage.
Liu: The marrying girl postpones marriage. She will marry later, waiting for the right time.
Shaughnessy: The returning maiden exceeds the appointed time, and tardily returns having time.
Cleary: When it is the wrong time for a girl to marry, she delays the marriage until the proper time.
Wu: The marrying of the young woman is postponed. A later date is anticipated.
Line 5
六五: 帝乙歸妹, 其君之袂, 不如其娣之袂良, 月幾望, 吉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage. The embroidered garments of the princess were not as gorgeous as those of the serving maid. The moon that is nearly full brings good fortune.
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, reminds us of the marrying of the younger sister of King Ti-yi, when the sleeves of the princess were not equal to those of the still younger sister who accompanied her in an inferior capacity. The case suggests the thought of the moon almost full. There will be good fortune.
Blofeld: The Emperor's second marriageable daughter wore regal garments less splendid that those of her bridesmaid. [The implication is that the princess showed better taste than her maid in not dressing too grandly. We must be on our guard against ostentation.] Close upon the full moon comes good fortune!
Liu: Emperor I gives his daughter in marriage. The embroidered dress of the princess is not as splendid as that of the concubine. The moon is nearly full. Good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Di Yi marries off the maiden: the primary wife's sleeves are not as fine as her younger sister's sleeves; the day's moon is past full; auspicious.
Cleary (1): The emperor marries off his younger sister; the attire of the empress is not as good as the attire of the young wife. The moon is nearly full. Good fortune.
Cleary (2): ... The attire of the lady is not as good as that of the junior wives. The moon is almost full. This is auspicious.
Wu: Di Yi married off his younger sister. Her dress was not so elaborate as her younger sister’s. The moon was almost full. Auspicious. [This was considered proper, for what was proper was the virtuous union, not the wedding dress.]
Line 6
上六: 女承筐, 无實．士刲羊, 无血, 无攸利．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The woman holds the basket, but there are no fruits in it. The man stabs the sheep, but no blood flows. Nothing that acts to further.
Legge: The sixth line, magnetic, shows the young lady bearing the basket, but without anything in it, and the gentleman slaughtering the sheep, but without any blood flowing from it. There will be no advantage in any way.
Blofeld: A woman holds a basket with nothing inside; a man stabs a sheep without drawing blood. No goal (or destination) is favorable now.
Liu: The woman's basket is empty. The man stabs the sheep, but no blood comes. Nothing beneficial.
Shaughnessy: The woman holds up the basket, there is no fruit, the man stabs the sheep, there is no blood; there is no place beneficial.
Cleary: The woman receives a chest, but there is nothing in it. The man sacrifices a goat, but there is no blood. No benefit is gained.
Wu: The woman carries a basket that is bottomless; the man sacrifices a sheep that has no blood. There is nothing to be gained.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 54 depicts a young concubine being brought into a traditional household where her fate is uncertain. She finds herself in a subordinate role and somewhat taken for granted because her rank is well beneath that of a principled wife.
One has to prepare at all times and accept the new fate. Do your best to adapt to new surroundings and dispel any unrealistic dreams.
Your success is entirely dependent upon how you conduct yourself. Any assertiveness on your part will be unsuccessful and may even bring misfortune.
