I Ching Hexagram 56 - The Wanderer
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 56 "The Wanderer"
旅 - Lǚ
Hỏa Sơn Lữ
The Wanderer
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☲ Li, Fire
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☶ Gen, Mountain
Other Titles: Transition, The Symbol of the Traveler, The Exile, Sojourning, The Newcomer, To Travel, Traveling, The Stranger, Strangers, The Traveling Stranger, The Outsider, The Alien, The Tarot Fool, Wandering, Homeless, Uncommitted, On Your Own,
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes:The Wanderer. Success through smallness. Perseverance brings good fortune to the wanderer.
Legge: Transition means that small attainments are possible. If the traveling stranger is firm and correct, there will be good fortune.
Blofeld: The Traveler -- success in small matters. Persistence with regard to traveling brings good fortune.
Liu: The Exile. Small success. To continue leads to good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Traveling. Small receipt. Traveling; determination is auspicious.
Cleary (1): Travel is developmental when small; if travel is correct, it leads to good fortune.
Cleary (2): Travel has a little success. Travel is auspicious if correct.
Wu: Traveling indicates small pervasion. Perseverance will bring auspiciousness.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Fire on the mountain: the image of The Wanderer. Thus the superior man is clear-minded and cautious in imposing penalties, and protracts no lawsuits.
Legge: A fire on the mountain -- the image of Transition. The superior man exerts cautious wisdom in his punishments, and does not permit prolonged litigation.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes fire upon a mountain. The Superior Man employs wise caution in administering punishments and does not suffer the cases brought before him to be delayed.
Liu: Fire over the mountain symbolizes the Exile. The superior man is careful and clever in imposing punishments, and does not delay the cases brought.
Cleary (1): There is fire atop a mountain, transient. Thus superior people apply punishments with understanding and prudence, and do not keep people imprisoned.
Cleary (2): Fire on a mountain – traveling. Etc.
Wu: There is fire on the mountain; this is Traveling. Thus the jun zi exercises the utmost deliberations in exacting punishments such that prisoners will not be detained without cause.
Line 1
初六: 旅瑣瑣, 斯其所取災．
Wilhelm/Baynes: If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things, he draws down misfortune upon himself.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, shows the stranger mean and meanly occupied. It is thus that she brings on herself further calamity.
Blofeld: Trifling with unimportant matters, the traveler draws upon himself calamity.
Liu: If the exile dallies with petty matters, he will draw disaster on himself.
Shaughnessy: Traveling so trivially; this is the fire that he has taken.
Cleary (1): Restless in travel, this is the misfortune you get.
Cleary (2): Petty fussing on a journey brings misfortune.
Wu: The traveler complains about trivial things and he is poorly received.
Line 2
六二: 旅即次, 懷其資, 得童僕, 貞．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wanderer comes to an inn. He has his property with him. He wins the steadfastness of a young servant.
Legge: The second line, magnetic, shows the stranger occupying her lodging-house, carrying her means of livelihood, and provided with good and trusty servants.
Blofeld: The traveler reaches an inn with his valuables still nestling safely in the bosom of his robe. He gains the loyalty of a young servant. (This implies that we need fear no loss upon our journey.)
Liu: The exile arrives at an inn. He carries valuables. He wins the loyalty of a young servant.
Shaughnessy: In traveling having just lodged, he cherishes his belongings, getting the young servant's determination.
Cleary (1): Coming to a lodge on a journey with money in your pocket, you have attendants, yet are upright.
Cleary (2): Coming to an inn on a journey with supplies in hand, one gains the loyalty of a servant.
Wu: The traveler makes a stop with his valuable belongings and gets help from a trustworthy bellboy.
Line 3
九三: 旅, 焚其次, 喪其童僕, 貞, 厲．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wanderer's inn burns down. He loses the steadfastness of his young servant. Danger.
Legge: The third line, dynamic, shows the stranger, burning his lodging-house, and having lost his servants. However firm and correct he tries to be, he will be in peril.
Blofeld: Owing to the traveler’s lack of caution, the inn is burnt down and he no longer enjoys the young servant's loyalty. Persistence now would lead to trouble. (Our carelessness leads us into such difficulties that it would be folly to proceed.)
Liu: The inn where the exile stays burns down. He loses the loyalty of his young servant. To continue is dangerous.
Shaughnessy: In traveling burning his lodging, and losing his young servant; determination is dangerous.
Cleary (1): Burning the lodge on a journey, you lose your attendants. Even if righteous there is danger.
Cleary (2): Burning the inn on a journey, losing the servants, is dangerous even if one is upright.
Wu: The lodge is on fire. He loses the favor of his helper. He is in danger even persevering.
Line 4
九四: 旅于處, 得其資斧, 我心不快．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wanderer rests in a shelter. He obtains his property and an ax. My heart is not glad.
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows the traveler in a resting place, having also the means of livelihood and the axe, but still saying: "I am not at ease in my mind."
Blofeld: The traveler reaches a place where he obtains the money needed for his expenses, yet laments that there is no joy in his heart. (Were we to travel or continue to travel now, though material difficulties would not arise, we should not experience any happiness.)
Liu: The exile finds rest in a sanctuary. He regains his valuables. He is not happy in his heart.
Shaughnessy: In traveling, staying put, he gets his goods and ax; my heart is not happy.
Cleary: Traveling in the right place, one obtains resources and tools, but one’s heart is not happy.
Wu: The traveler rests in his lodge. He has the amenities, but he is not at ease.
Line 5
六五: 射雉, 一矢亡, 終以譽命．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He shoots a pheasant. It drops with the first arrow. In the end this brings both praise and office.
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows its subject shooting a pheasant. She will lose her arrow, but in the end she will obtain praise and a high charge.
Blofeld: While pheasant shooting, he loses an arrow. In the end he wins praise and attains to office. (After suffering a small loss, we shall receive considerable benefits from those above us.)
Liu: He shoots a pheasant, losing one arrow. In the end he gains honor and position.
Shaughnessy: Shooting the pheasant, one arrow is gone; in the winter he is thereby presented a command.
Cleary (1): Shooting a pheasant, one arrow is lost; eventually one is entitled, because of good repute.
Cleary (2): ... Ultimately one is lauded and given a mandate.
Wu: He shoots a pheasant, but loses an arrow. Eventually he receives a conferment of praise.
Line 6
上九: 鳥焚其巢, 旅人先 笑, 後號咷, 喪牛于易, 凶．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The bird's nest burns up. The wanderer laughs at first, then must needs lament and weep. Through carelessness he loses his cow. Misfortune.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, suggests the idea of a bird burning its nest. The stranger, thus represented, first laughs and then cries out. He has lost his ox-like docility too readily and easily. There will be evil.
Blofeld: A bird manages to burn its own nest. At first the traveler laughs, but then has cause to shout and weep. A cow is lost through carelessness -- misfortune! (Presumably, someone's carelessness causes him misfortune which excites our mirth -- until we discover that we ourselves are deeply involved in the resulting loss.)
Liu: A bird's nest burns. The exile laughs in the beginning, laments later. He loses his cow by being careless. Misfortune.
Shaughnessy: A crow disorders its nest; the traveler first laughs and later weeps and wails, losing an ox at Yi; inauspicious.
Cleary (1): A bird turns (Sic) its nest. The traveler first laughs, afterward cries. Losing the ox at the border, there is misfortune.
Cleary (2): ... Losing the cow while at ease is unfortunate.
Wu: Like a bird burning its own nest, the traveler first laughs with joy and then howls in sorrow. Like losing a cow in the field, it is foreboding.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 56 signifies travelling. You are in a new territory dealing with the unknown. A traveler who left home and lives as a stranger in an unfamiliar place, trying to adapt to the new environment, the language, and the customs of the locals.
With no familiar faces around, you have to stay watchful, ready to defend yourself against humiliation. You must also remain reserved in order to achieve any progress.
Avoid drawn-out conflicts and resolve them quickly. In an unfamiliar situation, you must be confident to play the role of a humble learner and observer.
