Jiaoshi Yilin Volume 1: Qian (The Creative)
焦氏易林卷一·乾
Jiaoshi Yilin Volume 1: Qian (The Creative)
焦氏易林卷一·乾
Qian to Qian (Unchanged Creative)
乾之乾
大道坦坦，從天之元利貞不危，開戶安居
The great Way lies open and level, / Following Heaven's primal force. / Beneficial and correct, free from danger -- / Open your door and dwell in peace.
This is the first of 4,096 verses: Qian transforming into itself (i.e., no lines change). Each verse is a compact four-line poem serving as a divinatory oracle. The verse for Qian-to-Qian is fittingly auspicious, evoking the unobstructed Way of pure yang.
Qian to Kun (Creative to Receptive)
乾之坤
天門開辟，四時和順天氣下降，地氣上騰利貞不危
Heaven's gate opens wide, / The four seasons flow in harmony. / Heaven's breath descends, / Earth's breath rises. / Beneficial and correct, free from danger.
Qian to Zhun (Creative to Difficulty)
乾之屯
龍蛇所聚，大水來處客止舍宿，泥塗至股
Where dragons and serpents gather, / Great waters come flooding. / Travelers halt and seek lodging -- / Mud reaches up to their thighs.
The shift from Qian (pure creative force) to Zhun (initial difficulty) is marked by water imagery. Zhun's lower trigram is Zhen (Thunder) and upper is Kan (Water/Danger). The verse captures the transition from cosmic openness to earthly struggle, with the vivid image of travelers mired in mud.
Qian to Meng (Creative to Youthful Folly)
乾之蒙
鶴鳴九皐，其聲喈喈靈應感通，候至自來
The crane calls from the ninth marsh, / Its voice ringing clear. / Spirit resonance reaches through -- / The awaited arrives of its own accord.
Qian to Xu (Creative to Waiting)
乾之需
衣裘蔽膝，安坐待食歡樂飲酒，和氣相得
Fur robes cover the knees, / Sitting comfortably, awaiting the meal. / Drinking wine with joy -- / Harmonious spirits in good company.
Qian to Song (Creative to Conflict)
乾之訟
酒為歡伯，除憂來樂反側傾仄，不能自覆
Wine is the Earl of Joy, / Banishing worry and bringing pleasure. / But tossing and turning, tilting and swaying, / Unable to right oneself again.
歡伯 (huan bo, 'Earl of Joy') is a literary personification of wine. The verse describes how the pleasure of wine leads to loss of balance and control -- an apt image for the Conflict hexagram, where disputes arise from indulgence.
Qian to Shi (Creative to The Army)
乾之師
塗潦成海，沈没良材損利折費，商人無財
Flooded roads become a sea, / Drowning good timber in the depths. / Losses pile up and expenses mount -- / The merchant is left without capital.
Qian to Tai (Creative to Peace)
乾之泰
不風不雨，白日皎皎宜出驅馳，通理大道
No wind, no rain, / The white sun shining bright. / Good for going out and traveling far -- / The great road lies open and clear.
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