Hexagram 54 of 64 · King Wen order
歸妹The Marrying Maiden
Guī Mèi · ䷵ · above: Thunder ☳ 震 Zhèn · below: Lake ☱ 兌 Duì
Finding oneself in a subordinate or awkward position where one must adapt to circumstances beyond one's control.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
征凶，無攸利。
Kwei Mei indicates that (under the conditions which it denotes) action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. By Kwei Mei (the marrying away of a younger sister) the great and righteous relation between heaven and earth (is suggested to us). If heaven and earth were to have no intercommunication, things would not grow and flourish as they do. The marriage of a younger sister is the end (of her maidenhood) and the beginning (of her motherhood).
2. We have (in the hexagram the desire of) pleasure and, on the ground of that, movement following. The marrying away is of a younger sister.
3. 'Any action will be evil:'—the places (of the lines) are not those appropriate to them.
'It will be in no wise advantageous:'—the weak (third and fifth lines) are mounted on strong lines.
The Image 象
澤上有雷，歸妹；君子以永終知敝。
(The trigram representing the waters of) a marsh and over it that for thunder form Kwei Mei. The superior man, in accordance with this, having regard to the far-distant end, knows the mischief (that may be done at the beginning).
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初九
The first line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
歸妹以娣，跛能履，征吉。
The first NINE, undivided, shows the younger sister married off in a position ancillary to the real wife. (It suggests the idea of) a person lame on one leg who yet manages to tramp along. Going forward will be fortunate.
Small Image: 'The younger sister is married off in a position ancillary to that of the real wife:'—it is the constant practice (for such a case). 'Lame on one leg, she is able to tramp along:'—she can render helpful service.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 40, Deliverance.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
眇能視，利幽人之貞。
The second NINE, undivided, 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.
Small Image: 'There will be advantage in maintaining the firm correctness of a solitary widow:'—(the subject of the line) has not changed from the constancy (proper to a wife).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 51, The Arousing.
Line 3 六三
The third line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
歸妹以須，反歸以娣。
The third SIX, divided, shows the younger sister who was to be married off in a mean position. She returns and accepts an ancillary position.
Small Image: 'The younger sister who was to be married off is in a mean position:'—this is shown by the improprieties (indicated in the line).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 34, The Power of the Great.
Line 4 九四
The fourth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
歸妹愆期，遲歸有時。
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows the younger sister who is to be married off protracting the time. She may be late in being married, but the time will come.
Small Image: (The purpose in) 'protracting the time' is that, after waiting, the thing may be done (all the better).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 19, Approach.
Line 5 六五
The fifth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
帝乙歸妹，其君之袂，不如其娣之袂良，月幾望，吉。
The fifth SIX, divided, reminds us of the marrying of the younger sister of (king) Tî-yî, when the sleeves of her 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.
Small Image: 'The sleeves of the younger sister of (king) Ti-yi, when she was married away, were not equal to those of her (half-)sister, who accompanied her:'—such was her noble character, indicated by the central position of the line.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 58, The Joyous, Lake.
Line 6 上六
The sixth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
女承筐無實，士刲羊無血，無攸利。
The sixth SIX, divided, shows the young lady bearing the basket, but without anything in it, and the gentleman slaughtering the sheep, but without blood flowing from it. There will be no advantage in any way.
Small Image: '(What is said in) the sixth SIX, (divided), about there being nothing in the basket' shows that the subject of it is carrying an empty basket.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 38, Opposition.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦53. Development 漸
every line changedInverse 綜卦53. Development 漸
turned upside down
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.