歸妹 → 兌
Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden → Hexagram 58: The Joyous Lake
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 1 changing line (line 5).
Line 5
六五 帝乙歸妹。其君之袂。不如其娣之袂良。月幾望吉。
Six in the fifth place means: 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.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
延頸望酒，不入我口。深目自苦，利得无有，幽人悅喜。
Stretching the neck, longing for wine; it does not enter my mouth. Deep-set eyes, self-inflicted bitterness; profit and gain are nowhere to be found. The recluse finds quiet joy.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder over lake meets doubled lake: the maiden's anxious energy settles into the Joyous's shared delight, yet the verse is bittersweet. Craning one's neck toward wine, it never reaches the mouth. Sunken eyes suffer from self-imposed deprivation; profit and gain come to nothing. Then, unexpectedly: the secluded person finds joy. The verse traces a journey from frustrated longing to quiet contentment, desire unfulfilled in the material realm but resolved inwardly. From the Marrying Maiden to the Joyous, paired lakes reflect each other in mutual illumination. The Joyous at its best is the joy of shared learning and discussion among friends. The 'secluded person's' delight suggests that true joy lies not in obtaining what one craves but in discovering serenity within limitation.
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