Translated from Richard Wilhelm's German (1924)
The Judgment
Opposition. Good fortune in small matters.
The Image
The fire above, the lake below:
the image of opposition.
So the noble one, amid all fellowship, keeps their individuality.
First line, nine
Regret vanishes.
Should you lose your horse, do not chase after it.
It comes back on its own.
If you see evil people, guard against mistakes.
Second line, nine
One meets one's lord in a narrow lane.
No fault.
Third line, six
One sees the wagon dragged backward,
the oxen held back,
the person's hair and nose cut off.
A poor start, but a good end.
Fourth line, nine
Isolated through opposition,
one comes upon a kindred spirit
with whom one can have dealings in good faith.
In spite of the danger, no fault.
Fifth line, six
Regret vanishes.
The companion bites through the covering.
If one goes to them, how could that be a mistake?
Top line, nine
Isolated through opposition, one takes one's companion
for a pig caked with filth,
for a wagonload of devils.
At first one draws the bow on him,
then one puts the bow away.
He is no raider; he means to woo at the appointed time.
As one goes there, rain falls, and then good fortune comes.