| | ䷅訟: |
訟：有孚，窒。惕中吉。終凶。利見大人，不利涉大川。 |
| Song: |
Song intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream. |
| | 彖傳: |
訟，上剛下險，險而健訟。訟有孚窒，惕中吉，剛來而得中也。終凶；訟不可成也。利見大人；尚中正也。不利涉大川；入于淵也。 |
| Tuan Zhuan: |
The upper portion of Song is (the trigram representing) strength, and the lower (that representing) peril. (The coming together of) strength and peril gives (the idea in) Song. 'Song intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune:' - a strong (line) has come and got the central place (in the lower trigram).'If he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil:' - contention is not a thing to be carried on to extremity. 'It will be advantageous to meet with the great man:' - what he sets a value on is the due mean, and the correct place. 'It will not be advantageous to cross the great stream:' - one (attempting to do so) would find himself in an abyss. |
| | 象傳: |
天與水違行，訟；君子以作事謀始。 |
| Xiang Zhuan: |
(The trigram representing) heaven and (that representing) water, moving away from each other, form Song. The superior man, in accordance with this, in the transaction of affairs takes good counsel about his first steps. |
