Hexagram 36 明夷, Line 1
明夷
Hexagram 36 · first line, undivided (nine)
明夷于飛，垂其翼。君子于行，三日不食，有攸往，主人有言。
The first line, undivided, shows its subject, (in the condition indicated by) Ming I, flying, but with drooping wings. When the superior man (is revolving) his going away, he may be for three days without eating. Wherever he goes, the people there may speak (derisively of him).
James Legge (1882), public domain.
Small image (小象)
君子于行，義不食也。
If only this line changes, hexagram 36 becomes hexagram 15.
← Hexagram 36 明夷: judgment and all lines
Character glossary
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 夷yíancient barbarian tribes
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 飛fēito fly, to dart; high
- 垂chuíto hang, to dangle; to hand down, to beq
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 翼yìwings, fins; shelter
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 三sānthree
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 食shífood; to eat
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 攸yōudistant, far; adverbial prefix
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 主zhǔto own; to host; master; host; lord
- 人rénman, person; people
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 也yěalso, too
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.