Hexagram 64: Before Completion
Outer trigram (upper)
Ly
Fire · Fire
Inner trigram (lower)
Khảm
Water · Water
Judgment
未濟：亨，小狐汔濟，濡其尾，无攸利.
Translation
Vị Tế (not yet completed, not yet across the river): success. A young fox nearly crosses the river but wets its tail — nothing to be gained from that.
Commentary
Ly above is fire, Khảm below is water. Fire above and water below — the two do not interact, and the task remains unfinished. All six lines are out of their correct positions, yang on the even lines and yin on the odd ones. But Vị Tế marks a new beginning: what is unfinished still holds hope. The young fox almost makes it across but wets its tail — caution lapses right at the end.
Line Readings
Line 1 (yin)
初六：濡其尾，吝.
Translation
Wetting its tail — cause for shame.
Commentary
Line 1, yin, at the bottom, rushes forward before it is ready, like a fox wetting its tail just as it starts to cross the river. Cause for shame.
Line 2 (yang)
九二：曳其輪，貞吉.
Translation
Holding the wheel back; holding to correctness is auspicious.
Commentary
Line 2, yang, holds the center. It knows to hold back and wait for the right moment — holding the wheel back. Holding to correctness is auspicious: the task is unfinished, but it knows how to wait with patience.
Line 3 (yin)
六三：未濟，征凶，利涉大川.
Translation
Not yet finished — advancing now is inauspicious, yet it is favorable to cross the great river.
Commentary
Line 3, yin, is neither centered nor correctly placed. To press forward recklessly while the task is unfinished is inauspicious. But if it resolves to overcome a great difficulty — crossing the great river — with proper preparation, that proves favorable.
Line 4 (yang)
九四：貞吉，悔亡，震用伐鬼方，三年有賞于大國.
Translation
Holding to correctness is auspicious, and regret disappears; rousing itself, it campaigns against the Quỷ Phương, and after three years is rewarded by the great state.
Commentary
Line 4, yang, is in its correct position. Holding to correctness is auspicious and regret fades. Rousing itself to undertake a great task — the campaign against the Quỷ Phương — and persevering for three years, it wins a great reward.
Line 5 (yin)
六五：貞吉，无悔，君子之光，有孚，吉.
Translation
Holding to correctness is auspicious, without regret — the radiance of the noble person; with sincerity, auspicious.
Commentary
Line 5, yin, holds the center and the position of honor. Though the task is not yet finished, its bright virtue — the radiance of the noble person — and its sincerity mean that holding to correctness is auspicious, without regret.
Line 6 (yang)
上九：有孚于飲酒，无咎，濡其首，有孚失是.
Translation
Sincerity shown even while drinking wine brings no blame; but wetting the head means sincerity is lost.
Commentary
Top line, yang, at the extreme of Vị Tế. Rejoicing with sincerity — drinking wine in good faith — brings no blame. But if one grows so drunk that even the head gets wet, going too far, sincerity is lost, and the ending turns unfavorable. The Book of Changes closes with a reminder: always keep within measure.