How do you guys deal with finding the right translation? I have Karcher/Ritsema, which give a pretty good main hex description, but the moving lines are impossible to decipher. However, their main hex description, while clear, often contradicts other translations.

And then I go to this site where you can enter the original and future hexagram and it will show you the judgment, image, changing lines, and future judgment/image, and you can select from Daniels, Legge, Wilhelm, or Crowley translations and go back and forth. You can also view nuclear hexs if you're into that (I'm not).

The site is here: http://psychicscience.org/ching5.aspx

(note, I'm not promoting it, it's not my site. I'm just sharing it cuz I find it useful to quickly enter your starting/ending hexagrams and see 4 translations with the click of a mouse).

But sometimes they seem to contradict each other and I get confused.

Like with hex 38, Daniels (and also Karcher/Ritsema in my book) say "keep things separate" or "things that should not be connected", which sounds overall negative. But Legge, Wilhelm, and Crowley say "success in small matters" which sounds marginally good.

Confusing!!!

I have never liked Karcher's translation as it never seems to fit, and as you say, his translation of the lines are darn strange at times and I wonder what he was actually translating. Therefore I would never use any of his books, I did try but his "ideas" were beyond me.

Crowley isn't recommended and I would never use Legge as his heart is just not in it, it's like he just got paid to translate some Chinese into English and that's it. And who is Daniels?

I must admit I like Wil's book but some of his line translations are not what I would call exact, as some seem to miss the point.

Again this kind of question is really best suited for the Exploring Divination section where you may probably get more answers. This area is for sharing specific readings

willowfox said:

I have never liked Karcher's translation as it never seems to fit, and as you say, his translation of the lines are darn strange at times and I wonder what he was actually translating. Therefore I would never use any of his books, I did try but his "ideas" were beyond me.

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im glad i'm not the only one who feels like that. his lines feel like mechanical translations of idioms or something.

Crowley isn't recommended and I would never use Legge as his heart is just not in it, it's like he just got paid to translate some Chinese into English and that's it. And who is Daniels?

I must admit I like Wil's book but some of his line translations are not what I would call exact, as some seem to miss the point.

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i only read Crowley's cuz they usually rhyme

from the little i have read, it sounds like Wilhelm has devoted a long time to studying the IC so his meanings may be deeper.

I don't know who Daniels is.

I do like it however when all the translations line up and match each other.

@ this being in the wrong forum... can a mod move it to the right forum? sorry about that!

I do like it however when all the translations line up and match each other.

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Can I suggest a couple of things.......

I know it is tricky when you first start out with the Ching but try and escape "definitive answers" thinking.

First, take some time to read through all the great material and downloads Hilary offers on this site in various places but including under the "Learn" tab. Also there is a great History section that delves into some of the mythology and helps with further understanding.

Second regarding the quote: have a look at Hilary's latest blog post over in Exploring Divination.

Enjoy...

Lucia