火水未济Wèi Jì · Not Yet Fulfilled
离上 · 坎下Fire over Water
卦辞The Judgement
未济：亨；小狐汔济，濡其尾，无攸利。Wèi Jì. Prosperous and smooth. The little fox, almost across the river, wets its tail. Nothing is unfavorable — and yet nothing favorable.
事情还没完成——还在路上。坎水在下属水居北方，离火在上属火居南方——火在水上，火往上烧，水往下流，火根本没碰到水，煮不熟饭。水火不交——这就是未济，事情差最后一步没成。即使前面有困难，最终会成功——但要注意小狐狸的故事——快渡过河了却把尾巴弄湿。坚持到底比开始更重要——临门一脚最考验人。
The work is not done — you are still on the road. The lower trigram Kǎn is Water, element Water, in the north; the upper trigram Lí is Fire, element Fire, in the south — fire above water, the fire burning upward, the water flowing down, the fire never even touching the water, the rice never cooked. Water and fire do not meet — this is Not-Yet-Across, the thing short by one last step. Though there are difficulties ahead, in the end success will come — but mind the little fox: nearly across, it gets its tail wet. Carrying through to the end matters more than starting — the last step is the testing one.
大象The Image
《象》曰：火在水上，未济；君子以慎辨物居方。Fire above the water: the image of Before Completion. The noble one, accordingly, is careful in distinguishing things and putting each in its place.
六爻The Six Lines
初六，濡其尾，吝。Wetting the tail. Humiliation.
弄湿了尾巴——坎水初爻，水刚进——遗憾，还没成事就先慌乱、出岔子，要稳住自己，不要急，遗憾。还没成事就先慌乱、出岔子。要稳住自己，不要急。
Wetting one's tail — Kǎn's Water, first line, the water just entered — regret; tripping at the very start before the thing is done, so settle yourself, don't rush — regret. Tripping at the very start, before the thing is even done. Settle yourself; do not rush.
九二，曳其轮，贞吉。Dragging the wheels. Steadfast and upright: good fortune.
拖住车轮（自我节制）——坎水中唯一的阳爻——守正吉，在事情还没完成时主动放慢、不冒进，守正吉。在事情还没完成时主动放慢、不冒进。
Pulling the wheels back (self-restraint) — the one yang line within Kǎn — holding the right path brings good fortune; slow down deliberately while the matter is unfinished, don't push — holding the right path brings good fortune. Slow down deliberately when the matter is not yet complete; do not push.
六三，未济，征凶，利涉大川。Not yet fulfilled. Going forward: misfortune. Favorable to cross great rivers.
未完成的状态下贸然前进——坎水到三爻，水深流急——凶，但渡过大河突破障碍反而有利，看清何时该缓何时该进，凶。但渡过大河（突破障碍）反而有利。看清何时该缓何时该进。
Pressing forward in the unfinished state — Kǎn's Water at the third line, the water deep and the current swift — misfortune, yet crossing the great river is in fact favorable; see when to ease and when to advance — misfortune. But crossing the great river (breaking through the obstacle) is in fact favorable. See clearly when to ease off and when to advance.
九四，贞吉，悔亡；震用伐鬼方，三年有赏于大国。Steadfast and upright: good fortune. Regret vanishes. Attacks the Gui Fang like thunder. Three years: rewards come from a great kingdom.
守正吉，悔意消失——离火初爻，火刚移到水上——震动起来征服远方，三年得到大国奖赏，该用力时果断用力，震动起来征服远方（大胆行动），三年得到大国奖赏。该用力时果断用力。
Holding firm and upright — Lí's Fire, first line, the fire just moved onto the water — rousing oneself to subdue the distant land, after three years the great reward; strike hard when it's time — good fortune, regret gone; rousing oneself to subdue the distant land, and after three years receiving the great reward. Strike hard when the time comes to strike.
六五，贞吉，无悔；君子之光，有孚吉。Steadfast and upright: good fortune. No regret. The light of the superior person. Being sincere and truthful: good fortune.
守正吉、没悔——离火居中，火候最正——君子的光辉、有诚信、吉，最好的状态，内外都稳，君子的光辉、有诚信、吉。最好的状态——内外都稳。
Holding firm and upright — Lí's Fire centered, the heat at its truest — the radiance of the superior person, sincere and trusted, good fortune, the finest state, steady within and without — good fortune, no regret; the radiance of the superior person, sincere and trusted — good fortune. The finest state — both within and without are steady.
上九，有孚于饮酒，无咎；濡其首，有孚失是。Sincere in drinking wine. No fault. But immersing one's head, even sincerely, loses what is right.
信任地饮酒——没事。离火到极处，火烧过头了——但弄湿了头，喝过头了，失去节制，庆祝可以但不能失了分寸，但弄湿了头——喝过头，失去节制。庆祝可以，但不能失了分寸。
Drinking in trust — no fault. Lí's Fire at its extreme, the fire burned past all bounds — but the head soaked, drink taken too far, all measure lost; celebrate, but not without bounds — But drinking until your head is wet (going past the limit) — losing all measure. Celebration is fine, but not without bounds.