Breakthrough

壯于前趾，往不勝為咎。

Vigor in the forward toes. Going without prevailing becomes a fault.

Decision reaches the forward toes at Line 1 before it has the strength to prevail. When the firm base yields, Wind stands below Lake and the figure becomes Hexagram 28.

惕號，莫夜有戎，勿恤。

An alarmed cry. Armed men appear at dusk and night; do not worry.

Line 2 sounds an alarm and remains watchful through the night. Its change turns lower Heaven into Fire and produces Hexagram 49, Revolution below Lake.

壯于頄，有凶。君子夬夬，獨行遇雨，若濡有慍，无咎。

Vigor in the cheekbones brings misfortune. The exemplary person remains resolute, walks alone, and meets rain. Soaked and resented, yet without fault.

Resolve shows in the cheekbones at Line 3, then walks alone through rain and resentment. Changing the firm line to yielding makes lower Heaven a Lake and yields Hexagram 58, doubled Lake.

臀无膚，其行次且。牽羊悔亡，聞言不信。

The buttocks have no skin, and walking is halting. Led like a sheep, regret vanishes. Words are heard but not trusted.

Line 4 moves painfully and hears guidance it does not trust. Once that firm line yields, outer Lake becomes Water and Hexagram 5 places waiting above Heaven.

莧陸夬夬，中行无咎。

Purslane: resolve firmly to remove it. Centered conduct leaves no fault.

Zhu Xi reads the plant at Line 5 as purslane and pairs firm removal with restraint against excess. The firm fifth line lies next to the sole yielding line at the top. Changing Line 5 makes Thunder above Heaven, Hexagram 34.

无號，終有凶。

No cry. In the end, misfortune.

At Line 6, the traditional reading finds an isolated figure with no allies left to call upon. Filling the yielding top changes Lake into Heaven and produces Hexagram 1, six firm lines.