Hexagram 02, line 1 & 2

First line

履霜堅冰至.

Thread on frost: hard ice comes.


Second line

直方大.不習無不利.

See for zhi 直, ‘to receive’ and other meanings this page. See also Scott Barnwell’s excellent article about de 德, The Evolution of the Concept of De in Early China, p. 5-6.  Zhi is a known loan of de 德 in early texts, meaning (besides ‘virtue’ and similar connotations) ‘to receive’ (古文字通假字典, p. 232). In Warring States texts the phrase 德賜 occurs, which the 漢語大詞典 reads as ‘to bestow; a favour’ (‘恩賜’); 戰國古文字典 reads ‘grant a favour’ (‘施賜恩德’, p. 68). Xi 習 means ‘to repeat’ (consult the oracle again) (‘借用有重復之意’; Ma Rusen 马如森, ‘殷墟甲骨学: 带你走进甲骨文的世界’, p. 289)

The land that is received is great.
No need to repeat.
Nothing is not favourable.

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