Hilary Barrett’s I Ching is a good translation of the Yi Jing (易经) in a way that is approachable for new learners and advanced practitioners alike. I bought a copy because the old translation I used ended up disappearing somewhere. This translation is very good, and has an interpretation to accompany the actual translation. This is a great first translation to grow with, a great addition to your library for different readings, or an accompaniment to something like The I Ching Workbook.
Organization
What sets this book apart from most other translations is the organization. The content is extremely well organized, and the book can work as a free-standing I Ching resource. The book is divided into two sections, an introduction to the Yi Jing (and how to use the system), and the actual translation.
The introduction is actually really good. Most books just serve as a reference which need something else to make them make any sense. While certain things could be clearer, the focus isn’t on the method of using the Yi Jing, but what the hexagrams mean. That being said, it’s complete enough to use. It also only covers the coin method for actual usage.
Where the organization of this work really shines is in the actual hexagram readings. Each hexagram is broken down into the name of the hexagram, key questions, the primary reading (oracle, image, sequence, and pair [when relevant]), and the changing lines.
The key questions are added to help put the translation and interpretations in context. Without these questions, some of the interpretations would seem like a bit of a jump. The primary reading components and changing lines are each broken down one at a time as a literal translation and an interpretation to make it make sense. This interpretation is more complete than The I Ching Workbook by a good margin. Each section is extremely well organized so it’s easy to tell what comes from the original and what is added by the author.
The Difficulty Translating the Yi Jing
The Yi Jing is one of the oldest recorded works in Chinese literature. It is written in a language which is completely different than the modern language, and is archaic even in terms of ancient, literary Chinese. If you can read the Dao De Jing (道德经) in its original form, you may still struggle with the Yi Jing. The Yi Jing also uses metaphors and layers of symbolism which make it even harder to understand.
Translating the Yi Jing is an extremely difficult endeavor. This work does a good job of it and adds interpretations to explain the author’s understandings of certain parts. A lot of the ideas or translations make sense linguistically, but don’t really make much sense without an explanation. That also isn’t a slight against a translator, the original is extremely confusing even if you are fluent.
Another difficulty is deciding on the edition. There are many different editions of the Yi Jing just like there are many for the Dao De Jing. These editions tend to have subtly different changes to language and usage, certain sections reworked or reorganized. Another difficulty is whether or not to translate or include the Zhou Yi (周易) commentaries. The Yi Jing is the primary work, and the Zhou Yi is usually understood to be the commented extension of it.
This work covers the core work and leaves out most (if not all) of the extra commentary from the Zhou Yi, for better and for worse. It doesn’t quite work in the later Daoist interpretations for certain elements like are commonly added to some versions of the Yi Jing.
What This Book Does Well
The book is well organized and the writing is clear and consistent. It’s just a great translation in general. It keeps in the spirit of the original without being too difficult to follow thanks to the interpretations. The book is also organized to be used rather than just studied. It includes a chart at the start of the hexagrams to make readings easier.
The practical introduction is also good enough to get started with 3 coins. You may not be able to do some of the more complicated or traditional readings, but you’ll have more than enough to start with. It skips out on almost all of the philosophy and background to the hexagrams for better and for worse. For this work, this is a boon as it is simple and to the point.
Considerations
The book does not include the original commentary, and does not go super in depth with the theory behind the Yi Jing. I bought the work specifically for this reason, but it can be a deal breaker to some. I have also heard certain editions had printing issues, but the newest edition (2018 from what I can find) appears to be good.
It’s a cheap paperback, so I’m curious to see how the binding holds up to usage. I haven’t had any creases or issues with it, but it definitely feels like the type of book which will give out at some point. That being said, it looks great and isn’t rough like some newer, lower cost books.
Using It
If you’ve never worked with the Yi Jing before, consider pairing it with something else. This translation trumps most others I’ve read, and the organization makes it easy to use. Combine this with a book which goes far more into depth about the philosophy and concepts behind the Yi Jing and use this as the reference for readings.
I would also consider pairing this with something which includes the commentaries as well. The commentaries add value to the understanding and the traditional understanding of the whole system and each hexagram. This makes a great reference for a basic reading, but having the extra context can make each hexagram that much clearer. It’s a great version of the Yi Jing and extremely affordable.
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