01 / THE EARLY TEXT
The words themselves.
An interpretive English translation. Read the translation notes. Six and nine name line types; positions run from bottom to top.
乾：元亨。利貞。
Qian: Great success. A favorable determination.
初九：潛龍勿用。
Nine at the beginning: A hidden dragon. Do not act.
九二：見龍在田，利見大人。
Nine in the second place: A dragon appears in the field. Favorable to meet a great person.
九三：君子終日乾乾，夕惕若；厲，无咎。
Nine in the third place: The noble person works tirelessly all day and remains alert at evening. Danger, but no blame.
九四：或躍在淵，无咎。
Nine in the fourth place: Perhaps leaping at the abyss. No blame.
九五：飛龍在天，利見大人。
Nine in the fifth place: A flying dragon in the sky. Favorable to meet a great person.
上九：亢龍，有悔。
Nine at the top: A dragon too high. There is regret.
用九：見羣龍无首，吉。
Use of the nines: A group of dragons appears without a head. Auspicious.
02 / A POSSIBLE CONTEXT
What might the question have been?
Should a capable person remain out of sight, seek an audience with someone powerful, or accept an appointment?
A possible setting
A young noble, warrior, or household retainer awaits a position. The diviner uses the dragon's locations—hidden below, in a field, at an abyss, and in the sky—to distinguish obscurity, first recognition, advancement, and overextension.
How the words respond
Line 1 advises against acting while still hidden. Lines 2 and 5 favor meeting an influential person. Lines 3 and 4 describe an uncertain transition in which vigilance can avert trouble. Line 6 warns that rising too far brings regret. In this reading, the issue is when to step forward.
The dragon's changing position organizes a sequence of possible outcomes. The later Commentary on the Words develops a distinct ethical interpretation of this material.
This scenario adapts the Chinese edition's historical reading. It is a possible reconstruction, not an established single event or the only interpretation.