Zhuge Oracle Lesson 361

In one line

Zhuge Oracle Lesson 361 “Holding a wooden fish in hand”: The matter you ask about may be labor wasted, to no avail.

From the complete 384-lesson Zhuge Shen Shu (Zhuge Oracle) system.

Oracle Text

Holding a wooden fish in hand,
you go down the street to beg for alms;
you do not see Lord Xu arrive,
but meet, instead, a bird in flight away.

The matter you ask about may be labor wasted, to no avail.