三字经

Men at their birth,

are naturally good.

Their natures are much the same;

their habits become widely different.

苟不教性乃迁教之道贵以专

If follishly there is no teaching,

the nature will deteriorate.

The right way in teaching,

is to attach the utmost importance

in thoroughness.

昔孟母择邻处子不学断机杼

Of old, the mother of Mencius

chose a neighbourhood

and when her child would not learn,

she broke the shuttle from the loom.

窦燕山有义方教五子名俱扬

Tou of the Swallow Hills

had the right method

He taugh five son,

each of whom raised the family reputation.

养不教父之过教不严师之惰

To feed without teaching,

is the fath! er's fault.

To teach without severity,

is the teacher's laziness.

子不学非所宜幼不学老何为

If the child does not learn,

this is not as it should be.

If he does not learn while young,

what will he be when old ?

玉不琢不成器人不学不知义

If j ade is not polished,

it cannot become a thing of use.

If a man does not learn,

he cannot know his duty towards his neighbour.

为人子方少时亲师友习礼仪

He who is the son of a man,

when he is young,

should attach himself to his teachers and friends;

and practise ceremonial usages.

香九龄能温席孝於亲所当执

Hsiang, at nine years of age,

could warm (his parent's) bed.

Filial piety towards parents,

is that to which we should hold fast.

融四岁能让梨弟於长宜先知

Jung, at four years of age, 'Y')

could yield the (bigger) pears.

To hehave as a younger brother towards elders,

is one of the first th! ings to know.

首孝弟次见闻知某数识某文

Begin with filial piety and fraternal love,

and then see and hear .

Learn to count,

and learn to read.

一而十十而百百而千千而万

units and tens,

then tens and hundreds,

hundreds and thousands,

thousands and then tens of thousands.

三才者天地人三光者日月星

The three forces,

are heaven, earth and man.

The three luminaries,

are the sun,the moon and the stars.

三纲者君臣义父子亲夫妇顺

The three bonds,

are the obligation between soverign and subject,

the love between father and child,

the harmony between husband and wife