三字经Three-Character Canon 宋 王应麟 著Written by Wang Yinglin 人之初， At the beginning of life, 性本善。 Man is good in nature.性相近， Human nature is alike, 习相远。 Habits make them different.苟不教， For lack of education, 性乃迁。 The nature is in alteration.教之道， And the nurture of the young, 贵以专。 Better be maintained for long. 昔孟母， Once Menciuss mother 择邻处。 Chose the best neighborhood for her son;子不学， When her son played truant,断机杼。 She cut the threads on the loom.窦燕山， Another case is Dou Yanshan,有义方。 Who was wise in family education.教五子， He raised his five sons,名俱扬。 And all of them were blessed with fame.养不教， Rear children without instructing them,父之过。 And the father should be blamed;教不严， Teach in a slack and lazy way师之惰。 And the teacher should be criticized. 子不学， If a pupil plays truant,非所宜。 It proves to be improper.幼不学， If a child fails to learn,老何为？ What could he be when getting old?玉不琢， Without being carved and polished,不成器。 A jade cant be a work of art. 人不学， If one does not learn,不知义。 Hell not know human virtues. 为人子， When one is young, 方少时。 He should make the best of his time, 亲师友， Associating with the good and the wise, 习礼仪。 And learning to stand on ceremony. 香九龄， When Huang Xiang was nine years old, 能温席。 He could warm the mat for his father. 孝于亲， Whoever has love for their parents所当执。 Should be as kind as such. 融四岁， When Kong Rong was four years old, 能让梨。 He could offer his brothers the bigger pears. 弟于长， Even if one is quite young,宜先知。 One should love ones brothers. 首孝悌， One should bear familial love from the outset, 次见闻。 Before he starts to learn,知某数， Including counting and computing,识某文。 As well as reading and writing. 一而十， One times ten is ten, 十而百， Ten times ten is a hundred, 百而千， A hundred times ten is a thousand,千而万。 And a thousand times ten is ten thousand. 三才者， Therere three essential elements to know, 天地人。 They are heaven, earth and man. 三光者， There are three kinds of light;日月星。 Theyre from the sun, the moon and the stars. 三纲者， There are three ethical disciplines:君臣义； That of loyalty between the king and his men,父子亲， of love between father and son,夫妇顺。 And of harmony between husband and wife. 曰春夏， There are Spring and Summer, 曰秋冬。 And Autumn and Winter:此四时， They are the four seasons, 运不穷。 Alternating all the year round. 曰南北， There are north and south, 曰西东。 And east and west. 此四方， They are the four directions, 应乎中。 Laid out by central position. 曰水火， There are water and fire, 土木金。 And wood, metal, and earth: 此五行， They are five elements, 本乎数。 Related to the numerals. 曰仁义， There are benevolence, righteousness, 礼智信。 And courtesy, intelligence and loyalty. 此五常， They are the five human norms, 不容紊。 Which are regulated in certain terms. 稻粱菽， There are rice, sorghum and bean, 麦黍稷。 And wheat, millet and corn: 此六谷， They are six kinds of grain 人所食。 For one to serve as food. 马牛羊， There are the horse, the ox and the sheep,鸡犬豕。 And the foul, the dog, and the pig: 此六畜， They are six kinds of livestock, 人所饲。 Raised in herds by the farmers. 曰喜怒， There are joy and anger,曰哀惧； And sorrow and fear, 爱恶欲， And love, hate and desire: 七情具。 They are seven human feelings altogether. 匏土革， There are gourd, pottery, leather, 木石金； And wood, stone, and metal, 丝与竹， Together with string and bamboo, 乃八音。 All these can be made into musical instruments. 高曾祖， From his great-great-grandfather, 父而身； To his great-grandfather, 身而子， To his grandfather and father, 子而孙； To himself and his son, 自子孙， To his grandson and great-grandson,至玄曾。 And