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,

　　could yield the (bigger) pears.

　　to hehave as a younger brother towards elders,

　　is one of the first things 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.

　　曰春夏 曰秋冬 此四时 运不穷

　　we speak of spring and summer,

　　we speak of autumn and winter,

　　these four seasons,

　　revolve without ceasing.

　　曰南北 曰西东 此四方 应乎中

　　we speak of north and south,

　　we speak of east and west,

　　these four points,

　　respond to the requirements of the centre.

　　曰火水 木金土 此五行 本乎数

　　we speak of water, fire,

　　wood,metal and earth.

　　these five elements,

　　have their origin in number.

　　曰仁义 礼智信 此五常 不容紊

　　we speak of charity, of duty towards one neighbour,

　　of propriety, of wisdom, and of truth.

　　these five virtues,

　　admit of no compromise.

　　稻粱菽 麦黍稷 此六谷 人所食