When the Supreme Polarity divided, the Two Forms arose,
And among them, man became the spirit of all things.
Man is but one creature of heaven and earth,
Yet alone, through morality and justice, transcends all forms.
Established among the Three Powers, within the cosmos,
He unfolds the classics of heaven and earth, and human relations.
This matter is not polished from without at the start,
Every hair is prepared within the seven-foot body.
The young are to be awed like the rising sun,
How can the body worth a thousand gold be taken lightly?
Treasure every inch of shadow, do not vainly cast it away,
How can a hundred years grant eternal youth?
If you have strength like a tiger, awaken sharply,
Especially when deep expectations weigh from father and elder brother.
Not mastering the Six Classics is not learning,
Not understanding the Three Powers is not being human.
To aspire to sagehood, one must aim for Yao and Shun;
To aspire to worthiness, one must become like Yan and Zeng.
Delve into the principles of righteousness and constant virtues,
The systems of rites and music must be clearly understood.
Strive to penetrate the source and flow of substance and function,
Let the veins of culture and principle still flow freely.
When fusion and exhaustion both reach perfection, obstacles vanish,
The scope never leaves the bending that completes.
A dust-free mind stores ten thousand volumes,
Brush strength to uproot mountains lifts a thousand jun.
Do not just lie high on a pillow in valleys and hills,
Use it to order the family, govern the state, and bring peace under heaven.
Not only will every common man and woman find their place,
Grass, trees, fish, and turtles will all be serene.
These are the fundamental duties of later learners,
Not for seeking profit or fame.
Moreover, sweep away the attitudes of jest, frivolity, arrogance, and sloth,
And purge the desires for sensual pleasures and passions.
One thing, one rule, the same reverence holds,
Firmly guard the ways of Confucius, Mencius, Zhang, Zhu, and Cheng.
Urgent efforts will surely bear fruit,
Wide renown and fair fame will last a thousand years.
Take the heroic spirit as your standard,
Transforming to the utmost Way is not hard to achieve.
Do you not see, at forty or fifty, being unknown is not worth regard,
Always slothful, unlearned, dim and rash, one lives in vain between heaven and earth.