1. "Encouraging Learning" - Yan Zhenqing of the Tang Dynasty
It is the time for men to get angry at the third watch of the night and the fifth watch of the rooster. Black-haired people don't know how to study hard early, and white-haired people regret studying late.
Translation: The best time for boys to study is between midnight and the time when the rooster crows. When I was young, I only knew how to play and didn't know how to study hard. When I get older, I regret why I didn't know how to study hard when I was young.
2. "Inscription on the Wall in Prison" - Tan Sitong in Modern Times
Looking at the door to check in, I thought of Zhang Jian, and endured death for a moment to wait for Du Gen. I am smiling towards the sky with my horizontal sword, leaving my liver and gallbladder intact.
Translation: The life of a fugitive is so tense that when someone sees someone, they come to stay at their home. I hope that Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, who are on the run, can be protected by people like Zhang Jian. I also hope that my comrades can endure death and wait to complete the great cause of reform like Dugan. I walked out with my sword, looking up to the sky and laughing, because those who left and those who stayed were honest and upright, just like the majestic Kunlun Mountains.
3. "Bamboo and Stone" - Zheng Banqiao in the Qing Dynasty
Stand firmly on the green mountains and never let go, the roots are still in the broken rocks. It has endured thousands of blows but is still strong, regardless of the winds from east to west, north and south.
Translation: The bamboo clings to the green mountain and does not relax at all. Its roots are firmly rooted in the cracks of the rocks. After thousands of tortures and blows, it is still so strong. Whether it is the southeast wind in the scorching summer or the northwest wind in the harsh winter, it can withstand it and remains strong and strong.
4. "Summer Quatrains" - Li Qingzhao of the Song Dynasty
He was a hero in life and a ghost in death. He still misses Xiang Yu and refuses to cross the Yangtze River.
Translation: You should be a hero among men when you are alive, and you should be a hero among ghosts after death. To this day, people still miss Xiang Yu because he refused to live an ignoble existence and returned to Jiangdong.
5. "Snow Plum" - Lu Meipo, Song Dynasty
The plum blossoms and snow refused to fall in spring, so the poet spent money on commentaries. The plum blossoms are three cents whiter than the snow, but the snow is less fragrant than the plum blossoms.
Translation: Both plum blossoms and snowflakes think that they have all the beauty of spring, and neither one is willing to admit defeat. It is difficult to break a poet and write a critical article. To be fair, the plum blossoms make the snowflakes crystal white, but the snowflakes lose the fragrance of the plum blossoms.