Meaning: Mozi lamented that white silk was stained with mottled colors, while the Book of Songs praised the lamb for always remaining pure and pure. We should admire the virtues of sages, restrain our selfish desires, and strive to imitate them.
Source: "The Thousand Character Essay" by Zhou Xingsi during the Northern and Southern Dynasties
Excerpts from the original text:
Ink mourns silk dyeing, and poems praise lambs.
Jingxing is a virtuous person, and Ke Nian is a saint.
Virtue builds a reputation, and the form is upright.
The sound is transmitted in the empty valley, and the sound is heard in the empty hall.
Misfortunes are caused by evil accumulation, and blessings are caused by good things.
A ruler and a jade are not treasures, but an inch of yin is a competition.
Translation:
Mozi lamented that white silk was stained with mottled colors, while the Book of Songs praised the lamb for always remaining pure and pure.
We must admire the virtues of sages, restrain our selfish desires, and strive to imitate them.
If you develop good morals, you will have a good reputation, just like if your body is dignified, your appearance will be upright.
The shouts spread far in the empty valley, and the voices in the spacious hall were very clear.
Disasters are the result of many evil deeds, and fortune and fortune are the rewards of good deeds.
A foot-long jade cannot be considered a real treasure, even a moment is worth cherishing.
Extended information
Source:
Thousand-Character Classic, which was compiled by Zhou Xingsi of the Liang Dynasty during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and composed of one thousand Chinese characters. Rhyme (before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, words that did not rhyme or contrast were called "bi" rather than "wen").
Emperor Wu of Liang (502-549) ordered 1,000 non-repeating Chinese characters to be selected from Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy works, and ordered Zhou Xingsi, the Minister of Foreign Sanqi, to compile them into a document. The full text is a four-character sentence, with neat contrasts, clear organization, and brilliant literary talent. The Sentences of "The Thousand-Character Classic" are as plain as words, easy to recite and memorize. It has been translated into English, French, Latin and Italian versions. It is a children's enlightenment book with great influence in China.