xī zhòng ní shī xiàng tuó gǔ shèng xián shàng qín xué
昔仲尼 师项橐 古圣贤 尚勤学
Of old, Confucius, took Hsiang T'o for his teacher.The inspired men and sages of old, studied diligently nevertheless.
zhào zhōng lìng dú lǔ lùn bǐ jì shì xué qiě qín
赵中令 读鲁论 彼既仕 学且勤
Chao, president of the Council, studied the Lu Test of the Analects. He, when already an official, studied and moreover, with diligence.
pī pú biān xuē zhú jiǎn bǐ wú shū qiě zhī miǎn
披蒲编 削竹简 彼无书 且知勉
One opened out rushes and plaited them together, another scraped tablets of bamboo. These men had no books, but they knew how to make an effort.
tóu xuán liáng zhuī cì gǔ bǐ bú jiāo zì qín kǔ
头悬梁 锥刺股 彼不教 自勤苦
One tied his head to the beam above him; another pricked his thigh with an awl. They were not taught, but toiled hard of their own accord.
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