Chinese

Dizigui (The Rules for Students) Classical Chinese Course – Chapter 5

November 2, 2022

This is the fifth chapter of Di Zi Gui (The Rules for Students). For links to previous lessons see below.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Below are the video lessons for chapter five.

Here is the text of chapter five below.

Chapter 5. Love All Equally

汎愛眾
Fàn ài zhòng
Love All Equally

凡是人,皆須愛。
Fán shì rén, jiē xū ài.
All who are human, one must love.

天同覆,地同載。
Tiān tóng fù, dì tóng zài.
The sky covers us equally; Earth bears us equally.

行高者,名自高。
Xíng gāo zhě, míng zì gāo.
People with high conduct naturally have high reputations;

人所重,非貌高。
Rén sǔo zhòng, fēi mào gāo.
What people value is not high looks.

才大者,望自大。
Cái dà zhě, wàng zì dà.
People with great ability naturally have great fame;

人所服,非言大。
Rén sǔo fú, fēi yán dà.
What people admire is not great words.

己有能,勿自私。
Jǐ yǒu néng, wù zì sī.
If one has ability, one shouldn’t be selfish.

人所能,勿輕訾。
Rén sǔo néng, wù qīng zǐ.
If other people have ability, one shouldn’t denigrate them.

勿諂富,勿驕貧。
Wù chǎn fù, wù jiāo pín.
Don’t fawn on the rich; don’t be arrogant to the poor.

勿厭故,勿喜新。
Wù yàn gù, wù xǐ xīn.
Don’t grow tired of old friends; don’t only delight in new friends.

人不閑,勿事攪。
Rén bù xián, wù shì jiǎo.
If people don’t have time, don’t bother them with matters.

人不安,勿話擾。
Rén bù ān, wù huà rǎo.
If people are not at peace, don’t bother them with words.

人有短,切莫揭。
Rén yǒu duǎn, qiè mò jiē.
When people have shortcomings, definitely don’t expose them.

人有私,切莫說。
Rén yǒu sī, qiè mò shuō.
When people have secrets, definitely don’t say them.

道人善,即是善。
Dào rén shàn, jí shì shàn.
Speaking of others’ good deeds is in itself a good deed.

人知之,愈思勉。
Rén zhī zhī, yù sī miǎn.
When others learn of it, they become more encouraged.

揚人惡,既是惡。
Yáng rén è, jí shì è.
Spreading rumors about the wrongdoings of others is a wrongdoing in itself.

疾之甚,禍且作。
Jí zhī shèn, huò qiě zuò.
People hate it very much, and disaster arises.

善相勸,德皆建。
Shàn xiāng quàn, dé jiē jiàn.
Admonishing each other to do good builds up everyone’s virtue.

過不規,道兩虧。
Guò bù guī, dào liǎng kuī.
Not dissuading another from doing wrong damages both parties’ character.

凡取與,貴分曉。
Fán qǔ yǔ, guì fēn xiǎo.
Whether taking or giving, one must know the difference between the two.

與宜多,取宜少。
Yǔ yí duō, qǔ yí shǎo.
It’s better to give much and take little.

將加人,先問己。
Jiāng jiā rén, xiān wèn jǐ.
When about to do unto others, first ask yourself;

己不欲,即速已。
Jǐ bù yù, jí sù yǐ.
If you don’t want it, then stop immediately.

恩欲報,怨欲忘。
Ēn yù bào, yuàn yù duǎn.
One wants to repay kindness and forget grudges.

報怨短,報恩長。
Bào yuàn duǎn, bào ēn cháng.
Spend less time holding grudges and more time repaying kindness.

待婢僕,身貴端。
Dài bì pú, shēn guì duān.
When directing maids and servants, act properly.

雖貴端,慈而寬。
Suī guì duān, cí ér kuān.
Though being proper, also treat them kindly and generously.

势服人,心不然。
Shì fú rén, xīn bù rán.
Using force to make people submit doesn’t make their hearts submit.

理服人,方無言。
Lǐ fú rén, fāng wú yán.
Using reason to make people submit, only then are there no words (of discontent).

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