吴宫花草埋幽径，
晋代衣冠成古丘。
功名富贵若长在，
汉水亦应西北流。
青冢草深，
万念尽同灰冷；
黄梁梦觉，
一身都似浮云。

Eminent people of the Jin dynasty
Have gone to their tombs,
Grand palaces of the Wu State
Have been buried under deserted roads.
If honour and wealth could exist for ever,
Rivers would flow in the opposite direction.
Grassy graves make all your wishes
Drop like deadly dust,
Beautiful illusions make all your life
Like a cloud that constant floats.

人平不语，
水平不流。
便宜莫买，
浪荡莫收。
不以我为德，
反以我为仇。
有花方酌酒，
无月不登楼。
人有三句硬话，
树有三尺绵头。
一家养女百家求，
一马不行百马忧。
深山毕竟藏猛虎，
大海终须纳细流。
到此如穷千里目，
谁知才上一层楼。
欲知世事须尝胆，
会尽人情暗点头。
受恩深处宜先退，
得意浓时便可休。
莫待是非来入耳，
从前恩爱反为仇。

A good-tempered person does not grumble,
Flat water does not flow.
Neither take profits unfair
Nor entertain people who loaf.
Good is sometimes not rewarded with good,
But rewarded with evil.
Drinking wine when there are flowers is right,
Climbing a tower without the moon is not wise.
Every person has at least one forceful remark,
No tree is hard in every inch of its bark.
A grown-up girl of one family
Makes many families follow,
A leading horse that stops at a crossroads
Makes all other horses ignorant of where to go.
Mountains are where tigers dwell,
To seas rivers all flow.
When you get a far view,
You must know your vantage point is still low.
You can establish favourable social relations,
If you keep good-mannered and taciturn
In dealing with people;
To succeed in anything, you must toil.
Make a retreat when you are deeply favoured,
Make a stop when you are highly admired.
Prevent rights and wrongs
From getting into your ears,
Which can only make intimate friends hostile.
贫家光扫地，
贫女净梳头，
景色虽不丽，
气度自优游。
器具质而洁，
瓦缶胜金玉；
饮食约而精，
园蔬愈珍馐。
无益世言休著口，
不干已事少当头。
留得五湖明月在，
不愁无处下金钩。
休向君子诌媚，
君子原无私惠；
休与小人为仇，
小人自有对头。
名利是缰锁，
牵缠时，
逆则生憎，
顺则生爱；
富贵如浮云，
觑破了，
得亦不喜，
失亦不忧。

A poor family can often sweep their floor,
A poor girl can often comb her hair;
Although their furniture is not luxurious,
And her dress is not beautiful either,
The atmosphere can be pleasant,
And her manner can be elegant.
If well-made and clean,
A clay utensil can exceed a gold or a jade one;
If fresh and well-cooked,
A garden vegetable can be more enjoyable
Than a mountain or a sea delicacy.
Do not interfere in things
You are not involved in,
Do not speak words unbeneficial to society.
Do not worry about where to fish,
If there are still lakes and rivers.
It is no use fawning upon gentlemen,
Because they do not deal in private favours;
It is no use having feuds with villains,
Because they have their own conquers.
Fame and profit are reins,
Which when tied on
Make you liked if you are obedient,
And make you disliked if you are disobedient;
Wealth and position are clouds,
If you can see through them,
Losing them will not make you sadder,
And acquiring them will not make you happier.

若登高，
必自卑；
若涉远，
必自迩。
磨刀恨不利，
刀利伤人指；
求财恨不多，
财多终累已。
有福伤财，
无福伤已。
病加于小愈，
孝衰于妻子。
居视其所亲，
达视其所举，
富视其所不为，
贫视其所不取。

When you climb a high mountain,
From a low point you begin;
When you go to a far destination,
From a near place you begin.
When you have sharpened a knife,
You may cut your finger,
Although when sharpening it
You hated its dullness.
When you have had a lot of money,
You may have more worries,
Although when pursuing it
You hated its littleness.
A lucky person suffers financial loss,
An unlucky person suffers harm to his body.
Incomplete recoveries may worsen a disease,
The wife and children of a man
May corrode his filial duty.
See whom someone is close with usually,
Whom he recommends when he himself is promoted,
What he does not take when he is poor,
What he does not do when he is rich,
And you will know what kind of person he is.

知足常足，
终身不辱；
知止常止，
终身不耻。
君子爱财，
取之有道；
小人放利，
不顾天理。
悖入亦悖出，
害人终害已。
人非善不交，
物非义不取。

If you know when and where to stop,
You can always be free from shame;
If you know how to be content,
You can always be free from humiliation.
If a gentleman loves money,
He makes it in a proper way;
When a villain grabs profit,
He disregards a heavenly reason.
What is unfairly got will be unfairly lost,
A person who harms others
Will harm himself with people
Do not associate with people
If they are malevolent,
Do not take things if they are ill-gotten.

身欲出樊笼外，
心要在腔子里。
勿偏信而为奸所欺，
勿自任而为气所使。
差之毫厘，
谬以千里。
使口不如自走，
求不如求已。
为富兼为仁，
愿生愿死。
人见白头嗔，
我见白头喜。
多少少年亡，
不到白头死。

If you want to feel that you are free,
Plant your heart inside your body.
Do not be overly self-confident
And be blinded by your own bias,
Do not trust only one side
And be cheated by treachery.
An error in a millimeter astray
Can lead you a thousand miles away.
Use your legs rather than use your mouth,
Beg yourself rather than beg others.
Create wealth and also benevolence,
Cherish your life the better to live longer.
White hair may make others sad,
But should make you even happier.
Many people die when they are still young,
And cannot see their own whitened hair.

贼是小人，
智过君子。
君子固穷，
小人穷斯滥矣。
壁有缝，
墙有耳。
好事不出门，
恶事传千里。
之子不称服，
奉身好华侈，
虽得市童怜，
还为识者鄙。

The resourcefulness of a gentleman
Can be exceeded by that of a thief,
Who is only a villain.
A gentleman in poverty is law-abiding,
A villain in poverty engages in wrongdoing.
Walls have ears,
Be careful about your speech.
Good news does not travel at all,
Bad news flies far in every direction.
Although luxurious and beautiful,
Very good clothing
Is not suitable for a youngster;
It is admired by children in the street,
But is despised
By those with breadth of vision.

天下无不是的父母，
世间最难得者兄弟。
青出于蓝而胜于蓝，
冰生于水而寒于水。
不痴不聋，
不作阿姑阿翁；
得亲顺亲，
方可为人为子。
处骨肉之变，
宜从容不宜激烈；
当家庭之衰，
宜惕厉不宜委靡。
　　
The people who are not to blame
Are your father and mother,
The most valuable help
Comes from your brother or sister.
Indigo blue is extracted from the indigo plant
But is bluer than the plant,
Ice comes out of water
But is colder than water.
You cannot thrive in society,
If you do not pretend to be ignorant and silly;
You can be a qualified adult and child,
Only when you know
How to obey and please your father and mother.
When contradictions
Arise among blood relatives,
Treat them in a mild way
Instead of a sharp way;
When your family declines,
Be strong and vigorous
Instead of dispirited and inert.

是日一过，
命亦随减。
务下学而上达，
毋舍近而趋远。
量入为出，
凑少成多。
溪壑易填，
人心难满。
用人与教人，
二者却相反。
用人取其长，
教人责其短。
打人莫伤脸，
骂人莫揭短。
仕宦芳规清慎勤，
饮食要诀缓暖软。
水暖水寒鱼自知，
花开花谢春不管。
蜗牛角上校雌雄，
石光火中争长短。

When a day is over,
Your life becomes shorter.
You must first study worldly affairs
And then know heavenly reasons,
Do not pursue what is far
And sacrifice what is near.
Many a little makes a lot,
Keep your spending
Within the limit of your earnings.
To satisfy human desire is hard,
To fill a valley is even easier.
To use people and to teach people are opposites:
To use people you take their advantages,
To teach people you blame their weaknesses.
Do not beat a person on the face,
Do not curse a person about his weaknesses.
Slowness, warmth and softness
Are the important recipes
For drinking and eating;
Cleanliness, caution and diligence
Are the key rules for official dealings.
Fish know the cold and warmth of water,
Man cannot control
The blooming and withering of flowers.
Struggling humans are as transient as sparks
And as tiny as snail feelers.

留心学到古人难，
立脚怕随流俗转。
凡是自是，
便少一是；
有短护短，
更添一短。
洒扫庭除，
要内外整洁；
关锁门户，
必亲自检点。
天下无难处之事，
只消两个如之何；
在下无难处之人，
只要三个必自反。

Mastering the wisdom of ancient people
Is difficult,
Drifting with the worldly tide is frightening.
If you always consider yourself infallible,
You have your right decreased;
If you always cover your faults,
You have your wrong increased.
To check whether your doors are well-locked,
You should go yourself;
When cleaning your house,
You should
Make both the inside and outside tidy.
Being more introspective can clear away
Obstacles in your dealing with people,
More planning in advance
Can keep your affairs free from difficulty.

凡事要好，
须问三老。
好问则裕，
自用则小。
勿营华屋，
勿作淫巧。
若争小可，
便失大道。
但能依本分，
终须无烦恼。

If you want to do something well,
For advice you should ask three old people.
By asking more you can gain a lot,
Being opinionated can only bring you little.
Do not make your house luxurious,
Do not pursue
Rich and unique sexual experiences
And be loose in morals.
You will lose your great aspirations,
If you always struggle for tiny profits.
You will be free from worry,
If all your doings are compatible
With your status.
 

有言逆于汝心，
必求诸道；
有言逊于汝志，
必求诸非道。
吃得亏，
坐一堆；
要得好，
大做小。
志宜高而心宜下，
胆欲大而心欲小。

When you hear words that make you unhappy,
Try to understand them
From the angle of moral commandments;
When you hear words that make you happy,
Still be careful
Not to go beyond moral commandments.
People can stay together
Only if they have the spirit
To agree to sacrifice their own interests;
People can keep on good terms with each other
Only when big problems can be turned
Into small problems and then no problems.
Have a cautious mind as well as great courage,
Have a modest attitude
As well as lofty aspirations.

学者如禾如稻，
不学者如篙如草。
唇亡齿必寒，
教弛富难保。
书中结良友，
千载奇逢；
门内产贤郎，
一家活宝。

To learn makes one useful as fine crops,
Not to learn makes one useless as wild grass.
The teeth will suffer from the cold,
If the lips are gone;
Wealth cannot be maintained,
If education is lacking.
A person
Who makes a good friend from reading books
Is a rare lucky scholar
A family which brings up
A learned virtuous and capable child
Gets a valuable living treasure.

一场闲富贵，
很很挣来，
虽得还是失；
百年好光阴，
忙忙过去，
纵寿亦为夭。
事事有功，
须防一事不终；
人人道好，
须防一人著恼。

A comfortable rich life gained in a cruel way
Cannot be maintained,
A person who lives a hundred years
Without achievement
Is equal to one who dies a premature end.
When something is praised by every person,
Be aware that
It may bring upon you yourself vexation;
When you are good at everything,
Be aware that you may complete nothing.

 
宁添一斗，
莫添一口。
但求放心，
休夸利口。
要学好人，
须寻好友。
引酵若酸，
那得好酒。

It is better to offer extra grain
Than to have an extra man
Who only eats without working.
Do not boast,
And keep an easy conscience.
To be a good man,
One needs to have good companions.
If the yeast becomes sour,
How can good wine be brewed to drink?

宁遭父母手，
莫遭父母口。
狗不嫌家贫，
儿不嫌母丑。

It is better to be beaten by your parents once
Than to be blamed by them frequently.
Children do not dislike their parents' ugliness,
Dogs do not dislike their masters' poverty.

勿贪意外之财，
勿饮过量之酒。
进步便思退步，
着手先图放手。
不嫌刻鹄类鹜，
只怕画虎成狗。
责善勿过高，
当思其可从；
攻恶勿太严，
要使其可受。
享现在之福如点灯，
随点则随灭；
培将来之福如添油，
愈添则愈久。
恩里由来生害，
得意时须早回头；
败后或反成功，
拂心处莫便放手。

Do not drink too much vine,
Do not cover extra money.
Plan your retreat when you begin a march,
Plan your stop when you make a start.
Sculpting a swan into a wild duck
Is not far astray,
Painting a tiger into a dog
Is a surprising error.
Consider what others can manage
When you request them to do good,
Do not set standards too high;
Consider what others can accept
When you blame them for their faults,
Do not expose them to too severe criticism.
Creating fortunes for the future
Is like adding oil to a lamp
To enable it to burn for a long time,
Only consuming present fortunes
Is like burning a lamp without fueling it
So that it may go out at any time.
Failures can beget success,
Do not give up
When you are troubled by adversity.
Favours can bring about disasters,
When you are satisfied, turn back early.

 多交费财，
少交省用。
千里送毫毛，
礼轻仁义重。
骨肉相残，
煮豆然萁；
兄弟相爱，
灼艾分痛。
以身教者从，
以言教者讼。
厚积不如薄取，
滥求不如减用。
一字入公门，
九牛拖不出。
理字不多大，
千人抬不动。
两人自是，
不反目稽唇不止，
只温语称他人一句好，
便有无限欢欣；
两人相非，
不破家亡身不止，
只回头认自己一句错，
便有无边受用。

More association wastes money,
Less association saves money.
A goose feather
Sent from a thousand miles away
Is trifling as a gift,
But can indicate deep feeling.
Brothers loving each other
Can share each other's pains,
Brothers harming each other
Are like beanstalks burnt to cook beans.
Students believe teaching by examples,
But doubt teaching by words only.
Expanding money-making activities
Is not as good as cutting down on spending,
Rich accumulation
Is not as good as thrifty consumption.
Nine oxen cannot pull back a lawsuit
Once it is underway.
Reason is a small word,
But cannot be moved by thousands of men.
If two people regard themselves as infallible,
They will fall into
Unrelenting ridicule and quarrel;
If they speak some kind words
To praise the other,
There will be endless happiness.
If two always blame each other,
Their families may get involved and suffer;
If they turn to confess
Some of their own faults,
There will be inexhaustible benefit.

和气致祥，
乖气致戾。
玩人丧德，
玩物丧志。
福至心灵，
祸至心晦。
受宠若惊，
闻过则喜。
创业固难，
守成不易。

Harmonious relationships are a mascot,
Inharmonious relationships are a jinx.
Those who play with people
Lose their morality,
Those who indulge in hobbies
Lose their ambitions.
One's heart becomes light
When good luck is arriving,
One's heart becomes heavy
When bad luck is approaching.
Do not take for granted unexpected favours,
Be happy when told about your errors.
To found an undertaking is difficult,
To maintain it is no easier.