Ancient Chinese "Poems to Encourage Learning"

The ancient "Poems to Encourage Learning" can be roughly divided into six categories according to their content:

1. Determination

Young and talented, you have high ambitions throughout your life. Others carry swords, but I have a pen like a sword. ("Poem of the Child Prodigy")

He was a farmer in the morning, and ascended to the Emperor's Hall in the evening. Generals have no seeds at all, and men should strengthen themselves. ("Poems of a Child Prodigy")

After forty years of studying the law and reading books, there is a blue sky above the black gauze head. The man wants to paint Lingyan Pavilion. First of all, he doesn’t like money because of his fame. (Ming Dynasty Yang Jisheng's "Poetry of Yan Zhi")

2. Study diligently

The lights are on at three o'clock and the chickens are on at five o'clock, which is when men are studying. Black-haired people don't know how to study diligently early, and white-haired people regret studying late. ("Encouraging Learning" by Yan Zhenqing of the Tang Dynasty)

Mechanics is like hard work, and you know yourself if you are diligent and lazy. But if there are many kinds of books, there will be good times. ("Academy" by Liu Guo of the Song Dynasty)

3. Cherish the time

The sunflowers in the green garden are waiting for the sun to set in the morning dew. In the spring of Budeze, all things will be radiant. I am often afraid that when the autumn festival comes, the yellow flowers and leaves will wither. From the east to the sea, when will the rivers return to the west? If a young man does not work hard, the old man will be miserable. ("Long Song Xing")

The prime years will never come again, and the morning will never come again. Be encouraged in time, time waits for no one. ("Miscellaneous Poems" by Tao Yuanming of Jin Dynasty)

I advise you not to cherish your gold-threaded clothes; I advise you to cherish your youth. If there are flowers, you must break them off. Don’t wait until there are no flowers. (Tang Dynasty's "Golden Thread Clothes")

Yesterday, yesterday, how good yesterday was! Yesterday has passed, today is just a worry. People in the world only know that they regret yesterday, but they don’t realize that today has passed. The water is gone and gurgling, the flowers are falling and the sun is fading. Everything is established today, don’t wait until tomorrow to regret the present. (Anonymous "Song of Yesterday")

Today is the same as today, how little today is! If you don’t do it today, when will this happen? It is a pity that today is not the day of a hundred years of life! If Yangu waits for the arrival of the Ming Dynasty, there will be Ming Dynasty affairs in the Ming Dynasty. I will compose today's poem for you. Please start working hard today. ("Today's Song" by Ming Wenjia)

Tomorrow comes tomorrow, there are so many tomorrows. If I wait for tomorrow, everything will be wasted. If the world is tired of tomorrow, spring will pass and autumn will come, and old age will come. Look at the water flowing in the east in the morning, and the sun setting in the west at dusk. What will happen in a hundred years? Please listen to my song tomorrow. ("Song of Tomorrow" by Qian Yong of the Qing Dynasty)

4. Methods

Don't be in a hurry when reading, as long as you are reading and reading. You may as well let it go if you don't know, but you need to think about it urgently. ("Studying" by Lu Jiuyuan of the Song Dynasty)

There are not many problems with reading, but there are not many problems with thinking about meaning. If you are suffering enough, you will not learn; if you are learning, you will not be able to do it. (Poetry to Encourage Learning by Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty)

5. Experience

As soon as the half-acre square pond is opened, the skylight and moonlight linger endlessly. Ask the canal how clear it is, because there is a source of living water. ("Reflections on Reading Books" by Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty)

Last night, the spring water grew on the riverside, and the huge ship was washed away by the light. I have always wasted my efforts to move forward, but today I am able to move freely. ("Reflections on Reading" by Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty)

6. Fun

The trees fell into the water and thousands of cliffs withered, but I also saw the true self. Sitting facing the moving wall with Wei weaving lanterns, singing loudly as the snow falls on the hut in the middle of the night. The ground stove, tea cauldron, and fire are used to cook the fire, and everything is clear enough to be called a scholar. Where can I find the joy of reading? Count the plum blossoms in the world. (Yuan Wengsen's "The Joy of Reading in Four Seasons" Winter)

Reading in spring brings long interest, grinding the inkstone, and the fragrance of flowers in the pen. Don't be lazy when studying. The world, the sun and the moon are busier than people. Yanyu and Yingge hope to understand, and peach blossoms and Li Bai write articles. (Republic of China Xiong Boyi's "Four Seasons Reading Song" Spring)