Three Character Classic

Three Character Classic
Traditional Chinese	三字經
Simplified Chinese	三字经
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Sānzìjīng Wu - Romanization se zy cin

The Three Character Classic, Trimetric Classic or San Zi Jing is one of the Chinese classic texts. It was probably written in the 13th century and attributed to Wang Yinglin (王應麟, 1223–1296) during the Song Dynasty. It is also attributed to Ou Shizi (歐適子, 1234–1324).

The work is not one of the traditional six Confucian classics, but rather the embodiment of Confucianism suitable for teaching young children. Until the latter part of the 19th century, it served as a child's first formal education at home. The text is written in triplets of characters for easy memorization. With illiteracy common for most people at the time, the oral tradition of reciting the classic ensured its popularity and survival through the centuries.^{[citation needed]} With the short and simple text arranged in three-character verses, children learned many common characters, grammar structures, elements of Chinese history and the basis of Confucian morality.

The text fell into disuse during the Cultural Revolution given the state's opposition to non-socialist ideologies. The classic, however, continued to circulate in other parts of the Chinese-speaking world with its inclusion in the Chinese Almanac (通勝) along with several other classics such as the Thousand Character Classic.

The first four verses state the core credo of Confucianism as developed by Mencius, considered one of the most influential traditional Chinese philosophers after Confucius.

人之初 (rén zhī chū) People at birth,

性本善 (xìng běn shàn) Are naturally good (kind-hearted).

性相近 (xìng xiāng jìn) Their natures are similar,

習相遠 (xí xiāng yuǎn) (But) their habits make them different (from each other).

Even nowadays, the above two introductory quotes are very familiar to most youth in mainland China and Taiwan, if not known by heart. Though the work is no longer taught at public schools, some parents still use this classic to teach their young children to pronounce Chinese characters. It is sometimes a game for elementary school children to show off who can recite the most sentences from this classic.^{[citation needed]}

Editions

The most well-known English translation of the text was completed by Herbert Giles in 1900 and revised in 1910.[1] The translation was based on the original Song dynasty version.^{[citation needed]} Giles had completed an earlier translation in the late 19th century but he rejected that and other early translations as inaccurate. Earlier translations into English include those by Robert Morrison, 1812; Solomon Caesar Malan and Hung Hsiu-ch'üan, 1856, and Stanislas Julien, 1864.

The following stanzas do not appear in the Giles translation and originally appeared in Simplified Chinese. They list the dynasties that followed Song up to and including the founding of republican China. These stanzas were probably added cumulatively sometime between late 13th century and after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Simplified Chinese	Traditional Chinese	Translation
辽与金　皆称帝	遼與金　皆稱帝
太祖兴　国大明　号洪武　都金陵	太祖興　國大明　號洪武　都金陵
迨成祖　迁燕京　十六世　至崇祯	迨成祖　遷燕京　十六世　至崇禎
阉乱後　寇内讧　闯逆变　神器终	閹亂後　寇內訌　闖逆變　神器終
清顺治　据神京　至十传　宣统逊	清順治　據神京　至十傳　宣統遜
举总统　共和成　复汉土　民国兴	舉總統　共和成　復漢土　民國興
廿二史　全在兹　载治乱　知兴衰¹	廿二史　全在茲　載治亂　知興衰¹	The Twenty-two Dynastic Histories, are all embraced in the above. They contain examples of good and bad government, whence may be learnt the principles of prosperity and decay.

¹ this line replaces the original one in the Song version where it says "The Seventeen Dynastic Histories... 十七史...".

See also

• Di Zi Gui

References

• Rutledge, Jayne (Translator) (2005). Three Character Primer. ISBN 7807021489.  Original Chinese Text plus pinyin, modern Chinese translation, modern Chinese commentary and stories, plus complete translation of all material into English.

External links

• Song dynasty Chinese edition with the Herbert Giles English translation
• On-line learner's edition at Yellowbridge site
• Read and hear the audio at this Chinese/English site
• Audio in Mandarin
• Another site with audio of the San Zi Jing - Chinese only
• The Three Character Classic in Chinese with the Herbert Giles English Translation.
• Another English translation.
• Its debated revival in mainland China, China.org.cn
• Page on San Zi Jing, Depauw University