一孔录

English version: the interface and Yikonglu's notes are translated; quoted commentary stays in Chinese. The Chinese page is authoritative.

三字经

Books › Three Character Classic › Part 3 · Knowing numbers

Part 3 · Knowing numbers · lecture 9 · 4 groups · not yet coveredSeven feelings, five colours

The video for this lecture is still in production. For now this page gives the text, the base-edition pages, a recording and a translation.

曰喜怒,曰哀懼,愛惡欲,七情具。青赤黃,及白黑,此五色,目所識。酸苦甘,及辛鹹,此五味,口所含。羶焦香,及腥朽,此五臭,鼻所嗅。
Text from Yikonglu's Father's Lecture Notes, checked line by line against the base edition, Wang Xiang's Sanzijing xungu (1831 Japanese reprint). The page scans are from that edition; click a group to frame it on the page. Groups marked * are not in Wang Xiang's edition; the lecture notes take them from later popular editions.

TrTranslation

曰喜怒,曰哀懼,愛惡欲,七情具。
Joy and anger, sorrow and fear, love, hate and desire: these seven feelings everyone has.

青赤黃,及白黑,此五色,目所識。
Green, red and yellow, white and black: these five colours are what the eye can tell apart.

酸苦甘,及辛鹹,此五味,口所含。
Sour, bitter and sweet, pungent and salty: these five tastes are what the mouth can sense.

羶焦香,及腥朽,此五臭,鼻所嗅。
Rank, scorched and fragrant, fishy and rotten: these five smells are what the nose can catch.

Draft translation; it will be revised when the lecture is filmed.

Compared with Wang Xiang's edition

Group 22 青赤黃,及白黑,此五色,目所識。
Not in Wang Xiang's edition. The three groups on colours, tastes and smells were added in later popular editions; the lecture notes follow those.

Group 23 酸苦甘,及辛鹹,此五味,口所含。
Not in Wang Xiang's edition (added later, see group 22).

Group 24 羶焦香,及腥朽,此五臭,鼻所嗅。
Not in Wang Xiang's edition (added later, see group 22).

From the Father's Lecture Notes

The seven feelings give names to what is in the heart; the five colours, tastes and smells give names to what three organs take in: eyes, mouth and nose. Together these four groups were the old teachers' first lesson in knowing oneself.

Translated from Yikonglu's Father's Lecture Notes for the Three Character Classic, written for a parent teaching a child.

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