Wenyan

Ethical Reciprocity

jǐi己1
suǒo所2
bùh不3
yùh欲4
，
wùh勿5
shȳ施6
yú于7
rén人8
What you do not wish upon yourself, do not impose on others.
1. oneself
2. nominalizing particle [that which]
3. not
4. to desire, to wish for
5. do not [imperative negative]
6. to impose, to bestow, to execute
7. onto, to, upon [preposition]
8. others, other people

A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire

shīng星1
shīng星2
jȳ之3
huǒo火4
，
kěe可5
yǐi以6
liáu燎7
yuán原8
A single spark can set the whole prairie ablaze.
1-2. tiny sparks (lit. 'star, star' — a single small spark)
3. possessive/attributive particle 'of'
4. fire
5-6. can, is able to (compound modal 可以)
7. to set ablaze, to ignite
8. plain, prairie, open field

Target of Public Scrutiny

jònq众1
shy̌y矢2
jȳ之3
dyí的4
，
wú无5
bùh不6
jònq中7
jěe者8
A target hit by many arrows will never fail to be struck.
1. crowd, many, multitude
2. arrow
3. possessive particle [linking modifier to target]
4. target, bullseye
5. none, there is no
6. not
7. to hit the mark, to strike
8. nominalizing particle [that which/one that]

Power of a Single Utterance

ī一1
yán言2
shīng兴3
bāng邦4
，
ī一5
yán言6
sànq丧7
bāng邦8
A single word can make a nation prosper; a single word can bring it to ruin.
1. one, single
2. word, speech
3. to make prosper, to cause to flourish
4. state, nation, country
5. one, single
6. word, speech
7. to bring to ruin, to lose, to destroy
8. state, nation, country

Study and Practice

shyué学1
érl而2
shýr时3
shyí习4
jȳ之5
，
bùh不6
yìh亦7
yuèh说8
hū乎9
？
Is it not a joy to learn something and practice it time and again?
1. to study
2. and then
3. at-times / from time to time
4. to practice
5. it
6. is it not
7. also
8. pleasing / joyful / joy / delight
9. indeed [particle]