Chinese Reading Center
三字经 The Three-Character Classic
A Confucian Roadmap for Kids
Paragraph 3: The Dynasties
| 繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp | English | Commentary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 经子通 读诸史 考世系 知终始 | The classics and the philosophers mastered, read the histories. Examine the connection between the eras, know the ends and the beginnings. | |
| 2 | 自羲农 至黄帝 号三皇 居上世 | From Xi and Nong. to the Yellow Emperor, they are called the Three Sovereigns. who lived in ancient times. | [Fu] Xi ("Animal Domesticator") (2953-2852 BCE) [Shen] Nong ("Divine Farmer") (2852-2737 BCE) Yellow Emperor (2698-2599 BCE) |
| 3 | 唐有虞 号二帝 相揖逊 称盛世 | Tang and Yu, called the Two Emperors, one abdicated after the other and theirs was called the Age of Prosperity. | [Tang] Yao (2357-2255 BCE) [Yu] Shun (2255-2205 BCE) |
| 4 | 夏有禹 商有汤 周文武 称三王 | The Xia had Yu, the Shang had Tang, the Zhou had Wen and Wu; they are called the Three Kings. | The Xia dynasty was founded by Yu the Great, the pacifier of the Great Flood (21st century BCE). Wu founded the Zhou dynasty. Wen was his father, who died during the conquest of the Shang. |
| 5 | 夏传子 家天下 四百载 迁夏社 | The Xia handed the throne from father to son, making a family of all under Heaven. After four hundred years, the Xia ended. | Xia Dynasty (2205-1766 BCE) Before the Xia, the throne was not hereditary. |
| 6 | 汤伐夏 国号商 六百载 至纣亡 | Tang ended the Xia, the dynasty was called Shang. After six hundred years, it ended with Zhou (Dixin). | Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BCE) |
| 7 | 周武王 始诛纣 八百载 最长久 | King Wu of the Zhou slew Zhou (Dixin). Eight hundred years long; the longest dynasty ever. | Western Zhou Dynasty (1027-771 BCE). The 800 years include the period of the Eastern Zhou, when Zhou rule was only nominal. |
| 8 | 周辙东 王纲堕 逞干戈 尚游说 | When the Zhous made tracks eastwards, the feudal bond loosened, shields and spears flaunted, wandering advisers held in high esteem. | Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BCE). The court moved east to present day Luoyang. This was also a time of the "Hundred Schools of Thoughts" where teachers, strategists, and philosophers offered their services to the various states. |
| 9 | 始春秋 终战国 五霸强 七雄出 | Began with the Spring and Autumn Period and ended with the Warring States Period. Five feudal lords ruled, seven feudal states arose. | Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BCE) Warring States Period (475-221 BCE) |
| 10 | 嬴秦氏 始兼并 传二世 楚汉争 | The Qin of the Ying clan, started to unify all the states. The throne passed for two generations and Chu and Han contended. | Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) |
| 11 | 高祖兴 汉业建 至孝平 王莽篡 | Gaozu rose, and the Han dynasty ruled until the reign of Xiaoping, when Wang Mang usurped the throne. | Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-9 AD). It was founded by Liu Bang, who ruled as Han Gaozu. Wang Mang interregnum (9-24) |
| 12 | 光武兴 为东汉 四百年 终于献 | Guangwu rose, and founded the Eastern Han. Four hundred years, ending with Emperor Xian. | Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) |
| 13 | 魏蜀吴 争汉鼎 号三国 迄两晋 | Wei, Shu and Wu, contended for the Han trophy. Called the Three Kingdoms, it lasted until two Jin Dynasties. | Three Kingdoms:
Eastern Jin (317-420) [Sixteen Kingdoms (304-420)] |
| 14 | 宋齐继 梁陈承 为南朝 都金陵 | Followed by the Song and the Qi, then the Liang and Chen, they are the Southern dynasties, with the capital at Jinling (Nanjing). | Southern Dynasties:
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| 15 | 北元魏 分东西 宇文周 兴高齐 | The Northern Dynasties are the Wei of the Yuan clan, which split into East and West, the Zhou of Yu Wen clan, with the Qi of the Gao clan. | Northern Dynasties:
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| 16 | 迨至隋 一土宇 不再传 失统绪 | Finally, under the Sui, the empire was united. but not passed on, it lost the succession. | Sui Dynasty (581-617) |
| 17 | 唐高祖 起义师 除隋乱 创国基 | Tang Gaozu raised a righteous army, ended the disorder of the Sui; established the foundation of his dynasty. | Tang Dynasty (618-907) |
| 18 | 二十传 三百载 梁灭之 国乃改 | Twenty times the throne was transmitted, in a period of 300 years. The Liang destroyed it, and the dynasty changed. | |
| 19 | 梁唐晋 及汉周 称五代 皆有由 | The Liang, Tang, Qin Han and Zhou, called the Five Dynasties, each exist for a reason. | Five Dynasties:
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| 20 | 炎宋兴 受周禅 十八传 南北混 | The fiery Song arose, and received the resignation of the Zhou. Eighteen times the throne was transmitted, and then the north and the south were reunited. | Song Dynasty:
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| 21 | 辽与金 皆称帝 赛衾踢 谄备著 | Liao and Jin each called a dynasty. The Yuan extinguished the Jin and finished the Song era | Liao (916-1125). Tartar. [Western Xia (1032-1227)] Jin (1115-1234). Tartar. Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Mongol. |
| 22 | 太祖兴 国大明 号洪武 都金陵 | Taizu arose, set up the great Ming, called himself Hong Wu. The capital was at Jinling (Nanjing) | Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) |
| 23 | 迨成祖 迁燕京 十七世 至崇祯 | until Cheng Zu moved it to Yanjing (Beijing). Seventeen generations until it ended with Chong Zhen. | Chengzu reigned from 1403-1425. |
| 24 | 权奄肆 寇如林 李闯叛 神器焚 | The power of the eunuchs unchecked; bandits flourished like a forest. Li Chuang revolted, divine artifacts burned. | Li Chuang was a rebel leader who sacked Beijing, causing the Ming emperor to hang himself. The defending general, Wu Sangui, invited the Manchu army into the city to help defeat Li Chuang. They did but then they stayed and founded the Qing dynasty. |
| 25 | 清太祖 庸景命 靖四方 克大定 | The great ancestor of the Qing received destiny's call; Peace in the four directions, achieved great stability. | Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Manchu. |
| 26 | 廿一史 全在兹 载治乱 知兴衰 | The twenty one histories are complete. They record government disorder; understand prosperity and decline. | Republic of China (1911-Present) People's Republic of China (1949-Present) |