The Great Learning Passage 6
湯之盤銘曰：「茍日新，日日新，又日新。」《康誥》曰：「作新民。」《詩》曰：「周雖舊邦，其命惟新。」是故君子無所不用其極。
On the bathing tub of Tang, the following words were engraved: "If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation." In the Announcement to Kang, it is said, "To stir up the new people." In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "Although Zhou was an ancient state the ordinance which lighted on it was new." Therefore, the superior man in everything uses his utmost endeavors.
English: James Legge (1861), The Great Learning, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861); romanization modernized on Wikisource — public domain. Chinese: Chinese text from the Wikisource bilingual edition.
Character glossary
- 湯tāngsoup, gravy, broth; hot water
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 盤pántray, plate, dish; to examine
- 銘míngto engrave, to inscribe
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 茍jìto be circumspect, cautious in one's beh
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 新xīnnew, recent, fresh, modern
- 又yòuand, also, again, in addition
- 康kānghealth; peace, quiet
- 誥gàoinform, notify, admonish, order
- 作zuòto make; to write, to compose; to act, t
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 詩shīpoetry; poem, verse, ode
- 周zhōuZhou dynasty; circumference
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 舊jiùold, ancient; former, past
- 邦bāngcountry, nation, state
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 惟wéibut, however, nevertheless; only
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 極jíextreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; p
Similar passages
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- Analects 14.40
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.