诗既亡　春秋作　寓褒贬　别善恶
When odes ceased to be made,
the Spring and Autumn Annals were produced.
Th! ese Annals contain praise and blame,
and distinguish the good from the bad.
三传者　有公羊　有左氏　有彀梁
The three commentaries upon the above,
include that of Kung-Yang,
th at of Tso
and that of Ku-Liang.
经既明　方读子　撮其要　记其事
When the classics were understood,
then the writings of the various philosophers should be read.
Pick out the important points in each,
and take a note of the facts.
五子者　有荀杨　文中子　及老庄
The five chielf phlosophers,
are Haun, Yang,
Wen Chung Tzu
Lao Tzu and Chung Tzu.
经子通　读诸史　考世系　知终始
When the classics and the philosophers are mastered,
the various histories should then be read,
and the genealogical connections should be examined,
so that the end of one dynasty and the beginning of the next be known.
自羲农　至黄帝　号三皇　居上世
From Fu Hsi and Shen Nung.
(on probably to or onto ) the Yellow Empero! r,
these are called the three rulers.
who lived in the early ages.
唐有虞　号二帝　相揖逊　称盛世
Tang and Yu-Yu
are called the two emperors.
They adbicated, one after the other,
and their was called the Golden Age.
夏有禹　商有汤　周文武　称三王
The Hsia dynasty has Yu
and the Shang dynasty has T\'ang\'
The Chou dynasty had Wen and Wu;
these are called the Three Kings
夏传子　家天下　四百载　迁夏社
Under the Hsia dynasty the throne was transmitted from father to son,
making a family possession of the empire.
A fter four hundred years,
the imperial sacrifice passed from the house of Hsia.
汤伐夏　国号商　六百载　至纣亡
T\'ang the completer destroyed the Hsia Dynasty,
and the Dynastic title became Shang.
The line lasted for six hundred years,
ending with Chou Hsin.