Later superseded by the "one picture classic"

2005-03-04

Later superseded by the "one picture classic"

Via Muninn: the Thousand Character Classic.

I wonder how many extant copies there are that read like:

天地玄黃，宇宙洪荒。
日月盈昃，辰宿列張。
寒來暑往，秋收冬藏。
閏余成歲，律呂調陽。
雲騰致雨，露結為霜。
金生麗水，玉出崑岡。
劍THIS IS BULLSHIT

Huh. I just learnt that 玄黃 (black and yellow) is a proper word that means (black) heaven and (yellow) earth, or black-and-yellow silk offered to the gods. The Thousand Character Classic's educational powers have somehow remained potent all these centuries! Flee!

Popularity factor: 3

Wyatt:

I started using that book this month in my calligraphy class, and here in Korea there is apparently a song (akin to the "ABC Song") for it. No Korean I know could get past like the 4th page of characters before totally falling apart.

Matt:

Now that you mention it, I think I remember you posting about that.

That must be like the "Bohemian Rhapsody" of language-learning rhymes.

roy:

That settles it. I'm not leaving my apartment all weekend.

2005-03-04