“Zengguang Xianwen”. Also known as “Xishi Xianwen” and “Gujin Xianwen”, it is a Taoist children’s enlightenment book compiled in the Ming Dynasty of China. The title of the book was first seen in the opera “Mudanting” during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. Based on this, it can be inferred that the book was written at the latest during the Wanli period. “Zengguang Xianwen” collects various Chinese maxims and proverbs from ancient times to the present. Later, after continuous additions by scholars in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was changed to its current form, called “Zengguang Xishi Xianwen”, commonly known as “Zengguang Xianwen”.
《增广贤文》。又名《昔时贤文》《古今贤文》，是中国明代时期编写的道家儿童启蒙书目。书名最早见之于明万历年间的戏曲《牡丹亭》，据此可推知此书最迟写成于万历年间。《增广贤文》集结中国从古到今的各种格言、谚语。后来，经过明、清两代文人的不断增补，才改成现在这个模样，称《增广昔时贤文》，通称《增广贤文》。
《增广贤文·125》 佚名
恩宜自淡而浓，
先浓后淡者，
人忘其惠；
威宜自严而宽，
先宽后严者，
人怨其酷。
以积货财之心积学问，
则盛德日新；
以爱妻子之心爱父母，
则孝行自笃。
When offering favours,
Go from small ones to big ones;
If you go from big ones to small ones,
You will not be remembered for your kind bounty.
To establish your prestige,
Go from strictness to lenience;
If you go from lenience to strictness,
You will be complained about for your cruelty.
Accumulating knowledge
As enthusiastically as accumulating money
Will strengthen morality,
Loving parents
As profoundly as loving wives and children
Will promote filial duty.
