Chau, a minister of state, read the Confucian Dialogues,
And he too, though high in office, studied assiduously.
One copied lessons on reeds, another on slips of bamboo;
These, though without books, eagerly sought knowledge.
[To vanquish sleep] one tied his head [by the hair] to a beam, and another pierced his thigh with an awl;
Though destitute of instructors, these were laborious in study.
One read by the glowworm’s light, another by reflection from snow;
These, though their families were poor, did not omit to study.
One carried faggots, and another tied his books to a cow’s horn,
And while thus engaged in labor, studied with intensity.