The Precious Mirror Illuminating the Heart(明心寶鑑, 명심보감, Myeongshimbogam) is another Neo-Confucian work intended for the moral instruction of children. The work is a compilation of excerpts from Confucian works and various poetry. The Precious Mirror Illuminating the Heart was originally 19 chapters, compiled by a Chinese scholar named Fan Liben (范立本, 범입본, Beom Ipbon, ?-?) during the Ming Dynasty (明, 명, Myeong, 1368-1644). The work became popular and later spread over to not only Korea, but also Japan and Vietnam.
During the Chosun dynasty, the work became important in education: the Precious Mirror Illuminating the Heart was one of the first works that Korean children read. It is still a popular work today in Korea. A scholar named Chu Jeok (秋適, 추적, 1246-1317) during the reign of King Chungryeol (忠烈王, 충렬왕, 1236-1308, r. 1274-198, 1299-1308) created an edition with five more chapters, including the one of the excerpt below. It should be noted that there are many variant texts on this work, including at least ten editions in Korea alone. The most commonly seen edition in use in Korea is based on the one printed in 1869 during King Gojong’s reign (高宗, 고종, 1852-1919, . 1863-1907).
八反歌 팔반가
其一 기일
Song of Eight Repetitions
First Verse
幼兒或罵我 我心覺喜歡
유아혹리아 아심각희환
父母嗔怒我 我心轉不甘
부모진노아 아심전불감
一喜歡 一不甘
일희환 일불감
待兒待親心何懸
대아대친심하현
勸君今日逢親怒
권구금일봉친노
也應親比幼兒看
야응친비유아간
If a young child should scold me, in my heart I will sense joy.
If my father and mother should become upset and angry, in my heart I will turn and not consider it sweet.
One is joyous and happy; one is not sweet.
To wait for a child and to wait for a parent, in the heart how are they different?
Recommending you, today meet your parents who are angry.
Also, face your parents as if a young child sees.
Characters:
嗔(진) – To be angered (성내다).
懸(현) – Here, refers to disparity (懸隔, 현격).
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