故凡诱之歌诗者，非但发其志意而已，亦所以泄其跳号呼啸于咏歌，宣其幽抑结滞于音节也；导之习礼者，非但肃其威仪而已，亦所以周旋揖让而动荡其血脉，拜起屈伸而固束其筋骸也；讽之读书者，非但开其知觉而已，亦所以沈潜反复而存其心，抑扬讽诵以宣其志也；凡此皆所以顺导其志意，调理其性情，潜消其鄙吝，默化其麤顽，日使之渐于礼义而不苦其难，入于中和而不知其故，是盖先王立教之微意也。
所以凡诱导他们歌诗，不只是发其志意而已，也是让他们在咏歌中宣泄跳号呼啸，在音节中宣达幽抑结滞；引导他们习礼，不只是严肃其威仪而已，也是借周旋揖让来动荡其血脉，借拜起屈伸来固束其筋骨；劝勉他们读书，不只是开其知觉而已，也是借沉潜反复来存其心，借抑扬讽诵来宣其志。这一切都是顺导其志意，调理其性情，潜消其鄙吝，默化其粗顽，使他日渐于礼义而不觉其难，入于中和而不知其故：这是先王立教的深意。
Thus drawing them to sing the poems is not only to stir aspiration: it lets their whooping and shouting drain away into song, their pent gloom flow out in cadence. Leading them to practice ritual is not only to grave the bearing: the wheeling and bowing stirs their blood, the kneeling and rising binds their sinews. Prompting them to read is not only to open awareness: brooding and turning it over preserves the mind; chanting with rise and fall vents the will. All this guides the will along its grain, tunes the temperament, silently melts the meanness, quietly transforms the roughness, till they near propriety and rightness without feeling the hardship and enter measure and harmony without knowing why — the former kings' deep intent in founding teaching.