禮記 射義
Raiki Shagi
Record of Etiquette – Truth of Shooting.

射は進退周還必ず礼に中り、内志正しく、外体直くして、然る後に弓矢を持ること審固なり。
Sha wa shintai syūsen kanarazu rei ni atari, uchi kokorozashi tadashiku, soto tai naokushite, shikaru nochi ni yumiya wo toru koto shinko nari.
The shooting, with the round of moving forward or backward can never be without courtesy and propriety (Rei).

弓矢を持ること審固にして、然る後に以って中ると言うべし。
Yumiya wo toru koto shinko ni shite, shikaru nochi ni motte ataru to iubeshi.
After having acquired the right inner intention and correctness in the outward appearance, the bow and arrow can be handled resolutely.

これ以って徳行を観るべし。
Kore motte tokukō wo mirubeshi.
To shoot in this way is to perform the shooting with success, and through this shooting virtue will be evident.

射は仁の道なり。
Sha wa zin no michi nari.
Kyudo is the way of perfect virtue.

射は正しきを己に求む。
Sha wa tadashiki wo onore ni motomu.
In the shooting, one must search for rightness in oneself.

己正しくして而して後発す。
Onore tadashikusite shikōshite nochi hassu.
With the rightness of self, shooting can be realized.

発して中らざるときは、
Hasshite atarazaru toki wa,
At the time when shooting fails,

則ち己に勝つ者を怨みず。
sunawachi onore ni katsumono wo uramizu.
there should be no resentment towards those who win.

反ってこれを己に求むるのみ。
Kaette kore wo onore ni motomuru nomi.
On the contrary, this is an occasion to search for oneself.

© All Nippon Kyudo Federation [ANKF] (1994), Kyudo Manual vol. 1, Tokyo