Understanding grammar in 五省


There is a set of daily reflections said to be used in Japan's Navy, one
being:

至誠{しせい}に悖{もと}る勿{な}かりしか  
translated as "Hast thou not gone against sincerity"  
(source <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosei_(meditation)>)

  * 至誠に悖る as in roughly "to oppose to sincerity" seems understandable
  * 勿かり closest word in Jisho seems to be 勿れ, marked as particle, I couldn't find what exactly 勿かり is or how it was formed
  * しか 's か should be the "question mark" か, as for し it may perhaps be a stem of する? I don't recall seeing 「しか」before though

Is there some archaism or neologism involved?  
The only guess is that 勿かり is a stem of a newly? formed verb formed from 勿れ,
used as in {Vstem}する. That would be a verb formed from "must not" (maybe could
be reworded to "avoid doing"?), modified by 至誠に悖る, finally as in "did you do
the avoiding of 'opposing to sincerity'?" - is this correct?  
If so - I have read おstemする expresses humility, お is missing here, but is this
the nuance used here?  
Thank you!




> 「至誠{しせい}に悖{もと}る勿{な}かりしか」

I suggest that you pretend to be seeing the kana「な」 where it gives you the
kanji 「勿」 for quick comprehension purposes.

「至誠」 = "sincerity"

「悖る」 = "to be out of line with"

So, 「至誠に悖る」, while "looking" difficult, should look modern as far as grammar.
「noun + に + verb」. Pretty normal stuff, yes? Look up 至誠 and 悖る and you're good
to go.

**The rest of the saying, however, is in Classical Japanese.**

「なかり」 is the 連用形{れんようけい} ("continuative form") of the classical adjective
「なし」, which means 「ない」.

「し」 is the 連体形{れんたいけい} ("attributive form") of the **past-tense** subsidiary
verb 「き」. The modern version would be the famous 「た」.

So, 「なかりし」, in Modern Japanese would be 「なかった」. Things are now starting to
make sense, don't they?

「か」 is a sentence-ending particle for calling someone's attention or reminding
a person of something. It is the same in Modern Japanese.

> " I have read おstemする expresses humility, お is missing here, but is this the
> nuance used here?"

Where is "here"? Are you saying we should say 「お至誠」? If so, no, that sounds
way too funny. Nothing is missing from this saying, I assure you. Unnecessary
honorifics do more harm than good.

Hope this does not cheapen my own answer, but a modern Japanese TL of the
saying would be something like:

> 「まごごろに反する（こと/もの）はなかったか。」




> 「至誠{しせい}に悖{もと}る勿{な}かりしか」

I suggest that you pretend to be seeing the kana「な」 where it gives you the
kanji 「勿」 for quick comprehension purposes.

「至誠」 = "sincerity"

「悖る」 = "to be out of line with"

So, 「至誠に悖る」, while "looking" difficult, should look modern as far as grammar.
「noun + に + verb」. Pretty normal stuff, yes? Look up 至誠 and 悖る and you're good
to go.

**The rest of the saying, however, is in Classical Japanese.**

「なかり」 is the 連用形{れんようけい} ("continuative form") of the classical adjective
「なし」, which means 「ない」.

「し」 is the 連体形{れんたいけい} ("attributive form") of the **past-tense** subsidiary
verb 「き」. The modern version would be the famous 「た」.

So, 「なかりし」, in Modern Japanese would be 「なかった」. Things are now starting to
make sense, don't they?

「か」 is a sentence-ending particle for calling someone's attention or reminding
a person of something. It is the same in Modern Japanese.

> " I have read おstemする expresses humility, お is missing here, but is this the
> nuance used here?"

Where is "here"? Are you saying we should say 「お至誠」? If so, no, that sounds
way too funny. Nothing is missing from this saying, I assure you. Unnecessary
honorifics do more harm than good.

Hope this does not cheapen my own answer, but a modern Japanese TL of the
saying would be something like:

> 「まごごろに反する（こと/もの）はなかったか。」

