Translation
Wang Wei (701-761) | 王維 |
For Magistrate Li of Zi Province | 送梓州李使君 |
Ten thousand gullies and ravines— the trees that rise to the sky; | 萬壑 樹參天 |
While a thousand mountains echo the cuckoo. | 千山 響杜鵑 |
In the mountain midst it rains all night— | 山中 一夜雨 |
And a hundred springs form from tree tips. | 樹杪 百重泉 |
Han women carry the tong tree cloth. | 漢女 輸橦布 |
While Ba State men litigate over taro fields. | 巴人 訟芋田 |
Wen Weng civilized the people in the Han Dynasty; | 文翁 翻教授 |
But you dare not rely on past great men. | 不敢 倚先賢 |
Notes
1. Overall: This is a tribute written for Magistrate Li of the Zi Province (now Sichuan). It says that he is civilizing the uncultured population and not just relying on the efforts of his predecessors.
2. Han women = Han is the ethnic group that is now the majority of Chinese people.
3. Wen Weng was a historical figure in the Han Dynasty (206-220 BCE), the governor of the Shu State. He built schools to educate and civilize the rural population of the state.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
王維 | 王维 | Wáng Wéi |
送梓州李使君 | 送梓州李使君 | Sòng zǐ zhōu lǐ shǐ jūn |
萬壑樹參天， | 万壑树参天， | Wàn hè shù cān tiān, |
千山響杜鵑。 | 千山响杜鹃。 | Qiān shān xiǎng dù juān. |
山中一夜雨， | 山中一夜雨， | Shān zhōng yī yè yǔ, |
樹杪百重泉。 | 树杪百重泉。 | Shù miǎo bǎi chóng quán. |
漢女輸橦布， | 汉女输橦布， | Hàn nǚ shū tóng bù, |
巴人訟芋田。 | 巴人讼芋田。 | Bā rén sòng yù tián. |
文翁翻教授， | 文翁翻教授， | Wén wēng fān jiào shòu, |
不敢倚先賢。 | 不敢倚先贤。 | Bù gǎn yǐ xiān xián. |
Literal Notes
王維 | King/ruler Maintain/preserve = Wang Wei(701-761) |
送梓州李使君 | See-off/send/carry/deliver/give(as a present) Zi/catalpa-ovata Zhou/state Li/plum Ambassador/envoy/messenger Gentleman/lord/monarch [Zi Zhou= it’s now in Sichuan Province] [Ambassador/envoy/messenger Gentleman/lord/monarch= Shijun, the title of a prefect] |
萬壑樹參天， | Thousands/ten-thousand/a-great-number gully/bed-of-torrent/narrow-ravine tree/plant reach-high/tall/take-part-in/intervene sky/heaven [reach-high sky = reach to the sky, tall, of great height] |
千山響杜鵑。 | Thousand/many/numerous mountain/hill/peak echo/make-sound/make-noise birchleaf-pear(tree) cuckoo [birchleaf-pear(tree) cuckoo=cuckoo bird] |
山中一夜雨， | Mountain middle/within/among/in/midst all/throughout/one/single/entire/whole night rain |
樹杪百重泉。 | Tree/plant tip-of-branch/tip-of-twig/top-of-tree hundred/numerous classifier-for-layers spring(small stream)/mouth-of-a-spring |
漢女輸橦布， | Han(dynasty)/Han(ethnic group)/Chinese-people female/woman/girl transport/carry/haul Tong(tree) cloth/cotton [Han(dynasty)/Han(ethnic group)= here refers to Jialing River, the source is in Sichuan. The ancient name was West Han River.], [Note: The women of the minority group contributed the cloth weaved from a special tree flower to the local government, as a part of the tax.] |
巴人訟芋田。 | Ba-State/greatly-desire people/men litigation/accuse/argue/dispute taro field/farm [Ba-State=here refers to the people living in the east of Sichuan.], [Meaning: Residents frequently had litigations about farming affairs.] |
文翁翻教授， | Wen/literature/culture/writing Weng/old-man/father/father-in-law turnover/flip-over/upset/rummage-through/flip-over/translate/decode teach instruct/teach/give-to/transmit/confer [Wen Weng=He was the governor of the Shu State in the Han Dynasty. He found it was a rural place, so he built schools to civilize and cultivate people.], [teach instruct = professor, instruct, lecture on] |
不敢倚先賢。 | Not dare/venture rely-on/lean-on past/former/predecessor/previous sage/distinguished-people/virtuous/worthy/good/able [past sage = worthy predecessor, distinguished person from the past, former sage] |
Year:
2012
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