客從遠方來 translation - A Guest Comes from Afar
古詩十九首：客從遠方來 (No. 18)
This is a translation and annotation of the Chinese poem 客從遠方來 (Kè cóng yuǎn fāng lái), the eighteenth poem in the Han dynasty collection 古詩十九首 (Nineteen Old Poems).
客從遠方來 kè cóng yuǎn fāng lái [guest] [from] [far] [place] [come] A guest comes from afar
遺我一端綺 yí wǒ yī duān qǐ [leave] [me] [one] [length] [embroidered silk] and leaves with me one length of embroidered silk.
相去萬餘里 xiāng qù wàn yú lǐ [each] [remove] [ten thousand] [excess] [mile] There is more than a myriad miles between us,
故人心尚爾 gù rén xīn shàng ěr [old] [person] [heart] [still] [you] but you are still in your old friend’s heart. _故人 is a common binome meaning 'old friend'._
文彩雙鴛鴦 wén cǎi shuāng yuān yāng [resplendent][] [pair] [mandarin duck][] A pair of gorgeously coloured mandarin ducks, _[文彩](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/4/ZdicE6Zdic96Zdic87155884.htm "Meaning of 文彩") is a binome meaning 'gorgeous' or 'colourful'_
裁為合歡被 cái wèi hé huān bèi [cut out] [to be] [togther] [joyous] [quilt] cut out to make a quilt of joyous union. _The quilt seems to be a token of a happy marriage._
著以長相思 zhe yǐ zhǎng xiàng sī [touch] [take] [countenance][] [think of] One touches its countenance longingly.
緣以結不解 yuán yǐ jié bù jiě [hem] [so as] [bond] [not] [break up] As the hem is bound, so our bond will not break
以膠投漆中 yǐ jiāo tóu qī zhōng [take] [glue] [put on] [paint] [within] Take glue and put it upon the paint;
誰能別離此 shéi néng bié lí cǐ [who] [could] [separate] [leave] [this] Who could separate this?
Useful links
- Explanation of 長相思 on zdic.net
- Chinese notes on 客從遠方來 (from www.kut.com.tw)
- Chinese Lyricism (Burton Watson) – has a lot of quality translations and analysis.
- Popular Songs and Ballads of Han China (Anne Birrell) – more general insight into verse from this period.
