Can anyone please help me with translation of the text in these photographs?

[PinyinHarry]

Hello there,

 

I have just stumbled accross this amazing website, which I only just joined and this is my first post. I am very happy to find such an amazing resource and I am hoping that some generous people here may be able to translate some of the text in the attached photographs? The photographs are of some of the Art work I have.

 

I am always collecting Art work from China and Japan, as I find it so beautiful. I have many items in my home, some which are brand new and some which are older, but I am unable to translate the text.

 

I am learning Chinese characters, I try to learn one new character each day, which I practice by doing calligraphy with traditional Ink stick, Ink stone, brushes and rice paper, but I am very much a beginner and I have only learned roughly 25 characters so far!

 

I have attached many photographs, and I am hoping to find out what is written on these beautiful works of Art, in the hope that I can learn more characters, more quickly, and know what is written when I look at each one.

 

Some of the text is I think Japanese, and some is Chinese. If you can help me I will be very grateful, even if you can only spare the time to help me with one of the photos, it is much appreciated. If you can offer a translation to one or more of the photos, please just say 'Photo 1 translates to -' This way I can know which photo you are translating

 

Please forgive me if it is bad etiquette to make such requests when I am so new here.

 

Kindest regards to all.

 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

[lingo-ling]

1. I will not give you up; I will never leave you. (Sounds almost like a Rick Astley song!)

[lingo-ling]

18. 岐王宅裏尋常見，崔九堂前幾度聞。 正是江南好風景，落花時節又逢君。

 

A poem by Du Fu (杜甫)

 

See: http://www.chinese-poems.com/d36.html

[lingo-ling]

7. 西塞山前白鷺飛，桃花流水鱖魚肥。 青箬笠，綠蓑衣，斜風細雨不須歸。

 

Egrets are flying front of the Xisai mountains,

Colored peach blossoms are opening by the river

And the fat mandarin fish is swimming in the flowing water.

I am in a blue large bamboo hat 

and a coir raincoat,

Be in the tender wind and soft drizzle, 

I am not in a hurry to come back home..

 

by Zhang Zhihe (張志和)

 

Source of translation:

 

http://www.ebridge.cn/new/music/shirley1.php?chi=&sno=1011

[PinyinHarry]

Wow! Thank you so much lingo-ling! I am amazed!

Number 7 is such a beautiful poem, every time I look at this now I will see an extra layer of beauty that I could not see before. And number one is very interesting, maybe a gift from a man to a woman whom he loved? Incredible, thank you so much once again! I really is very fascinating for me to have these translations.

[scottt]

2. Flowers and Birds  Album   - by 西村青嵐
3. 青嵐 -  (I thinl this is the name of previous author 西村青嵐)
       While 青 is Blue, 嵐 is  Fogs in the Mountain
4. 業精於勤  ( 业精于勤 )
       (Your) Work is excellently rely on your diligence

[lingo-ling]

15. 春眠不覺曉，處處聞啼鳥。 夜來風雨聲，花落知多少。

 

This is Spring Dawn, a poem by the Tang poet Meng Haoran.

 

Here's one one of many possible translations:

 

In Spring one sleeps, unaware of dawn;

everywhere one hears crowing birds.

In the night came the sound of wind and rain;

who knows how many flowers fell?

 

Source:

 

http://eastasiastudent.net/china/classical/meng-haoran-spring-dawn

[Lu]

2 appears to be Japanese, and that would make 3 Japanese as well if it's by the same artist.

[PinyinHarry]

Thanks so much again for more info and translations!

2 is a beautiful scroll of a slightly blue Japanese Robin sitting on a Peony bush, and the scene is kind of misty, so yes that makes sense Scottt! And I was really interested to know the translation of number 4 as it was given to me by a friend and she had no information, so thanks a lot!

And again thanks Lingo-ling for the translation and link, I really love these old Chinese poems, so beautiful!

[Snowblast]

Number 4 is “業精於勤”. It means “”Excellence comes from diligence".

[Snowblast]

I just realized no. 4 has been explained already. Sorry about that.

 

Here are some more:

 

5. 採菊東籬下，悠然見南山。

 

This is a line from a very famous poem of 陶淵明.

 

Translation:

 

I pick fenceside asters at will;

Carefree I see the southern hill.

 

(Translated by 許淵沖, source: http://www.en84.com/article-1575-1.html )

 

6. 行文簡淺顯，做事誠平恆。

 

There are many interpretations and below is my version.

 

Translation:

 

Be concise, simple and clear when it comes to writing;

Be honest, placid and persevering when it comes to life.

 

9. 有關家國書常讀，無益身心事莫為。

 

My somehow liberal translation:

 

Spend time on books about the nation, not on the futile.

 

10. 絹本花卉四季屏

 

Translation:

 

 

Flowers of the Four Seasons on silk hanging scrolls

 

13. 興風狂嘯

 

Direct Translation:

 

Stir the wind and roar

 

The phrase is originally from a poem written by 魯迅

 

無情未必真豪傑，

憐子如何不丈夫。

知否興風狂嘯者，

回眸時看小於菟。

 

Below is an excellent translation:

 

Must a true he-man

  be unfeeling and cold?

 

Cannot a doting father

  be a hero untold?

 

Know you not that tigers,

  whose mighty roar winds send,

 

Often take a backward glance

  for their cubs to fend.

 

Source: http://www.backchina.com/blog/264289/article-130253.html

 

14. 巨龍騰飛 日程萬里

 

Translation:

 

The majestic dragon soars into the sky.

Each day it travels thousands of miles.

 

This is a metaphor, which means to wish you success.

[PinyinHarry]

Thank you so much Snowblast! You are so generous to translate so many for me! And of course I find them all fascinating, and inspiring. I am so glad to know number 13, as it is on a beautiful old fan that is painted with a handsome yet somewhat aggressive looking Tiger that faces my front door! Thank you so much once more, I really am so grateful as I now know what I am reading when I look at each piece, which of course means I love them all much more!!

[PinyinHarry]

Numbers 11 and 12 are apparantly from Macau, so I presume the characters are traditional as opposed to simplified, as in Macau Cantonese is the main language right?

[lingo-ling]

They're all in traditional characters (calligraphy usually is), though some cursive characters are written in short-hand forms that are the source of many simplified characters.

[PinyinHarry]

Ok thanks Lingo-ling once again, if I understand correctly, there are many character sets in Chinese language, Oracle bone script, Bronze script, Regular scrip, Seal script, Clerical script, Cursive and Semi-Cursive and Traditional and Simplified? So Simplified is used in mainland China for writing and reading, and traditional is used in other regions of the PRC, but most artwork/ calligraphy is done in traditional script? As far as cursive script goes, my understanding is that cursive script is either modern or wild and can be difficult to read, and is basically like joined up writing or shorthand and is used for quickly writing?

I have these four scrolls which are apparantly by the Artist Qi Baishi (I wish they really were!) and I was told that this script is cursive?

I am sorry to sound like such a dummy, but I am only teaching myself all of these things, so it can become somewhat confusing!