上窮碧落下黃泉
See also: 上穷碧落下黄泉
Chinese
editup; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up |
exhausted; poor | sky; blue sky | under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (上窮碧落下黃泉) | 上 | 窮 | 碧落 | 下 | 黃泉 | |
simp. (上穷碧落下黄泉) | 上 | 穷 | 碧落 | 下 | 黄泉 | |
Literally: “(Searched) thoroughly up in the blue beyond (as well as) down in the Yellow Springs (below the earth).” |
Etymology
editFrom the Song of Everlasting Regret in 806 CE, by poet Bai Juyi:
- 上窮碧落下黃泉,兩處茫茫皆不見。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: 806 CE, Bai Juyi, Song of Everlasting Regret
- Shàng qióng bìluò xià huángquán, liǎng chù mángmáng jiē bù jiàn. [Pinyin]
- The priest searched thoroughly up in the blue beyond, as well as down in the Yellow Springs below the earth, but did not spot her (Yang Guifei) in the vastness of either place.
上穷碧落下黄泉,两处茫茫皆不见。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
edit- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄑㄩㄢˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: shàng cyóng bìluò sià huángcyuán
- Wade–Giles: shang4 chʻiung2 pi4-lo4 hsia4 huang2-chʻüan2
- Yale: shàng chyúng bì-lwò syà hwáng-chywán
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanq chyong bihluoh shiah hwangchyuan
- Palladius: шан цюн било ся хуанцюань (šan cjun bilo sja xuancjuanʹ)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: soeng6 kung4 bik1 lok6 haa6 wong4 cyun4
- Yale: seuhng kùhng bīk lohk hah wòhng chyùhn
- Cantonese Pinyin: soeng6 kung4 bik7 lok9 haa6 wong4 tsyn4
- Guangdong Romanization: sêng6 kung4 big1 log6 ha6 wong4 qun4
- Sinological IPA (key): /sœːŋ²² kʰʊŋ²¹ pɪk̚⁵ lɔːk̚² haː²² wɔːŋ²¹ t͡sʰyːn²¹/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Middle Chinese: dzyangX gjuwng pjiek lak haeH hwang dzjwen
Idiom
edit上窮碧落下黃泉
- to search high and low
- 乃見桂英披髮仗劍,指罵:「王魁負義漢,我上窮碧落下黃泉,尋汝不見,汝卻在此。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: Southern Song, 羅燁 (Luo Ye), 《醉翁談錄·卷二·王魁負心桂英死報》
- Nǎi jiàn Guìyīng pīfà zhàngjiàn, zhǐmà: “Wáng Kuí fùyìhàn, wǒ shàng qióng bìluò xià huángquán, xún rǔ bùjiàn, rǔ què zài cǐ.” [Pinyin]
- (please add an English translation of this usage example)
乃见桂英披发仗剑,指骂:「王魁负义汉,我上穷碧落下黄泉,寻汝不见,汝却在此。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]- 我們不是讀書的人,我們只是上窮碧落下黃泉,動手動腳找東西。 [MSC, trad.]
- From: 1928, Fu Ssu-nien, 《歷史語言研究所工作之旨趣》 [The Aims of Founding the Institute of History and Philology]
- Wǒmen bùshì dúshū de rén, wǒmen zhǐshì shàng qióng bìluò xià huángquán, dòngshǒudòngjiǎo zhǎo dōngxī. [Pinyin]
- (please add an English translation of this usage example)
我们不是读书的人,我们只是上穷碧落下黄泉,动手动脚找东西。 [MSC, simp.]
Categories:
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