<p>This is an incomplete text of the poem 《西江月・作伴修行未是》 by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Yuan Dynasty</a> poet 譚處端, produced verbatim from the image, detailed below:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The text is split into columns from right to left as on the image, with pauses inserted at「//」. Characters inside parentheses（）indicate the modern equivalent.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>⿰亻（作）伴修行未是 // （飄飄）</p>
</li>
<li><p>物外行持 // 孤雲野鶴</p>
</li>
<li><p>任東㢴（西）// 何有些兒礙</p>
</li>
<li><p>滯 // 淡飯（尋）他兩頓 // 清</p>
</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<p>The rest of the poem is:</p>
<p>清淨淨無爲 //</p>
<p>寂寥瀟洒最相宜 //</p>
<p>別有一般滋味</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My translation (roughly paraphrased):</p>
<blockquote>
<h2>元・譚處端《西江月・作伴修行未是》</h2>
<p>作伴修行未是，飄飄物外行持。</p>
<p><em>The accompanying disciples' self-cultivating journey is incomplete, walking along the turbulent spiritual passages;</em></p>
<p>孤雲野鶴任東西。</p>
<p><em>following the path of mysterious, recluse <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xian_(Taoism)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sages</a>.</em></p>
<p>何有些兒礙滯。</p>
<p><em>What is there to stop their journey?</em></p>
<p>淡飯尋他兩頓，清清淨淨無爲。</p>
<p><em>Finding scarce meals, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cuisine#Other_restrictions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">plain, simple</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei" rel="nofollow noreferrer">natural</a>,</em></p>
<p>寂寥瀟洒最相宜。</p>
<p><em>the balance of tranquillity and aloofness</em></p>
<p>別有一般滋味。</p>
<p><em>has a sweetness of its own.</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-29T12:20:22.107Z
quite strange, that the text is chopped after "清". and, the cloud patterns (雲紋) on the edge are slightly in different size :(
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-30T01:13:27.190Z
@水巷孑蠻 maybe its half of a two-part block...or maybe the craftsmanship just isn't that great :). Seal script writings tend to be subject to more mutilation because not many people can read them to tell that it's been cut off haha
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-01T11:33:52.577Z
Thanks for all of that Drooze! That's been very helpful :-)
Dom
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-29T07:22:00.003Z
2020-03-18T10:18:15.197Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dROOOze
<p>I've been trying to translate some seal script on a small piece a friend brought back from Japan. 
I've been using <a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.guoxuedashi.com/</a> and hanziyuan.net to guess them and think I ended up with this:<br>
line 1: 佗伴像水来是XX<br>
line 2: 物叱水XX雲XX<br>
Line 3: 佺東氣何  </p>

<p>Can anyone assist with the characters, and with a translation?</p>

<p>Thanks so much,</p>

<p>Dom
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/w8mDY.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/w8mDY.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a> </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-29T07:16:39.050Z
Great! Thanks for making an effort, normally people don’t :(
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-29T09:19:44.990Z
It was actually fun - I learnt Japanese and did calligraphy so am familiar with seal script and radicals in general. But some of them are hard work!
Dom
<characters><character-identification><seal><calligraphy>
Translation of seal script text (Poem identified: 元・譚處端《西江月・作伴修行未是》)
# Translation of seal script text (Poem identified: 元・譚處端《西江月・作伴修行未是》)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-29)

I've been trying to translate some seal script on a small piece a friend brought back from Japan.
I've been using <http://www.guoxuedashi.com/> and hanziyuan.net to guess them and think I ended up with this:  
line 1: 佗伴像水来是XX  
line 2: 物叱水XX雲XX  
Line 3: 佺東氣何

Can anyone assist with the characters, and with a translation?

Thanks so much,

Dom
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/w8mDY.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/w8mDY.jpg)

**Tags:** characters, character-identification, seal, calligraphy

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Great! Thanks for making an effort, normally people don’t :(  
> **username_0**: It was actually fun - I learnt Japanese and did calligraphy so am familiar with seal script and radicals in general. But some of them are hard work!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-12-29. Score: 2

This is an incomplete text of the poem 《西江月・作伴修行未是》 by [Yuan Dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_dynasty) poet 譚處端, produced verbatim from the image, detailed below:

> The text is split into columns from right to left as on the image, with pauses inserted at「//」. Characters inside parentheses（）indicate the modern equivalent.
>
> 1. ⿰亻（作）伴修行未是 // （飄飄）
> 2. 物外行持 // 孤雲野鶴
> 3. 任東㢴（西）// 何有些兒礙
> 4. 滯 // 淡飯（尋）他兩頓 // 清
>
> ---
>
> The rest of the poem is:
>
> 清淨淨無爲 //
>
> 寂寥瀟洒最相宜 //
>
> 別有一般滋味

My translation (roughly paraphrased):

> ## 元・譚處端《西江月・作伴修行未是》
>
> 作伴修行未是，飄飄物外行持。
>
> *The accompanying disciples' self-cultivating journey is incomplete, walking along the turbulent spiritual passages;*
>
> 孤雲野鶴任東西。
>
> *following the path of mysterious, recluse [sages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xian_(Taoism)).*
>
> 何有些兒礙滯。
>
> *What is there to stop their journey?*
>
> 淡飯尋他兩頓，清清淨淨無爲。
>
> *Finding scarce meals, [plain, simple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cuisine#Other_restrictions), and [natural](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei),*
>
> 寂寥瀟洒最相宜。
>
> *the balance of tranquillity and aloofness*
>
> 別有一般滋味。
>
> *has a sweetness of its own.*

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: quite strange, that the text is chopped after "清". and, the cloud patterns (雲紋) on the edge are slightly in different size :(  
> **username_1**: @username_2 maybe its half of a two-part block...or maybe the craftsmanship just isn't that great :). Seal script writings tend to be subject to more mutilation because not many people can read them to tell that it's been cut off haha  
> **username_0**: Thanks for all of that Drooze! That's been very helpful :-)  

---

