<p>The text is read from top to bottom, right to left.</p>

<p><strong>First two columns:</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>香遠溢清</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Which means <strong>As the aroma (of the flower, referring in particular to the lotus) goes further, it becomes more and more pure and fresh</strong>. BTW, the artist mistakes 益(more and more) for 溢(overflow, spill). These two characters sound the same in Chinese. Maybe the artist was intentional, to express a different feeling from the original author of this phrase.</p>

<p>This phrase originates from Song Dynasty's litterateur 周敦頤's essay <strong><em>愛蓮說</em></strong> (Ode to the Lotus Flower).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>水陸草木之花，可愛者甚蕃。晉陶淵明獨愛菊；自李唐來，世人盛愛牡丹；予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染，濯清漣而不妖，中通外直，不蔓不枝， <strong>香遠益清</strong> ，亭亭靜植，可遠觀而不可褻玩焉。予謂菊，花之隱逸者也；牡丹，花之富貴者也；蓮，花之君子者也。噫！菊之愛，陶後鮮有聞；蓮之愛，同予者何人；牡丹之愛，宜乎眾矣。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This essay is to praise the noble and unsullied characteristic of the lotus. So in Chinese culture, lotus flowers are often compared to gentlemen.</p>

<p><strong>The left text:</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>癸巳年  彭湘龍  作於景德鎮一品畫苑</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is the artist's inscription.</p>

<ul>
<li><p><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%99%B8%E5%B7%B3" rel="noreferrer">癸巳年</a> is the year. It is 2013, according to the context.</p></li>
<li><p>彭湘龍 is the artist's name, Peng Xianglong.</p></li>
<li><p>作於景德鎮一品畫苑. Finished in 一品畫苑(the studio's name), 景德鎮(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingdezhen" rel="noreferrer">Jingdezhen Town</a>, a town that is called <em>Porcelain Capital</em>. It is very very famous.)</p></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>EDIT</strong>
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Ll9l7.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-17T13:16:50.420Z
@Andris: you're welcome :-)
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-27T11:38:31.887Z
@Stan In the third line of 愛蓮說 you quoted, I think it should be `陶後鮮有聞` instead of `陶后鮮有聞`.
johnchen902
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-27T12:42:24.397Z
@johnchen902: you're right :) I've fixed it. Thanks!
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-17T12:20:07.910Z
2013-06-27T12:41:30.657Z
2013-06-27T12:41:30.657Z
Stan
<p>We have recently received this vase as a gift from a business partner. I am very curious what this text on it means but am not in a position to ask them.</p>

<p>I wasn't able to use Google Translate (probably because it is handwriting) on it and I don't know anyone who speaks chinese. Could somebody here translate it for me please!</p>

<p>Thank you! 
<img src="https://i.sstatic.net/gZuB1.jpg" alt="Vase"></p>

<translation>
What does this text on a vase mean?
# What does this text on a vase mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-06-17)

We have recently received this vase as a gift from a business partner. I am very curious what this text on it means but am not in a position to ask them.

I wasn't able to use Google Translate (probably because it is handwriting) on it and I don't know anyone who speaks chinese. Could somebody here translate it for me please!

Thank you!
![Vase](https://i.sstatic.net/gZuB1.jpg)

**Tags:** translation


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-06-17. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

The text is read from top to bottom, right to left.

**First two columns:**

> 香遠溢清

Which means **As the aroma (of the flower, referring in particular to the lotus) goes further, it becomes more and more pure and fresh**. BTW, the artist mistakes 益(more and more) for 溢(overflow, spill). These two characters sound the same in Chinese. Maybe the artist was intentional, to express a different feeling from the original author of this phrase.

This phrase originates from Song Dynasty's litterateur 周敦頤's essay ***愛蓮說*** (Ode to the Lotus Flower).

> 水陸草木之花，可愛者甚蕃。晉陶淵明獨愛菊；自李唐來，世人盛愛牡丹；予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染，濯清漣而不妖，中通外直，不蔓不枝， **香遠益清** ，亭亭靜植，可遠觀而不可褻玩焉。予謂菊，花之隱逸者也；牡丹，花之富貴者也；蓮，花之君子者也。噫！菊之愛，陶後鮮有聞；蓮之愛，同予者何人；牡丹之愛，宜乎眾矣。

This essay is to praise the noble and unsullied characteristic of the lotus. So in Chinese culture, lotus flowers are often compared to gentlemen.

**The left text:**

> 癸巳年 彭湘龍 作於景德鎮一品畫苑

This is the artist's inscription.

* [癸巳年](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%99%B8%E5%B7%B3) is the year. It is 2013, according to the context.
* 彭湘龍 is the artist's name, Peng Xianglong.
* 作於景德鎮一品畫苑. Finished in 一品畫苑(the studio's name), 景德鎮([Jingdezhen Town](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingdezhen), a town that is called *Porcelain Capital*. It is very very famous.)

**EDIT**
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Ll9l7.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @username_0: you're welcome :-)  
> **username_2**: @username_1 In the third line of 愛蓮說 you quoted, I think it should be `陶後鮮有聞` instead of `陶后鮮有聞`.  
> **username_1**: @username_2: you're right :) I've fixed it. Thanks!  

---

