<p>It is called 無情對, The sentences don't make sense even in Chinese, therefore, there is no way to translate them into English</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A0%E6%83%85%E5%AF%B9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">無情對</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>It is a special couplet form, the upper and lower lines are not related to cohesion. But each single &quot;character&quot; in the upper couplet match each single &quot;character&quot; in the lower couplet</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>[公 vs. 法] (公 = fair; 法 = law) - both noun related to rule</p>
<p>[門 vs. 國] (門 = school; 國 = nation) - both noun related to gathered people</p>
<p>[桃 vs. 荷] (桃 = peach; 荷 = lotus) - both noun related to plant</p>
<p>[李 vs. 蘭] (李 = plum; 蘭 = lily) - both noun related to plant</p>
<p>[崢 vs. 比] (爭 = fight over; 比 = compete) both verb related to competition</p>
<p>[嶸 vs. 利] (榮 = glory; 利 = profit ) both noun related to success</p>
<p>[日 vs. 時] (日 = day; 時 = hour) both noun related to time</p>
<p>Most importantly, these couplets rhyme in Chinese but won't be in English. That's why you can never translate a 無情對 into any other language</p>
<p>A <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23510/what-is-the-%E5%B9%B3%E4%BB%84-rule-in-%E7%84%A1%E6%83%85%E5%B0%8D">question</a> asked by me related to 無情對</p>
<p>Of course, you can translate them word for word, but the end result will not be coherent sentences and certainly not a couplet anymore.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>公門桃李崢嶸日 (The day the students of the honorable you shine)</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>法國荷蘭比利時 (France, Netherlands, Belgium)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As for normal couplets, you can translate them into complete sentences, but they will not rhyme and won't be couplets</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-09T05:37:49.400Z
2021-02-09T08:09:11.153Z
2021-02-09T08:09:11.153Z
Tang Ho
<p>For example,</p>
<p>四品青天褂</p>
<p>六味地黃丸</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>公門桃李崢嶸日</p>
<p>法國荷蘭比利時</p>
<p>I am not sure if there exists any reasonable translation.</p>

<translation>
Are antithetical couplets mostly untranslatable?
# Are antithetical couplets mostly untranslatable?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-09)

For example,

四品青天褂

六味地黃丸

Or

公門桃李崢嶸日

法國荷蘭比利時

I am not sure if there exists any reasonable translation.

**Tags:** translation


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-02-09. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

It is called 無情對, The sentences don't make sense even in Chinese, therefore, there is no way to translate them into English

> [無情對](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A0%E6%83%85%E5%AF%B9)

> It is a special couplet form, the upper and lower lines are not related to cohesion. But each single "character" in the upper couplet match each single "character" in the lower couplet

Example:

[公 vs. 法] (公 = fair; 法 = law) - both noun related to rule

[門 vs. 國] (門 = school; 國 = nation) - both noun related to gathered people

[桃 vs. 荷] (桃 = peach; 荷 = lotus) - both noun related to plant

[李 vs. 蘭] (李 = plum; 蘭 = lily) - both noun related to plant

[崢 vs. 比] (爭 = fight over; 比 = compete) both verb related to competition

[嶸 vs. 利] (榮 = glory; 利 = profit ) both noun related to success

[日 vs. 時] (日 = day; 時 = hour) both noun related to time

Most importantly, these couplets rhyme in Chinese but won't be in English. That's why you can never translate a 無情對 into any other language

A [question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/23510/what-is-the-%E5%B9%B3%E4%BB%84-rule-in-%E7%84%A1%E6%83%85%E5%B0%8D) asked by me related to 無情對

Of course, you can translate them word for word, but the end result will not be coherent sentences and certainly not a couplet anymore.

> 公門桃李崢嶸日 (The day the students of the honorable you shine)

> 法國荷蘭比利時 (France, Netherlands, Belgium)

As for normal couplets, you can translate them into complete sentences, but they will not rhyme and won't be couplets


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