<p>(1) 思飄雲物外 - is a line by 杜甫 (Dufu, sometimes transcribed as Tufu, the famous Tang poet) （see: <a href="https://www.gushiji.org/shiwen/10778" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.gushiji.org/shiwen/10778</a>).
But the line is misquoted as 思飄雲物以外 (same meaning, but a bit more like current, spoken Chinese).
Literally: &quot;Thoughts drift/float cloud-shapes outside-of&quot;.</p>
<p>The renowned Tang scholar Stephen Owen translates 雲物 (lit. &quot;clouds things&quot;, the color or shapes of clouds) as &quot;shapes in clouds&quot; and glosses it as &quot;poetic conceptions&quot;. The poem is written as a kind of letter, praising the poetry of the official to which it is addressed (remonstrator Zheng) as expressing thoughts that are &quot;loftier than the clouds, with a poetic metrum that startles even ghosts and spirits&quot;. Dufu seems to be angling for a government position himself and Remonstrator Zheng could patronize him. (I would say that this is not one of Dufu's best poems; he could be quite obseqious when writing occassional poetry addressed to officials.)</p>
<p>You can find a somewhat similar gloss at <a href="http://www.hancibao.com/shiju/a1261473171.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.hancibao.com/shiju/a1261473171.html</a> which quotes the Song poet, politican and geographer 范成大 (Fàn Chéngdà).</p>
<p>All poems of Dufu are translated in a bilingual publication by Stephen Owen. His translation of this poem:</p>
<pre><code>(2.12) Respectfully Presented to Remonstrator Zheng: Ten Couplets

A post of remonstrance is no lack of success,
your name, long known for understanding the Poems.
You have always hit exactly the mark,
who dares compete with you to be foremost?

Your thoughts waft beyond shapes in cloud,
getting poetic rules right, gods and spirits are shocked. 
You have not the least lingering regret,
the waves of your exposition, uniquely mature.

How could this man of the wilds find a place?
Heaven's purposes have been stingy with my life adrift. 
Often sick, done with a scholar’s vestment,
I will entrust my traveler’s tracks to seek mysteries.
I will build my dwelling among elusive immortals, 
     dine as a wayfarer, the years looming precipitous.
An envoy sought out Yan He, but the various lords disliked Mi Heng.
I would hope for the weight of a single commitment, 
     it will instantly make this heart devoted.
You see one weeping at a dead end, 
Infantry Commandant Ruan is right to worry.
 
</code></pre>
<p>(2) 人駐現世之中 - Literally &quot;Humans live in the present/actual world/lifetime&quot;. Seems like a quote, but I don't know the origin. Is it a Buddhist quote? I just learned that &quot;現世&quot; is a Buddhist term (&quot;this life&quot; in contrast to previous or later lives); &quot;現世報&quot; is &quot;karmic retribution&quot; (<a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%8F%BE%E4%B8%96" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.zdic.net/hans/現世</a>). I would paraphrase this line as &quot;We are living <em>this</em> life, now. (Let's make the best of it).&quot;</p>
<p>It's interesting to see the two lines next to each other. I assume the calligrapher deliberately did this (which would explain why he added 以 to the first line to make them both the same length and give them the same structure)? Then the new meaning of the combination might be paraphrased as</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Our thoughts may be loftier than the clouds,<br>
But as humans we have to live this life, now.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Or as</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Let our thoughts float beyond the clouds,<br>
while living this human life, here and now.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Or perhaps</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It's fine to have your head in the clouds,<br>
As long as you keep your feet on the ground!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I like the ambiguity - we need both imagination and realism :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-05T17:20:53.887Z
Incredible work, thanks so much for the detailed and informed answer. More than I hoped for.  I found the book you quoted "The Poetry of Du Fu" freely available [here](https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/27423/1/9781501501890.pdf).
Spehro 'speff' Pefhany
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-05T14:05:02.390Z
2024-09-05T16:37:43.820Z
2024-09-05T16:37:43.820Z
mudskipper
<p>I am having trouble making out most of the calligraphy characters on a couple large plaques I have. I'm not even sure they are right-side up, tbh.</p>
<p>Transcription (and meaning) would be most appreciated.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/f5SxQBd6.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/f5SxQBd6.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/z1l3JeE5.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/z1l3JeE5.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

<translation><calligraphy><transcription>
Transcription of calligraphic characters (Characters identified: 思飄雲物以外 人駐現世之中)
# Transcription of calligraphic characters (Characters identified: 思飄雲物以外 人駐現世之中)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-09-03)

I am having trouble making out most of the calligraphy characters on a couple large plaques I have. I'm not even sure they are right-side up, tbh.

Transcription (and meaning) would be most appreciated.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/f5SxQBd6.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/f5SxQBd6.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/z1l3JeE5.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/z1l3JeE5.jpg)

**Tags:** translation, calligraphy, transcription


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-09-05. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

(1) 思飄雲物外 - is a line by 杜甫 (Dufu, sometimes transcribed as Tufu, the famous Tang poet) （see: <https://www.gushiji.org/shiwen/10778>).
But the line is misquoted as 思飄雲物以外 (same meaning, but a bit more like current, spoken Chinese).
Literally: "Thoughts drift/float cloud-shapes outside-of".

The renowned Tang scholar Stephen Owen translates 雲物 (lit. "clouds things", the color or shapes of clouds) as "shapes in clouds" and glosses it as "poetic conceptions". The poem is written as a kind of letter, praising the poetry of the official to which it is addressed (remonstrator Zheng) as expressing thoughts that are "loftier than the clouds, with a poetic metrum that startles even ghosts and spirits". Dufu seems to be angling for a government position himself and Remonstrator Zheng could patronize him. (I would say that this is not one of Dufu's best poems; he could be quite obseqious when writing occassional poetry addressed to officials.)

You can find a somewhat similar gloss at <http://www.hancibao.com/shiju/a1261473171.html> which quotes the Song poet, politican and geographer 范成大 (Fàn Chéngdà).

All poems of Dufu are translated in a bilingual publication by Stephen Owen. His translation of this poem:

```
(2.12) Respectfully Presented to Remonstrator Zheng: Ten Couplets

A post of remonstrance is no lack of success,
your name, long known for understanding the Poems.
You have always hit exactly the mark,
who dares compete with you to be foremost?

Your thoughts waft beyond shapes in cloud,
getting poetic rules right, gods and spirits are shocked. 
You have not the least lingering regret,
the waves of your exposition, uniquely mature.

How could this man of the wilds find a place?
Heaven's purposes have been stingy with my life adrift. 
Often sick, done with a scholar’s vestment,
I will entrust my traveler’s tracks to seek mysteries.
I will build my dwelling among elusive immortals, 
     dine as a wayfarer, the years looming precipitous.
An envoy sought out Yan He, but the various lords disliked Mi Heng.
I would hope for the weight of a single commitment, 
     it will instantly make this heart devoted.
You see one weeping at a dead end, 
Infantry Commandant Ruan is right to worry.
 

```

(2) 人駐現世之中 - Literally "Humans live in the present/actual world/lifetime". Seems like a quote, but I don't know the origin. Is it a Buddhist quote? I just learned that "現世" is a Buddhist term ("this life" in contrast to previous or later lives); "現世報" is "karmic retribution" ([https://www.zdic.net/hans/現世](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%8F%BE%E4%B8%96)). I would paraphrase this line as "We are living *this* life, now. (Let's make the best of it)."

It's interesting to see the two lines next to each other. I assume the calligrapher deliberately did this (which would explain why he added 以 to the first line to make them both the same length and give them the same structure)? Then the new meaning of the combination might be paraphrased as

> Our thoughts may be loftier than the clouds,  
> But as humans we have to live this life, now.

Or as

> Let our thoughts float beyond the clouds,  
> while living this human life, here and now.

Or perhaps

> It's fine to have your head in the clouds,  
> As long as you keep your feet on the ground!

I like the ambiguity - we need both imagination and realism :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Incredible work, thanks so much for the detailed and informed answer. More than I hoped for.  I found the book you quoted "The Poetry of Du Fu" freely available [here](https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/27423/1/9781501501890.pdf).  

---

