問世間情為何物, 直交生死相許

[wai ming]

Could someone please explain this phrase to me:

問世間情為何物, 直交生死相許

(Hope I typed it right )

Also, where does it come from?

Thanks!

[Quest]

From here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsJAlRNIvLg

[kernel]

问世间-情为何物

直叫人-生死相许

[skylee]

Actually it is from a poem of Yuan Haowen of Jin Dynasty (about 800years ago). You can find the whole poem here - >

http://www.chinese-literature.org/lyrics/Yuan-haowen/001.html

A brief introduction of the author -> http://www.renditions.org/renditions/authors/yuanhw.html

Here is a translation of the first part (which is more popular) -> http://blog.wenxuecity.com/blogview.php?date=200603&postID=4207 (And you can find more on the web)

What is love?

I ask the world

How does it make me care less about my life

and care more about being with you?

Those two birds have been flying, north and south

How many winters and summers have they been together?

Happy to be with you

Lonely to be without you

How many men and women are stuck in this "love"!

My dear, you tell me

Those clouds extend millions of miles

That snow covers thousands of mountains

Without you, where shall I go?

PS - the poem has become popular partly because it is used in Jinyong's novel "神鵰俠侶", which has recently been turned for the nth time into a TV drama (which is what Quest refers to).

[againstwind]

Actually it is from a poem of Yuan Haowen of Jin Dynasty (about 800years ago)

Yes.

I love this poem 摸鱼儿. （Actually it's a Ci 词） Very classic!

[skylee]

Another translation (still the first part only) ->

O mortals, what is love? That binds beyond life on earth?

To all corners, in pair we fly... braving summer and winter, by and by...

Union is bliss, parting is woe, agony is boundless, for a lovelorn soul, sweetheart...

Give me words, trail of clouds drifting forward...

And mountains capped with snow, whither shall my lonesome shadow go?

[mythia]

Hello there, perhaps if you ask an average Chinese about the line you will be given the answer as in

at 1:05.

It was a popular TV series adopted from the famous writer of love novel Qiong Yao.

And I'd prefer the translation "O mortals, what is love? That binds beyond life on earth?"

Acutally literally it means:

问－ask，世间－(among) the earthliness，情－love，affection，passion，为－is，何物－what substance or thing。

直－to a great extent， even，叫－make，let，人－people，生－live，life，死－die，death，相－mutually，许－committed，devoted。

Hope that helps. ;)