本是同根生，相煎何太急

[82riceballs]

Can someone kindly translate 本是同根生，相煎何太急 into English? Can you explain it using Chinese? Thanks much!

[Quest]

曹植's 七步诗

Take a look: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZO1pUrYenoo

“曹丕做了皇帝，对才华横溢的胞弟曹植一直心怀忌恨，他命曹植在七步之内作诗一首，如做不到就将行以大法，曹植不等其话音落下，便应声说出六句诗来，曹丕羞愧万分。”

The whole poem:

煮豆燃豆萁，漉豉以为汁，

萁在釜下燃，豆在釜中泣，

本是同根生，相煎何太急！

Translation: 萁 (bean stems) and 豆 (beans) are born of the same root, why the rush for 萁 to cook/kill 豆。

[skylee]

Take a look ->

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quatrain_of_Seven_Steps

http://ind.proz.com/kudoz/276433

[82riceballs]

sorry, could you please explain: "横溢"? I can't find it in any dictionaries.

Also, is "直" the 量詞 of "心"? ("一直心怀忌恨")

Thanks for the excellent explanation!

and Thanks skylee!

[fireball9261]

sorry, could you please explain: "横溢"? I can't find it in any dictionaries.

Also, is "直" the 量詞 of "心"? ("一直心怀忌恨")

Thanks for the excellent explanation!

"横溢" = Overflow with. Have abundance of. Here, it means 曹植 had abundance of talents (overflowingly so).

Also, "直" is not the 量詞 of "心". "一直" is a common Chinese phrase, and it means "always" or "continously". Here, it means 曹丕 is always (and continuously) jealous of his 胞弟 (brother) 曹植.

[82riceballs]

thanks!

[Quest]

I corrected a couple pinyin errors on wiki, 鼓(to chi3 from gu3) and 为(to wei2 from wei4).

Also take a look here: http://zhidao.baidu.com/q?word=%A1%B6%C6%DF%B2%BD%CA%AB%A1%B7&ct=17&pn=0&tn=ikaslist&rn=10

Since you asked, the language on youtube is Cantonese.

[OracleBone]

Here is an another version of 七步诗:

煮豆燃豆萁，豆在釜中泣。

本是同根生，相煎何太急！

The result from Lingoes Translator:

Boil beans fire beanstalk, beans weep of the kettle. Originally born from the same root, why bitter against each other!

[zaiyiwang]

煮豆燃豆萁，豆在釜中泣。

本是同根生，相煎何太急

this poem is not original .

that 6 sentences is right

[82riceballs]

What does "burning the stem" have to do with "cooking the bean"? Does burning the stem provide the fire for cooking the bean? Are there any pictures that might help me visualize this?

thanks

[Quest]

Here, but this is suppose to be a serious story:

[82riceballs]

is the stuff at the bottom the "豆萁“? the bean stalks?

So, Cao Zhi = beans cooking in pot

and Cao Pi = bean stalks fueling the fire?

Thanks for the picture. It really helps me visualize.

[Tom Higgins]

So, Cao Zhi = beans cooking in pot

and Cao Pi = bean stalks fueling the fire?

That's right!

[82riceballs]

YEAH!! THANKS GUYS!!!

[johnLi]

一直: 直means straight, while 一 means one, its picture also shows straight,

So altogether the phrase means straight, continuously, never changed...