picture translation

[jaysk]

Hi this is my first post, have read a few so pleased to be a member here.

I have 3 pictures that I bought in Shanghai which I know very roughly translates as an old poem can someone give me a better translation

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz201/jaysk/IMG_0249.jpg

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz201/jaysk/IMG_0248.jpg

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz201/jaysk/IMG_0247.jpg

Thanks in advance

Jay

[jbradfor]

如意如意、人有人意、我有我意、合得人意、恐非我意、合得我意、恐非人意、人意我意、合得天意、自然如意、百事如意

[leeyah]

It seems to be a Buddhist chant or gatka (如意偈) & it reads from left to right, last picture being the first.

人有人意，我有我意；

合得人意，恐非我意；

合得我意，恐非人意；

人意我意，恐非天意；

合得天意，自然如意；

如意如意，百事如意。

I'm no expert on Buddhism, but roughly the meaning seems to revolve around the harmony (合) (or lack of it 恐非) of one's personal desire (我意) vs other people desires (人意) & heaven's will (天意)>>人意·我意·天意, something in the spirit of only the attainment of three universal buddhist truths is what is called universal harmony/happiness, nirvana (?) or whatever. The title which says 万事如意 is a common well-wishing greeting, equal to Western 'best wishes'

[jaysk]

Thank you so much for this guys, I am learning spoken Mandarin but the written language will be out of my reach. So thanks very much for the english translation.

[jbradfor]

It could be a Buddhist chant as leeyah suggests, or it could just be a modern poem. [The meaning and language does not seem to me to be from an old poem.]

Here's my rough translation, for what it's worth. [i have a hard time translating '如意', in the last two lines, so I won't bother. It means something like "may everything be as you want it", "may you get your heart's desire".]

人有人意，我有我意；

People have their desires, I have my desires,

合得人意，恐非我意；

Obtaining other people's desires (??), I'm afraid to lose my desires

合得我意，恐非人意；

Obtaining my desires , I'm afraid to not fulfill others' desires

人意我意，恐非天意；

Public desires, my desires, I'm afraid to lose heaven's [1] desires

合得天意，自然如意；

Obtaining heaven's desires, one naturally 如意

如意如意，百事如意。

[1] For a more western religious interpretation, you can replace "heaven" with "god".

[jaysk]

thank you jbradfor, a really excellent translation