Metal Box with Chinese inscription

[Vetch]

Hello forum,

I got this beautiful old metal box with this on it:

Any one knows what it means? I hope it's not "store your footnail clippings in here".

[Vetch]

P.S.

If s/o is interested, box looks like this:

I am from Germany, and my Mother travelled to China in 1978. She says she thinks she bought the box in Shanghai. In an official government-approved shop that they were allowed to visit. And that, sadly, is all we know about this box.

[Vetch]

No mercy, anyone?

Too silly? Too uninteresting? Too much work?

I must admit, I have no idea how to get a translation, apart from this forum. Anyone can give me a link or a hint?

[creamyhorror]

I'm not sure why no one has given you a translation, because there are quite a few people here who could supply you a full one. Unfortunately I'm not one of them, because my Chinese isn't that advanced. It's actually a poem from the Tang Dynasty by Meng Haoran, 送朱大入秦 (Sending Zhu Da off to Qin), and concerns the poet and Zhu Da's parting and implicitly their deep friendship.

[anonymoose]

There are many pages on the web about this poem, like this for example, but they all seem to be in Chinese. I couldn't find an English translation online.

[Vetch]

:blink: Heh, anonymoose, I'm sure that's a fine link for s/o who's got Chinese. Not me though. X)

I am very happy to learn the inscription is a poem.

Tang Dynasty, Meng Haoran, 送朱大入秦 (Sending Zhu Da off to Qin), parting and deep friendship — that's a lot of info! Maybe with this I can find a translation.

Thanks both of you for looking at it, and to creamyhorror for the info!

I still would love a translation; but I did get a lot already.

[skylee]

Consider -

I travelled to the Wuling (Five Tombs) area, carrying with me my valuable sword. On departure I presented it to my friend, so as to show him my heart.

[Vetch]

Thank you, danke, xie xie!

This is actually much more beautiful than anything I expected.

[skylee]

It turns out that my interpretation is not correct. The poem is about the poet seeing off a friend called Zhu Da who was going to Chang'an (present day Xi'an), where the Wuling area was located. So the more correct interpretation seems to be -

My friend (Zhu Da) was going to travel to Wuling (representing Chang'an). When we bade farewell I took off my valuable sword and gave it to him as a token of our lifelong friendship.

Hope it is not too wrong.

PS - actually it is not quite clear who gave the sword to whom ...

[mushroom]

I see off a friend to travel far, that is Shaanxi Five-Mausoleum, that place is where the imperial mausoleum, who lives around there are noble heroes. Since there are noble heroes, naturally respect for martial arts, and noble heroes should have a gallant sword. therefore, the sword in that place can be said to be priceless. In Parting, I give you my loved sword. I hope you can understand that it means my best sincerity to my best friend.

[Vetch]

Thanks very much again, sklyee, for putting so much effort into this. I wish I could repay somehow ... if you ever need any German ... X) (but there are enough Germans around here anyway, I am sure)

I now know a sword is given as token for a deep friendship, that's great! I am delighted with this, the box has become even more valuable to me. Happy Vetch.

[Vetch]

Oh, mushroom, I almost missed your reply! I was beginning to think I am blind and stupid, but I see you only got 3 posts yet, and it didn't show up earlier.

So much in so few characters! Chinese is truly a complex language with amazing nuances. I heard about that, but here I am getting a tiny notion of what it really means, and how hard it is to translate, specially poetry.

Very much appreciated.

And heh, I cannot express how delighted I am that the inscription is about friendship, swords and martial arts!

Ah, there is also the parting bit... hiya, poignant and cool!

[mushroom]

^_^ now I collect more than 5 posts, and can post directly without previewed by a moderator.

I am a Taiwanese, used in tradictional chinese.

[Vetch]

Very delighted to read you in this thread!

(I am German with no Chinese whatsoever. Unless I don't find any other Chinese treasures in my home, or need to say something from the Kung fu movies I watch, I probably won't come back to the forum, as I can't contribute anything, just ask questions.)

Thanks again for the help, all!

[889]

It looks like you have a 墨盒 mo he, a traditional Chinese ink box. There's probably black gunk inside.

These are collectible, and tempting as it is, you shouldn't try to clean or polish the box, inside or out. Collectors like them just the way they are.

Search these four characters on Google Images for more examples: 墨盒 民国

[Vetch]

That's it! I just searched for the pictures. Beautiful! I like the simple ones best, like the one I got!

Yea, it's pitch black inside, and that black looks as if it could rub off, that's why I didn't store anything in it. Heh, but I never made the connection to ink. X)

(I mostly scrawl with a ball pen and type. Sigh.)

There's also a crumbling red seal from the Chinese government. I think I'll let that just crumble, and use the box for ink. I have bought a silly cheap 'Chinese calligraphy' set a few months ago, might as well use it.

Thank you so much for that info and the characters. I am delighted!

P.S. I notice I am delighted quite a lot in this thread, but I truly am! A poem. A poem about friendship. A bittersweet poem about friendship with swords, noble heroes and martial arts! On an ink box, used for writing, eg. poems.

Heh. I am delighted!