Small Seal Script

[ZhaoZheng]

im not sure if this is the right sub forum but i was wondering if anyone here had any knowledge of Qin Seal Script?

and if so what would be a proper transliteration of  受命於天  既壽永昌

[somethingfunny]

I don't know much about seal scripts and the like but as far as the actual meaning is concerned I can offer this:

 

受命于天

To receive(受) orders(命) from(于) 'heaven'(天)

既寿永昌

then life(寿) will be long(永) and prosperous(昌)

 

I'm not a 100% sure what 既 is doing here.

 

This seems to be a pretty well known phrase and you can find more information here or here.  I imagine the situation here is a little more complex than the simple translation than I have provided, and given it's a Qin Seal Script you're talking of, it probably has a lot to do with uniting 天下 and the 永 probably refers to the position of ruler of all 天下 rather than any specific person.

 

But like I say... maybe a history buff can help you out.

[Ray Heaton]

Take a look here, explains the history of the seal

http://www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture/contents/arts/p-arts-c01s04.html

[ZhaoZheng]

@ 

somethingfunny

this is a very achaic phrase in old chinese meaning "Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may (the emperor) lead a long and prosperous life"

[ParkeNYU]

The best source is the 說文解字, which has its own tab in this online dictionary: http://www.zdic.net/

 

It explains (in Classical Chinese) the constructions of the characters in the Small Seal form.