<blockquote>
<p>綠衣初發江南春</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>綠衣(green clothes)</p>
</li>
<li><p>初發 (first start)</p>
</li>
<li><p>江南春 (Jiangnan's  spring)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The land begin to put on green clothes (refers to the landscape is starting to cover with spring plants) indicates it is Jiangnan's early spring</p>
<blockquote>
<p>遠浦輕帆萬里程</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>遠浦 (faraway port)</p>
</li>
<li><p>輕帆 (light sail = small boat)</p>
</li>
<li><p>萬里程 (ten thousand miles journey = very long journey)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>At a faraway port, in a small boat, embark on a long journey</p>
<p><em>If it was a 七言绝句 (seven-character quatrains), there would be two more verses in it. It looks more like a 對聯 (couplet) as it is now</em></p>
<p>Note: a small boat is not capable of long-distance sea-going. This long journey is most likely on a river</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-24T21:36:14.237Z
Definitely NOT a couplet 對聯. The parts of speech do not match.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-24T23:48:30.960Z
let's try to make it one. how about 青衫遲慕故國秋
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T01:00:16.963Z
Sorry to be picky, but 江南 / 故國 there's still some room for improvement.  Also, 遲慕? 遲暮？
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T01:24:10.163Z
how about 綠衣初發江南春; 青衫遲暮宋國秋
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T02:49:15.577Z
平仄不叶。Not to be picky but, among others,「春」and「秋」have the same tone. It doesn't follow the rule, which is 仄起平落. According to the rule, 春 can only be used in the second half, not the first half, of the couplet. So, as it is, there is no way you can make a couplet out of it.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T02:51:07.887Z
小人不才，不過這原本就不是對聯，再加兩句使它成為七言绝句的四行詩還合理一點。有那位文士有詩興？(I Googled the first two verses but can't find anything online)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T03:36:44.810Z
Yes, parts of speech aside, the tones are also quite mixed up. 平仄 is important in couplets. Examples: 衣 / 衫 are both 平聲. 發 / 暮 both 仄聲, so that's a no-no
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T03:55:00.563Z
小人不才,谦虚是休  :)  Perhaps someone like to complete this humble offering?   再次逗留大漠东，................................ ?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T06:27:54.510Z
can it be 何時去到大道中?
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T07:32:22.557Z
Yes, of course it can be. There is no such thing as "wrong" in 詩興? Thanks for responding, much appreciated. I wonder what other knowledgeable contributors make of that. As we are just amateurs, (at least I am), fooling around while trapped at home by C-19 with nowhere safe to go, I was thinking of 走来走去一场空, LOL.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-25T07:37:16.087Z
I am not even an amateur, I am a 門外漢
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-24T20:58:44.987Z
2021-09-24T21:21:18.967Z
2021-09-24T21:21:18.967Z
Tang Ho
<p>Please could someone translate / explain what this means? It is on the side of a teapot from Hong Kong. I understand that it may be explaining it's origin and not mean anything by itself, but any help would be fantastic.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cWOr2.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cWOr2.jpg" alt="teapot inscription" /></a></p>

<translation>
Chinese Pottery, please help
# Chinese Pottery, please help

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-09-24)

Please could someone translate / explain what this means? It is on the side of a teapot from Hong Kong. I understand that it may be explaining it's origin and not mean anything by itself, but any help would be fantastic.

[![teapot inscription](https://i.sstatic.net/cWOr2.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/cWOr2.jpg)

**Tags:** translation

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-24. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> 綠衣初發江南春

* 綠衣(green clothes)
* 初發 (first start)
* 江南春 (Jiangnan's spring)

The land begin to put on green clothes (refers to the landscape is starting to cover with spring plants) indicates it is Jiangnan's early spring

> 遠浦輕帆萬里程

* 遠浦 (faraway port)
* 輕帆 (light sail = small boat)
* 萬里程 (ten thousand miles journey = very long journey)

At a faraway port, in a small boat, embark on a long journey

*If it was a 七言绝句 (seven-character quatrains), there would be two more verses in it. It looks more like a 對聯 (couplet) as it is now*

Note: a small boat is not capable of long-distance sea-going. This long journey is most likely on a river

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Definitely NOT a couplet 對聯. The parts of speech do not match.  
> **username_1**: let's try to make it one. how about 青衫遲慕故國秋  
> **username_2**: Sorry to be picky, but 江南 / 故國 there's still some room for improvement.  Also, 遲慕? 遲暮？  
> **username_1**: how about 綠衣初發江南春; 青衫遲暮宋國秋  
> **username_3**: 平仄不叶。Not to be picky but, among others,「春」and「秋」have the same tone. It doesn't follow the rule, which is 仄起平落. According to the rule, 春 can only be used in the second half, not the first half, of the couplet. So, as it is, there is no way you can make a couplet out of it.  
> **username_1**: 小人不才，不過這原本就不是對聯，再加兩句使它成為七言绝句的四行詩還合理一點。有那位文士有詩興？(I Googled the first two verses but can't find anything online)  
> **username_2**: Yes, parts of speech aside, the tones are also quite mixed up. 平仄 is important in couplets. Examples: 衣 / 衫 are both 平聲. 發 / 暮 both 仄聲, so that's a no-no  
> **username_4**: 小人不才,谦虚是休  :)  Perhaps someone like to complete this humble offering?   再次逗留大漠东，................................ ?  
> **username_1**: can it be 何時去到大道中?  
> **username_4**: Yes, of course it can be. There is no such thing as "wrong" in 詩興? Thanks for responding, much appreciated. I wonder what other knowledgeable contributors make of that. As we are just amateurs, (at least I am), fooling around while trapped at home by C-19 with nowhere safe to go, I was thinking of 走来走去一场空, LOL.  
> **username_1**: I am not even an amateur, I am a 門外漢  

---

