<p>The characters are 白云長滿目, which roughly translates to</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>The vast expanse of white clouds, filling one's sight,</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>coming from the poem 《送廬山人歸林慮山》 by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_poetry#Middle_Tang" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Táng Dynasty poet</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huangfu_Ran" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Huángfǔ Rǎn</a>.</p>
<p>「云」 is particularly difficult to identify, and is worthy of some additional explanation.</p>
<hr />
<p><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">商</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">甲</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bLNLy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bLNLy.png" alt="云" /></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">乙</a>12<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=21021&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集21021</a></kbd><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3tFVG.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3tFVG.png" alt="云" /></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">前</a>6.43.4<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=17072&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集17072</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">春秋</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">金</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/soGUA.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/soGUA.png" alt="云" /></a><br>姑發劍<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=11718" rel="nofollow noreferrer">集成11718</a></kbd><kbd><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">戰國</a>・<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楚</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">簡</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dtLTH.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dtLTH.png" alt="云" /></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/ChuwenziReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">緇衣</a>・35<br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guodian_Chu_Slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭店楚簡</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%8F%A4%E6%96%87_(%E6%96%87%E5%AD%97)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文古文</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/xa8JQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/xa8JQ.png" alt="云" /></a><br><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;file=77391&amp;page=131" rel="nofollow noreferrer">雲部</a><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">說文解字</a></kbd><kbd><br><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script" rel="nofollow noreferrer">楷</a><br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/AFjra.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/AFjra.png" alt="云" /></a><br><br>　</kbd></p>
<p>「云」 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Baxter-Sagart OC</a>: <strong>/*[ɢ]ʷə[r]/</strong>, <em>clouds</em>) is comprised of semantic <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=24" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「」 (<em>up/above</em></a>, now written 「上」) and phonetic</p>
<p><kbd>商<br>甲<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/336vv.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/336vv.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br><a href="http://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference" rel="nofollow noreferrer">京津</a>4726<br><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&amp;bh=21324&amp;jgwfl=" rel="nofollow noreferrer">合集21324</a></kbd></p>
<p>(<strong>/*[ɢ](r)ə[r]ʔ/</strong>). This character is <a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=392" rel="nofollow noreferrer">「旬」 before the addition of a 「日」 component</a>.</p>
<p>Occasionally, the 「」 part of 「云」 may be partially or fully omitted, and the remainder may be rotated or distorted in some way. This forms the inspiration behind</p>
<p><kbd><br>說文古文<br><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8GerH.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8GerH.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a><br>雲部<br>說文解字</kbd></p>
<p>which is the shape in the seal.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>References</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>季旭昇《說文新證》</li>
<li><a href="https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian" rel="nofollow noreferrer">小學堂字形演變</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">國學大師</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">郭沫若《甲骨文合集》</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&amp;res=77351" rel="nofollow noreferrer">宋・徐鉉等奉敕校定　漢・許慎《說文解字》</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-18T21:23:51.440Z
2020-11-18T21:23:51.440Z
dROOOze
<p>Does this phrase comes from a poetic or philosophical text?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PZbkY.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PZbkY.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>Many thanks for your translation and your comments on this deal.
Actually I had not too much problems with the 云 yún character because I have 2 others seals with this kind of symbolic script.
My problem was with the 滿 mǎn character I was unable to recognize.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/9RZ6U.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9RZ6U.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

<character-identification><seal>
What are the characters in this seal? (Characters identified: 白云長滿目)
# What are the characters in this seal? (Characters identified: 白云長滿目)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-18)

Does this phrase comes from a poetic or philosophical text?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/PZbkY.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/PZbkY.jpg)

---

Many thanks for your translation and your comments on this deal.
Actually I had not too much problems with the 云 yún character because I have 2 others seals with this kind of symbolic script.
My problem was with the 滿 mǎn character I was unable to recognize.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/9RZ6U.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/9RZ6U.jpg)

**Tags:** character-identification, seal

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-11-18. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The characters are 白云長滿目, which roughly translates to

> *The vast expanse of white clouds, filling one's sight,*

coming from the poem 《送廬山人歸林慮山》 by the [Táng Dynasty poet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_poetry#Middle_Tang) [Huángfǔ Rǎn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huangfu_Ran).

「云」 is particularly difficult to identify, and is worthy of some additional explanation.

---

`商  
甲  
![云](https://i.sstatic.net/bLNLy.png)  
乙12  
合集21021``商  
甲  
![云](https://i.sstatic.net/3tFVG.png)  
前6.43.4  
合集17072``春秋  
金  
![云](https://i.sstatic.net/soGUA.png)  
姑發劍  
集成11718``戰國・楚  
簡  
![云](https://i.sstatic.net/dtLTH.png)  
緇衣・35  
郭店楚簡` `說文古文  
![云](https://i.sstatic.net/xa8JQ.png)  
雲部  
說文解字` `楷  
![云](https://i.sstatic.net/AFjra.png)`

「云」 ([Baxter-Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_(2014)): **/\*[ɢ]ʷə[r]/**, *clouds*) is comprised of semantic [「」 (*up/above*](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=24), now written 「上」) and phonetic

`商  
甲  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/336vv.png)  
京津4726  
合集21324`

(**/\*[ɢ](r)ə[r]ʔ/**). This character is [「旬」 before the addition of a 「日」 component](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=392).

Occasionally, the 「」 part of 「云」 may be partially or fully omitted, and the remainder may be rotated or distorted in some way. This forms the inspiration behind

`說文古文  
![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/8GerH.png)  
雲部  
說文解字`

which is the shape in the seal.

---

**References**:

* 季旭昇《說文新證》
* [小學堂字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
* [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
  + [郭沫若《甲骨文合集》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/)
  + [中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/)
* [宋・徐鉉等奉敕校定　漢・許慎《說文解字》](https://ctext.org/library.pl?if=gb&res=77351)


---

