Lion-Eating Poet: The amazement of chinese characters .. “施氏食狮史”: 中文字的奥妙
Saw the Lion-Eating Poet “施氏食狮史” on the net and here to share it out.
What is wonderful about chinese ancient knowledge in creating their character is that, there will have character pronounced in similar syllable but carried different meaning.
This interesting essay was originated by Zhao Yuan Ren (赵元任) at 1930. When reading out each of the word in Romanized version a.k.a. HanYuPinYin (汉语拼音) method, it become quite funny and bring no sense. However, when each of the word reviewed in chinese character, the meaning is clearly revealed.
Romanized version; HanYuPinYin method
shí shì shī shì shī shì, shì shī,
shì shí shí shī.
shī shì shí shí shì shì shì shī, shí shí,
shì shí shī shì shì.
shì shí, shì shī shì shì shì.
shī shì shì shì shí shī, shì shī shì,
shǐ shì shí shī shì shī.
shī shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shí shì.
shí shì shī, shī shì shǐ shì shì shí shì,
shí shì shì, shī shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī shī.
shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī shī shì shí shí shī shī.
shì shì shì shì.
Chinese Character
石室诗士施氏, 嗜狮,
誓食十狮。
施氏时时适市视狮, 十时,
适十狮适市。
是时，适施氏适市。
施氏视是十狮, 恃矢势,
使是十狮逝世。
施氏拾是十狮尸，适石室。
石室湿，施氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭，施氏始试食是十狮尸。
食时，始识是十狮尸是十石狮尸。
试释是事。
石室诗士施氏, 嗜狮,
誓食十狮。
施氏时时适市视狮, 十时,
适十狮适市。
是时，适施氏适市。
施氏视是十狮, 恃矢势,
使是十狮逝世。
施氏拾是十狮尸，适石室。
石室湿，施氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭，施氏始试食是十狮尸。
食时，始识是十狮尸是十石狮尸。
试释是事。
Translation in english
A poet named Shī lived in a stone house and liked to eat lion flesh, and he vowed to eat ten of them. He used to go to the market in search of lions, and one day at ten o’clock, he chanced to see ten of them there. Shī killed the lions with arrows and picked up their bodies, carrying them back to his stone house. His house was dripping with water so he requested that his servants proceed to dry it. Then he began to try to eat the bodies of the ten lions. It was only then he realised that these were in fact ten lions made of stone. Try to explain the riddle.
Interesting isn’t it? =)
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wuah so chim..people stupiak like me really dunno the poem riddle
bwahaha, ask tian chad or jian teach u chinese word liao =P