滄海桑田
Chinese
vast ocean; large ocean | mulberry plantation | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (滄海桑田) | 滄海 | 桑田 | |
simp. (沧海桑田) | 沧海 | 桑田 | |
Literally: “the vast sea (turned into) mulberry fields”. |
Etymology
Originally 東海桑田/东海桑田 (literally “East China sea becoming mulberry fields”). From Shenxian Zhuan (神仙傳·麻姑):
- 麻姑自說云:「接待以來,已見東海三為桑田。向到蓬萊,水又淺于往者會時略半也。豈將復還為陵陸乎。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- Mágū zì shuō yún: “Jiēdài yǐlái, yǐ jiàn Dōnghǎi sān wèi sāngtián. Xiàng dào Pénglái, shuǐ yòu qiǎn yú wǎngzhě huì shí lüè bàn yě. Qǐ jiāng fùhái wèi líng lù hū.” [Pinyin]
- Magu said: "Since we met last time, I have seen the East China Sea turned into mulberry fields thrice. When I visited Penglai Island just now, I saw that the water was shallower than half of it was when we met. Is it going to turn into land again?"
麻姑自说云:“接待以来,已见东海三为桑田。向到蓬莱,水又浅于往者会时略半也。岂将复还为陵陆乎。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Idiom
滄海桑田
- time brings drastic changes to the world; the vicissitudes of life
Synonyms
- (short form) 滄桑/沧桑 (cāngsāng)
- 桑田滄海/桑田沧海 (sāngtiáncānghǎi)
Descendants
Sino-Xenic (滄海桑田):
- → Japanese: 滄海桑田 (sōkaisōden)
- → Korean: 창해상전(滄海桑田) (changhaesangjeon)
- → Vietnamese: thương hải tang điền (滄海桑田)
Others:
- → Vietnamese: bể dâu (calque)
Japanese
Kanji in this term | |||
---|---|---|---|
滄 | 海 | 桑 | 田 |
そう Hyōgaiji | かい Grade: 2 | そう Grade: S | でん Grade: 1 |
on’yomi |
Alternative spelling |
---|
滄海桑田 (kyūjitai) |
Etymology
From 滄海 (“vast ocean”) + 桑田 (“mulberry plantations”).Borrowed from Chinese 滄海桑田, literally “the blue sea turned into mulberry fields”.
Pronunciation
- On’yomi
- (Tokyo) そーかいそーでん [sòókáísóꜜòdèǹ] (Nakadaka – [5])[1]
- IPA(key): [so̞ːka̠iso̞ːdẽ̞ɴ]
Idiom
滄海桑田 • (sōkaisōden) ←さうかいさうでん (saukaisauden)?
- (figuratively) drastic changes in the world
See also
- 滄海変じて桑田となる (sōkai henjite sōden to naru)
- 桑田滄海 (sōdensōkai)
- 桑田変じて滄海となる (sōden henjite sōkai to naru)
- 桑田碧海 (sōdenhekikai)
- 滄桑 (sōsō)
References
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN